The 2 Party System and Last Minute Heroes
This happens every four years. Especially with Democratic candidates who didn’t get on the ticket, but more and more as the Libertarian Party comes into it’s own. There are other choices besides the two major party candidates. That’s a good thing.
Our system of government by constitutional law is designed to accept and deal with change. Very slowly, I admit, but it can & does get there. It’s also true that our voting process has become overwhelmed by the advent of TV over the last fifty years, or so.
In order to get ratings for their ‘total coverage’, these TV stations focus on the ‘two front runners’ who will come down to the wire in the Presidential race. Breaking that cycle, little by little, is how we will overcome the two party system. With the advent of cyber politicing and vote canvassing by email, we are seeing a big push in the direction of independents. That’s also a good thing.
Now we are getting ‘Last Minute Hero’ syndrome. Those disenfranchised voters who don’t really believe in either candidate, and choose to cast their votes ’symbolically’ by voting for candidates that have zero chance of election, so as to ‘alter the polling landscape’.
Dear Readers, I implore you; we are in a fight for the future of our Nation, our children, our standard of living, our very freedom. We are many steps down the road towards despotism in America. There is the government invented Invisible Enemy at the Gates, control of the economy & fuel, federal prisoners with no legal rights or representation, held in secret prisons and a country under surveilance by it’s own leaders.
This is NOT the time to be casting frivilous votes to change platform policies. That time started the day after the last election and became less timely as we got closer to this one. While it may feel good for a minute or so to Hero Vote for a candidate who may actually get 3% of the vote, and think yourself Revolutionary and a Political Maverick, nothing could be further from the truth.
Virtuall ALL of the independent candidates are seen as opposition to John McCain. Every vote given to a 3 Percenter is a vote in McCain’s favor. It’s of vital importance that we bind together in this dire time and stop the McCain/Palin administration from ever getting off the ground. You know the issues, you’ve heard the speeches. The Mad Bomber and the Governor who hunts Witches in the White House are within shouting distance of forcing your children to grow up learning nothing but creationism, listening in on every phone call, and sending your future children off to an endless array of wars.
Does it still feel like the right time to vote for a check mark in some historical roster that will be measured in geological ages? Perhaps the real fire of change will still be with you after this November’s vote is in. At that point, I’ll whole heartedly join you in a campaign to change the 2 Party system. Casting your votes away to make a point is likely to ensure that the freedom to do so may soon be lost.
Barack Obama ‘08
Because it’s time for America 2.0
Lord David
Pirate & Artist
Skull Club
New Orleans
October 8th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Agreed. The two party system needs to go, but six weeks before we have to vote in the most important presidential election of our lifetimes is not the time to do it.
Let’s keep McSame and Failin out of the Oval Office first, then lets get a major movement towards Instant Runoff Voting (see my earlier post or just Google it) so that Libertarians, Greens, etc actually have a valid chance without throwing your votes away.
This s really not the time to vote a candidate with no chance, just ask anybody who has been paying attention to the economy!
October 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I’ve fallen into this trap the last 2 presidential election. Large national elections like this is definitely all about choosing the lesser of two evils.
If we want multiple parties we have to start on a local level and build up from there.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I am not naive enough to think that I can change your mind on this but….. When isn’t it “the most important presidential election of our lifetime”? Don’t you think maybe it is more than coincidence that every 4 years around fall the shit hits the fan? The Dems and Repubs are both in someone’s (big media and finance, big business in general) pocket right? A little political manipulation during an election year ensures that one of their candidates will be elected since nobody wants to “waste” their vote in “the most important election of _______ (insert “the century”, our lifetime, this generation etc…..). We are being played. It is right in front of our face. Yet we sit back and help the cycle repeat itself. So, after this election can we count on Humid City to be part of nationwide movement for the election of the best candidate rather than the second worst candidate?
October 8th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
So if I can’t stand Obama and really hate McCain, I should just suspend my principles and vote for one of these assholes because YOU think it’s important?
Bullshit.
Voting under duress is something I can certainly live without, as can the rest of the country. I don’t want my vote to be anti-McCain, I want it to be FOR somebody and count FOR something. If you think that’s “wasting” my vote, you can cram it.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I disagree.
Here is Louisiana, polls are showing that all of our votes in the electoral college will go to John McCain. If election time comes and it is still clear that Louisiana north of I-10 will steer the election that way, why should we not vote for our “Hero” candidate? In fact, I call upon all of you that are staunchly decided in the Obama column to vote for a “Hero” candidate if it is clear that McCain will carry the state. If your voice will not be heard in the electoral college, make it heard through a third party.
That said, I am now committed to vote Obama if and only if the election in the state of Louisiana appears close in November.
Your point is well made, but you need to make it in a some state in the union where it will matter.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
@ Trav. Perhaps I’ve missed something, but in none of the elections since I became legal voting age, has there been two ongoing war fronts, a potential vice president that can barely read a teleprompter running with the oldest candidate ever, AND the biggest national economic collapse since 1929. I don’t know what elections you’re talking about where all of these factors came into play. Please enlighten all of us. As for ‘Dems’ & ‘Repubs’, who cares?
As an independent voter of many years, I stand by my remarks that 30 days before a presidential election is hardly time to re-evalute the system.
@Bullet. I never said ANYBODY should do anything because of my personal beliefs. Nor diod I advocate voting under duress. I appealed (and do again) to the national independent audience to consider having maximum effect in preventing President Palin running our country, something which scares the living hell out of me. I don’t believe I’m alone in that, either. As for wanting your vote to “count FOR something”, isn’t that what we’re all talking about here? I understand if you disagree. Telling me to ‘cram it’ because you disagree with what you think i believe belies a sophmorioc anger that lends little creedence to any argument. Please drive through.
@ Clark T. Your point is well taken. Living in Louisiana, I may well be pissing nickels up a rope, as dad used to call useless behavior. I assume that we’re still liviing in republican state, and the electorate will probably go that way. Were I to see polls convincing me of that, and of such a mind, that would indedd be the perfect medium for a third party vote to effect some change in the system.
Thanks for your intelligent and insightfull rebuttal.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Note: Trav; while I can’t speak for everyone who posts on humidcity, I’ve found this particualr group to be true to their belief systems, in word and action.
I will absolutley entertain any and all ideas regarding a multiple party roster for future elections, Presidential and otherwise. I believe many of my co-bloggers, especially Loki, our Fearless Leader, would jump at the chance to take action here.
Meet me here after election day, whatever the result, and let’s begin the arduous road to changing a system long overdue for an overhaul. Count me in.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
nice post david.
* i’ve changed my mind. i’m going to vote after all.
drink up shriners!
October 8th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Instant Runoff Voting. It needs to start at the local level in multiple places. It also needs to start asap after this election.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
@Loki; how about posting some links, so missing links like myself can read more about this plan…
@Termite; I’ll drink my shiners on the rocks, please.
Those little cars give me gas. Oh, yeah, hold the fez.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:59 am
The post explaining IRVoting, complete with video and argument in the comment stream is here:
http://humidcity.com/2008/09/29/party-choices-suck/
Dont forget to proudly display your copy of the Dead Kennedys album Frankenchrist for the benefit of any nearby shriners. (Bonus points if you can name the legal case I am referring to here…)
October 9th, 2008 at 7:46 am
I’ll take the Bone-us round, sir!
After the first release of Frankenchrist, H.R. Giger’s original “Penis Lanscape” cover was replaced by a picture of Shriners in little cars when distribution was cut off due to the expicit content of Giger’s painting.
Besides listening to the Dead Kennedy’s “pschydelic album”,
I highly recommend following the above link to Loki’s post and the video re: IRVoting. It sounds like a great start for revamping an obvioulsy antiquated system.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Termite - Glad to hear you are going to vote, whoever it might be for.
I respect where you all are coming from with regard to voting for the lesser of the 2 evils. In my mind, it seems that the momentum building with the public, in light of recent events, is opening minds to the idea that maybe the candidate we see on TV the most is not always best. Thank God we are waking up!
While we make a push for a more representative direct voting system (IRV or whatever) it seems likely that current public momentum could be used to break down the walls which have traditionally kept viable third party candidates in the back of the pack.
A total revamp of the voting system (IRV) with constitutional ammendments and all would surely be decades down the road. There are only a few cities using it now. Instant Runoff Voting looks like a pretty good option to work toward, but interim action to further open the current electoral college system to third parties seems vital as well. We gotta multi-task.
PS. Thanks for The DK trivia!
October 9th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
David: You certainly aren’t the only one with this opinion. I’ve been hearing all around how this election is so important that independants better not screw it up. I allowed that frustration into my comment. I apologize.
I meant that I want my vote to speak to what I believe, not against what some candidate may or may not believe. If I vote for the least common denominator, the lesser of two evils, I’m betraying myself and the system, and I think encouraging people to do it discourages more and more voters who will just stay home.
Remember “Vote for the Crook, it’s important”? That was certainly a fine moment in democracy. I never want to be part of anything like that again.
Besides, if Obama is so great, why all the fuss? This is going to be a landslide, right?
Yeah, I don’t think so either.
Personally, I think we should ditch running mates and altogether and go back to 1st place - Prez, 2nd place - VP. Much more exciting.
And if you think “cram it” (which was conditional, BTW) belies sophomoric anger, you should really read my blog. :)
October 9th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Trav - last week i was doing my usual complaining about our great leaders. i told louis maistors (awesome blogger) that i wasn’t going
to vote - his reply was this..
“As a general rule, I have a deep mistrust for all politicians. After all, we live in Louisiana.”
Wooot! that was it! let’s face it - it’s rather difficult to live here and believe in our government. *sigh*
and certainly after Katrina my views on our politicians were tainted.
good grief, we didn’t even get 3rd string after the storm. lawd claude.
what was it going to take? certainly not the largest natural disaster in U.S. history that’s for damn sure. how disgusting is that??
after much soul searching i’ve decided it’s my right as an American citiizen to cast my vote. and which ever way it turns out i’ll accept.
pwomise.
:)
October 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
A few years back, I smashed my hip joint beyond any possibility of repair, and started on the long road to medicaid approval and eventual joint replacement. I stood in lines with crutches, waiting for more paperwork, and thought to myself, “one day I will dance madly.”
We all agree that the two party system has failed us and that neither candidate has truly captured the spirit we feel is nessecary. I believe that one of these candidates, John McCain, will drive us so much farther into darkness that
there will be no return, and the other, Barack Obama, will at least attempt to better our plight, our country, our way of life.
It took years of engaging the machine of government healthcare to get a hip joint replacement, weeks of bedridden, agonizing recovery and almost a year of physical therapy to do it. When the mood comes, I dance quite madly, to my hearts content.
Voting for a candidate that doesn’t represent my True Heart is a sacrifice I can and will make, knowing that it brings me one step closer to that feeling that I am alive, and living, to making choicesthat DO call to my true heart, to changing the way my children will be treated.
Another four years of laying painfully crippled in the dark is not worth the momentary satisfaction of knowing a pulled a lever for a hero that could not win.
October 16th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Respectfully disagreeing. I credited you here: http://pistolette.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-vote-for-president.html
October 16th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
You know pistolette, you always have a place here on HumidCity, just let me know. While I disagree with your sentiment in this case (I’m just so fucking afraidd of putting a creationist idiot like Palin so close to the presidency) I do respect it.
Coffee when I get back to nola?
October 17th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Repsoted from Pistolette’s comment board:
Thanks for your gracious and respectful mention of my post on this. I will point out, however, that I did not speak against third party voting, or doing away with the two party system. I advocate both, and vigorously.
I don’t think four weeks before a Presidential election, especailly one of such magnitude, is the time to start revamping the voting system.