(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Vote for the One Who Brung Ya' [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-09-17  

I have a simple rule I apply in elections when candidates are not particularly appealing. Determine who will do the least damage to my values, beliefs, and desires. Then vote for them. Not voting at all for the “least harmful” candidate is, in essence, a vote for the opposition. Unchecked idealism is a luxury we cannot afford at a time when democracy itself is under attack on so many fronts.

We have two likely presidential candidates in 2024. Trump and Biden. We have all seen what has happened under their leadership. For me, despite concerns I have over Biden, I will still turn out to vote for Biden despite my misgivings. Why? Simply because the alternative is simply too repugnant to tolerate. If for whatever reason, a different Democratic candidate is selected to run against Trump, I will likely vote for them as well. I suspect I would vote for roadkill, if that were the opposition to Trump.

In 2000, a third-party candidate rose to meet many people’s perceived needs. A pre-election analysis pretty much proved that Nader had no chance of actually winning. But his campaign did have a major impact on the election. It drew away voters from Al Gore, making the final results between Gore and Bush incredibly close to call. As a result, Bush won a vote so narrow that it was ultimately called by the Supreme Court, not voters. I saw that as a lesson to be learned. If you cannot pull progressive voters together behind a single candidate, then you will likely lose the election.

So, it is my opinion that every progressive out there should pinch their nose and vote for the “least harmful” candidate and damn it, vote! You can bet that the Republicans who might prefer someone other than Trump will vote for him if he is running.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/17/2193850/-Vote-for-the-One-Who-Brung-Ya

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/