I have had that argument here and elsewhere for years, as I frequently have voted for at least a few Libertarian candidates.
IMO the only truly wasted vote is a vote for another statist, big-government candidate when your personal preference would have been to vote for a smaller and less intrusive federal government.
You are not acquiescing if you vote for Trump. He isn't the one the establishment picked. The people have spoken and finally they didn't get to pick the nominee. This is a big change. I wanted Walker and that didn't last very long.
I CAN NOT vote for the say anything, win for my ego, lifelong Democrat-Posing-as-a-Populist-Republican presumptive GOP nominee.
Libertarian it is. Get them over the 5% they need to get on the ballet in all states in 2020.
Thanks Spike. A very interesting and thoughtful take on what to do in such a situation and how in whatever tiny way to have some semblance of leverage to maybe a better array of choices next time.
I've always argued against a 3rd party, thought the way to straighten out the mess was to change the republican party from within, more conservative, tea party type candidates. To a degree... that was working. It still might. Things often need the perspective of time when the moment is despair. Battles are not wars.
But with the populist turn things have taken this year and the disregard of any....well, everything really. This might be the time to start (there are some 4 years until the next) some kind of conservative/libertarian melded party to find common ground. Certainly more common ground in the two than the alt-right, um, lets say "radicals" driving much of it now.... so that even the Soulless WSJ eGOP has cozied up to like a hooker to a rich john....
I've come to look at some 3rd party much more in terms of the chance of success. Right now there are simply two liberal NYC democrats to choose from. Two awful people who have no business even being considered to the highest office on the planet. How in any right mind I don't know... but here is were we find ourselves.
Or, if you don't vote for hilery you are voting for trump would be just as true.
So what's the allure of this guy named Trump? It's really pretty easy to understand....
Much of the establishment's criticism of Donald Trump comes from its failure to comprehend the reasons for his soaring popularity. Establishment types seem untroubled by the problems facing America, so they can't understand the urgency that fathered Trump's rise. Minor adjustments to the Hindenburg's dining room menu just aren't going to get it.
Their overwrought analysis, their hand-wringing and their contemptuousness for Trump betray a disdain not only for Trump but for Americans who recognize the gravity of America's predicament -- and who, in desperation, have turned to Trump for bold action.
It's hard to overstate Americans' concern for the state of the nation. Horrified by President Obama's Sherman-esque march through America, they are tired of hearing that nothing can be done. They are through with empty promises from establishment politicians.
People are tired of Obama's divisiveness. He's pitted blacks against whites, women against men, gays against heterosexuals, rich against poor, non-taxpayers against taxpayers, citizens against cops and Muslims against Christians. They can no longer stomach Obama's apologizing for America and excusing terrorists while rushing to attack Christians at every turn.
People are sick of being called racists for things that happened in this country before they were born or before they could vote, for opposing Obama's destructive agenda, or for simply being Republicans. They abhor the war on cops orchestrated by racial hucksters and pandering politicians. They are incredulous that any president would deliberately engineer America's decline and degrade our military. They are tired of the nation's chief executive officer's flouting laws and thwarting the people's will.
Americans are sick of Obama's trashing America's founding, assaulting capitalism, and bellowing about man-made global warming as a pretense to impose more liberty-smothering regulations. They are nauseated by politicians who are more interested in bipartisanship with scofflaws than with saving the nation.
People are mortified by the nation's fiscal instability, its unbridled national debt, its spiraling entitlements and Washington's refusal to address them. They are sick of the fraudulent spending "cuts." They have had their fill of the lies, especially about Obamacare, whose costs dwarf Obama's promised projections and are getting worse by the day. They've reached their limit with this administration's rewarding unemployment and laziness while punishing work, its honoring socialism and demonizing capitalism.
People are sick of politically correct bullies. (We're living in the age of the "violent do-gooder!") They are exhausted by lectures about not paying their fair share when half the income earners don't pay income taxes. They are fed up with lies about decreasing unemployment rates when tens of millions have dropped out of the workforce.
Every other week, we face a new existential threat to the nation -- threats perpetrated or enabled by Obama and the Washington establishment. But the establishment meets these perils with barely disguised indifference. Islamic terrorism is overrunning the Middle East and has reached our mainland, and Obama doesn't dare whisper its name. Obama refuses to enforce the borders; he orders his administration not to enforce immigration laws; he lawlessly grants amnesty to millions of immigrants who are here illegally; and he and his party set up sanctuary cities that harbor criminal immigrants.
Last year, we faced an invasion from Central America; now, in the name of compassion, we are inviting in Syrian refugees - some 72 percent of whom are, curiously, men!!! Are we afraid to wonder aloud whether those who sidestep the legal immigration process will embrace the American idea? Whether they will end up on the welfare rolls?
With Congress' help, Obama bypassed the Constitution's treaty clause and entered into a reckless, non-verifiable nuke deal with Iran and will give the Iranians a $150 billion signing bonus to fund terrorism and build ballistic missiles.
So where does that leave us?
People have heard one too many times that the Republican Party, if it regains control, will turn things around. However, Republicans have been so timid in opposing Obama's agenda that many have quit believing they'll reverse this madness if they acquire full control.
So.. along comes this guy....Trump, who gives voice to these legitimate grievances instead of calling people racist, selfish or hysterical. He emphasizes the urgency of these problems, and he denounces the status quo, the establishment, Washington inertia and political correctness without an ounce of apology.
Face it folks...people are dehydrated and he's their Gatorade. Do I personally agree with everything that comes out of his mouth? Of course not! But with the alternative being Hillary Clinton.... NO THANKS .........TRUMP 2016 !!!!!!
'In God We Trust'
Of course you are. He's as Establishment as they come. Just because he fooled a bunch of voters, including you, into thinking he's not, doesn't change the fact that he is. The GOP Establishment's problem with Trump is he's not their favored Establishment candidate, and they don't think he can win. If he'd been leading Hillary in the polls for months on end, most of them would have had no problem getting behind him, despite the fact that he is a Liberal NYC Democrat.
"Below is a statement about Trump written by Dave Stasko on Facebook"
That's a good statement in General. There's just no evidence that any of it applies to Trump.
You've been Conned.
In your opinion. We have no evidence to suggest otherwise, except what he's said during this campaign contradicting most everything he said and did before running for President. Not to mention all the things he's said during this campaign that contradicted other things he's said during this campaign. Every Trump statement has an expiration date.
I have no problem with the identification of the problem, but have grave concerns about the claimed solution. There's a leap of faith here about like trying to cross the Grand Canyon by using a Vespa.
Huge in difference in my peanut mind.
I will vote for Trump and hope.
With Hillery there is no hope.
This is factual. We know for a fact that Hillery is not only corrupt and evil to the max but that she is going to immediately strengthen all of obamas policies plus total gun control and more.
Trump will not do that.
God bless, Steve
"he denounces the status quo, the establishment, Washington inertia and political correctness without an ounce of apology."
As well as not an ounce of apology for stiffing his workers and business partners, filing bankruptcy multiple times, conning people out of their money with phony "universities", cheating on his wives (plural) cheating with his "friends" wives, attempting to use the government to steal an old lady's property for his own personal use (and still supporting such WRT eminent domain) and dozens of other things. Documented, recorded.
ALL "without an ounce of apology". How wonderful. Almost made it sound downright noble to not apologize for being a POS slimeball.....
I will not consent to be governed by an individual who doesn't articulate the simple and basic truths of our founding documents. (I believe this is still the oath we ask electeds to uphold). Christ does not call me to save a geographic nation living at a point in history. What I believe he calls me to do is to come out and be separate, to submit my heart and mind to Him.
When the people change their leaders will follow."
Eric Anderson , candidate of the 71th Assembly District California
I will not consent to be governed by an individual who doesn't articulate the simple and basic truths of our founding documents. (I believe this is still the oath we ask electeds to uphold). Christ does not call me to save a geographic nation living at a point in history. What I believe he calls me to do is to come out and be separate, to submit my heart and mind to Him.
When the people change their leaders will follow."
Eric Anderson , candidate of the 71th Assembly District California
"When the people change their leaders will follow."
This may or not be what has happened in this election year. I think people are sick and tired of the same old same old politicians that we've had for the past 20 or 30 yrs. Nothing has changed.
In 2008 the country was ready for change. We had a President who got us into a war we shouldn't have been in. Then along comes Obama, a seemingly bright and articulate young man who promised us hope and change and the Country was ready for this. Who did the Republicans have to offer?
McCain who freely admitted that he had no clue about finance (paraphrase) when the housing bubble and banks burst wide open. McCain stood on the stage like a bumbling idiot with no answers.
Fast forward to 2012, once again Obama is running and this time around we get Romney who basically threw away his possibility of being elected due to his inability to debate..he had a chance and threw it away. Was that Romney or the GOP?
Is there any wonder why Trump is going to be the GOP candidate? The people are speaking and we have no leaders with the exception of a few states.
When the people change? I believe they are..for better or worse but we have no leaders.
X-2!
This is the first time I can remember seeing two actually evil people running for the office. Before, McCain, Romney.... maybe didn't care for their politics... but they were and are both good men. Voted Bush, a good man despite his policy faults, mistakes.
There is politics and policy..... that's all up for debate, support or not support. These are two truly despicable people, not worthy of the office. Truly two evils, not metaphorically.
In my case, thinking about it over and over as to the OP.... only vote that may send any kind of message is 3rd party. So that my call.
