I am so so divided on if I should vote for biden or not. I wanna vote third party to at least do something or should I just stay home and protest and advocate where I can? Thoughts?
this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
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People have a fucked-up understanding of voting in the US. You are not voting for the person you agree with. You are voting for the person you’d rather negotiate with.
If you actually care beyond the aesthetics of whether you did the cool thing or not, you have to think about the function of what you’re doing and not just whether it feels good.
This is really well put, I haven't heard it explained this way before.
Even worse, you're voting for the person who represents the party that, over decades, has the greatest chance of moving the Overton window over near to the place where your policies seem like a moderate idea if their party starts winning every election.
You just have to hope that the Overton window is already at a point where your policies are actually able to be changed in your lifetime.
In Australia we have preferential voting.
Unlike the US you can actually vote for an independent of green candidate without it being a throwaway vote.
When the time comes your independent doesn't have a chance of getting in - they still get funding, but your second third and fourth preferences get taken into account and lesser monies paid out accordingly.
Like, can you imagine being able to vote Bernie without it being a total throwaway?
This is how all voting should work.
We have this in some small pockets in the US and its exciting but doesnt always work all that well, yet, if progressives just dont run. NYC mayor Eric Adams was elected through a ballot like this.
Yeah I'm jealous. Good for you.