The usual argument against voting for a third party candidate is that the vote will be “wasted” on a candidate who cannot win. That argument would have some logic if a person’s single vote had any practical effect on the result. But it doesn’t.
On Nov. 7, tens of millions of votes will be cast for president. It should be obvious that any single vote will be completely irrelevant in deciding who wins. That being so, a person might as well vote for a candidate he or she feels most comfortable with, regardless of that candidate’s chances of victory.
Put another way: One’s vote has no practical effect; it can only serve as a personal statement of one’s beliefs.
A liberal dissatisfied with Al Gore (due to Gore’s lies, Buddhist Temple fundraisers, policy flip-flops or any other reason) should be true to his or her beliefs and vote for Ralph Nader. That one vote won’t make or break any candidate. But that voter will sleep easier, knowing he or she has done his or her civic duty by casting the best, the most honest, the truest vote he or she possibly can.
