# How do you feel about 3rd-party voters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 27, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624 "2019-03-27T18:30:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/21 "2019-03-28T16:11:02Z")
Agreed, the poll is flawed. In general, I don’t care if someone votes for a third party. But if a person votes for their perfect candidate who has zero chance of winning, and thereby contributes to the win of a candidate they hate, at the expense of a candidate they feel meh about, I think that person is making a big mistake. But such situations are fairly rare, which is why I don’t really care very much. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/22 "2019-03-28T16:14:06Z")
I’m generally indifferent, and that isn’t included in the poll. I would very much like to break up the 2 party system though, via any mechanism that doesn’t violate the constitution. I am a registered independent. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/23 "2019-03-28T16:15:28Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > This poll doesn’t capture how most people probably feel - that they are fine with third party voters that draw votes from the opposing party. Sign me up for ranked choice - first past the post is just absurd. Right, but, in general - at least from what I’ve seen - liberals are far likelier to believe that 3rd party voters siphon away votes from their side than conservatives are. I think that explains why in this poll most liberals look unfavorably on 3rd-party voters while conservatives don’t mind them. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/24 "2019-03-28T16:19:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Right, but, in general - at least from what I’ve seen - liberals are far likelier to believe that 3rd party voters siphon away votes from their side than conservatives are. I think that explains why in this poll most liberals look unfavorably on 3rd-party voters while conservatives don’t mind them. Like Ralph Nader allowed W to sneak in. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/25 "2019-03-28T16:20:35Z")
Another dynamic that is at play is that, IMHO, generally Republicans consider you to be “okay” as long as you don’t vote for the D’s. So if you vote Republican, third party or don’t vote at all, you’re “okay.” But in the Trump era, Democrats only consider you “okay” if you vote D. If you vote Republican, third party, or don’t vote, then you are \*\*not \*\*“okay.” ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/26 "2019-03-28T16:46:22Z")
If you mean “someone who actively works on multiple levels to try to make 3rd parties viable” then I think it’s an important function of the political process. If you mean “people who once every 4 years think they’re making some kind of protest statement that the main parties suck” I say grow up (I fell for that in 2000, but grew up). ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/27 "2019-03-28T17:42:45Z")
Third party would be less problematic in my view were it not for the presidency, as in the case of a parliamentary government. In a presidential/parliamentarian government, though, I think it just makes political obstruction more functional. I’ll confess that I just whipped this opinion out of my rectum and probably haven’t given the subject its proper rigor. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624/28 "2019-03-28T20:40:15Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Depends on the race and the situation. If the third-party candidate has an actual shot at winning the election (like, say, Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, or some state / local races today), I’m all for it, as long as the candidate doesn’t stand for something particularly vile. If the candidate _doesn’t_ have a chance to win the election but the election is not projected to be close, I think it’s essentially harmless. I wouldn’t do it myself, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with voting for the Libertarian candidate in a presidential election if you live in Massachusetts or Idaho. If the major party you prefer is not running a candidate at all (also common in state and local races), voting for a third-party candidate makes sense, and I have done this on a number of occasions. > > If the election is actually _competitive_ between the two major-party candidates, voting for a third-party candidate is irresponsible, counterproductive, and damned stupid. Pick the major-party candidate who comes _closest_ to representing your views, even if it is not very close, and shut up. :applause: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-3rd-party-voters/831624.md?page=1)