"It's a Binary Choice " - NOT!

[Science Friction]

"Binary" is for Mathematics and star systems , not for Presidential elections. Over the past two days alone I have heard Paul Ryan , Jeb Bush, and Chris Christie all say that this election "is a binary choice," meaning that a voter is choosing between either Trump or Clinton. Every time I hear these people repeat this, I get incensed. Jeb says that he is sitting out this election cycle because he can't support either of the TWO choices. Uh, Jeb, there is another choice. I actually find it offensive that a former governor and a brother and son of former presidents is refusing to exercise his voting privilege because he can't support Trump or Hillary. Former Republican Governor Gary Johnson is a perfectly acceptable third option, imo. Why are all of these political figures and pundits repeating this silly notion that "it's a binary choice"?

 

Our BGP friends UKMustangFan ,Jim Schue, and others, passionately defended their intent to vote third party but were told by several on here that they would be wasting their votes by doing so. Some tried to reason(wrongly) that voting for Johnson is doing nothing but helping Hillary. Why is voting for the least polarizing candidate at the most polarizing time in our lifetimes a bad idea? Why should seeing this election cycle through a binary lens "trump" voting one's conscience?

 

Folks, contrary to what we are hearing from establishment hacks like Ryan, Christie, and Bush, you don't have to look at this election as a choice between two divisive figures with combined trustworthy numbers north of 130%. The only way that progress will be made in our political scheme of things is if enough people exercise their right to vote their conscience instead of voting for "the lesser of TWO evils," as is usually the case.

 

Comments???

[All Tell]

Still believe that every vote for a 3rd party candidate is a vote for Hillary, in fact it's amazing how candidates named Clinton seem to benefit from 3rd party runs.

 

It doesn't matter how many Hillary supporters try to tell me otherwise.

[Science Friction]

Still believe that every vote for a 3rd party candidate is a vote for Hillary, in fact it's amazing how candidates named Clinton seem to benefit from 3rd party runs.

 

It doesn't matter how many Hillary supporters try to tell me otherwise.

 

I respect your opinion but I think any of us on here could vote for Johnson, if that's what our conscience dictated, without affecting what we are pretty certain will be the eventual outcome in KY.

[Bipsic]

Still believe that every vote for a 3rd party candidate is a vote for Hillary, in fact it's amazing how candidates named Clinton seem to benefit from 3rd party runs.

 

It doesn't matter how many Hillary supporters try to tell me otherwise.

 

Here's where you are wrong. With 99.9999999% certainty I will be voting for Johnson. Since he will not win, I am hoping for a Hilary victory. If I had to pick between the two my choice would not be Trump. I'm also not that rare.

[Jumper_Dad]

"Binary" is for Mathematics and star systems , not for Presidential elections. Over the past two days alone I have heard Paul Ryan , Jeb Bush, and Chris Christie all say that this election "is a binary choice," meaning that a voter is choosing between either Trump or Clinton. Every time I hear these people repeat this, I get incensed. Jeb says that he is sitting out this election cycle because he can't support either of the TWO choices. Uh, Jeb, there is another choice. I actually find it offensive that a former governor and a brother and son of former presidents is refusing to exercise his voting privilege because he can't support Trump or Hillary. Former Republican Governor Gary Johnson is a perfectly acceptable third option, imo. Why are all of these political figures and pundits repeating this silly notion that "it's a binary choice"?

 

Our BGP friends UKMustangFan ,Jim Schue, and others, passionately defended their intent to vote third party but were told by several on here that they would be wasting their votes by doing so. Some tried to reason(wrongly) that voting for Johnson is doing nothing but helping Hillary. Why is voting for the least polarizing candidate at the most polarizing time in our lifetimes a bad idea? Why should seeing this election cycle through a binary lens "trump" voting one's conscience?

 

Folks, contrary to what we are hearing from establishment hacks like Ryan, Christie, and Bush, you don't have to look at this election as a choice between two divisive figures with combined trustworthy numbers north of 130%. The only way that progress will be made in our political scheme of things is if enough people exercise their right to vote their conscience instead of voting for "the lesser of TWO evils," as is usually the case.

 

Comments???

 

Well no, he is not perfectly acceptable to many. Just because someone doesn't want to vote for Clinton or Trump, means they automatically agree with Johnson.

[Jumper_Dad]

Here's where you are wrong. With 99.9999999% certainty I will be voting for Johnson. Since he will not win, I am hoping for a Hilary victory. If I had to pick between the two my choice would not be Trump. I'm also not that rare.

 

True you may not be rare but I think you are in the vast minority. Most of Johnsons support comes from the right not the left.

 

Every time I see liberal posters hailing Johnson I know the ulterior motive is to convince Republicans to Right of center independents that it's ok to just vote for Pert err I mean Johnson.

 

As I've said before, I look for Hillary to push to get Johnson on the debates...his presence does nothing but help her. Just as Perot did Bill in 92.

[mcpapa]

It's never a bad thing to vote your conscience.

[75center]

Another third party candidate getting attention from Bernie Sanders supporters is Jill Stein. Green Party I think.

[mcpapa]

Still believe that every vote for a 3rd party candidate is a vote for Hillary, in fact it's amazing how candidates named Clinton seem to benefit from 3rd party runs.

 

It doesn't matter how many Hillary supporters try to tell me otherwise.

 

Nope. Liberal 3rd party candidates siphon votes from Ds. Conservative 3rd party candidates siphon votes from Rs. Pretty simple, really.

 

Libertarians like Gary Johnson? Just examine who on this board alone have declared.

[mcpapa]

True you may not be rare but I think you are in the vast minority. Most of Johnsons support comes from the right not the left.

 

Every time I see liberal posters hailing Johnson I know the ulterior motive is to convince Republicans to Right of center independents that it's ok to just vote for Pert err I mean Johnson.

 

As I've said before, I look for Hillary to push to get Johnson on the debates...his presence does nothing but help her. Just as Perot did Bill in 92.

 

Doesn't look that way. Here's fivethirtyeight's take.

 

The majority of pollsters (12) have Clinton’s margin over Trump shrinking when at least one third-party candidate is included. The difference in margins, however, varies among pollsters, and a few, such as Ipsos, have Clinton’s lead rising by the tiniest of bits when at least Johnson is included. Overall, including third-party candidates takes about 1 percentage point away from Clinton’s margin, on average.

 

Election Update: Is Gary Johnson Taking More Support From Clinton Or Trump? | FiveThirtyEight

[Jumper_Dad]

Doesn't look that way. Here's fivethirtyeight's take.

 

The majority of pollsters (12) have Clinton’s margin over Trump shrinking when at least one third-party candidate is included. The difference in margins, however, varies among pollsters, and a few, such as Ipsos, have Clinton’s lead rising by the tiniest of bits when at least Johnson is included. Overall, including third-party candidates takes about 1 percentage point away from Clinton’s margin, on average.

 

Election Update: Is Gary Johnson Taking More Support From Clinton Or Trump? | FiveThirtyEight

 

Interesting and surprising...I'll have to keep a closer eye on this.

[Habib]

Here's where you are wrong. With 99.9999999% certainty I will be voting for Johnson. Since he will not win, I am hoping for a Hilary victory. If I had to pick between the two my choice would not be Trump. I'm also not that rare.

 

If I couldn't vote for Johnson I would either not vote or vote against Trump. Off the top of my head I think that describes the majority of his support on this site, which leans fairly to the right.

 

If there are voters on the right looking for a non-traditional candidate, well, he's their nominee. Johnson isn't getting Cruz voters.

[Bluegrasscard]

With the system the way it is the 3rd party at a president level is a spoiler. If the voting was apportionment/coalition style it would be different.

 

Perot in 1996 may have been one of the strongest 3rd party/Independent candidate. I voted for him. Had all his votes gone to Dole, Dole would have had a chance.

[Getslow]

Been following these folks for a while now. They're tiny even compared to the Libertarians and the Greens.

 

American Solidarity Party Platform

 

Running a guy for president named Amir Azarvan. Eight years ago I'd have thought that strange, but after two terms of Barack Obama, that name doesn't even make me blink anymore.

 

They're essentially a center-left party with a strong right to life message as part of that platform. Interesting group.

[oldgrappler]

If I couldn't vote for Johnson I would either not vote or vote against Trump. Off the top of my head I think that describes the majority of his support on this site, which leans fairly to the right.

 

If there are voters on the right looking for a non-traditional candidate, well, he's their nominee. Johnson isn't getting Cruz voters.

 

Why isn't a "write-in" an option for those who don't like the big two or even the third?