You know those type of friends that you are completely comfortable with? The kind that you could tell anything too? The kind of friends that within seconds of reconnecting with you are already discussing deep issues and telling old stories? The kind that love you no matter what you say or do, that pat you on the back when you are right, and kick you in the pants when you are wrong? The kind of friend that berates you in your blog comments for not expanding on how deep and important your relationship with them is? Well, I was with those kind of friends this weekend, and within seconds of dropping my suitcase I was asked this question:
“So, what do you think about Giuliani?”
Now, I refuse to turn this into some sort of political blog. In fact, I’m actually kinda annoyed that people are already talking ’08 election when it is 20 MONTHS AWAY! Way too much is going to happen between now and then to really be talking about this stuff yet. Having said that, the conversation with these important, deep, meaningful, and bestest of best friends quickly turned toward third parties and “throwing away your vote”, a topic that I am always willing to debate because I’m sick of the “vote for the lesser of two evils” mentality. I have voted in every Presidential election since I have been eligible, and I have yet to vote for someone I didn’t wholeheartedly want to be my commander in chief, and I don’t plan on starting 20 months from now.
The fact is, at this point, I don’t trust Rudy’s views on what is by far the most important issue facing our culture, abortion. He gets around this by saying he will appoint judges similar to Roberts, but his history seems to indicate differently. These are the issues I will need to resolve in my conscious before I can vote for the man. So when all the primaries are done and the nominees are finalized, if we are looking at Hillary vs. Rudy, and Rudy still hasn’t assuaged my concerns, what am I to do? Do I, out of some crazy fear of the apocalypse that will be upon us if Hillary reigns supreme (you do get satire, right?), vote for someone whom I don’t really want to occupy the office? Do I pack the family in the mini and book it north to Canada? No. I weigh my third party options, find out where they stand on abortion, and other issues of importance to me, and cast a vote for a person I can get behind. In fact, if Rudy is nominated, it would be nice for someone like Newt Gingrich to run as an independent to give the more conservative among us a chance to vote “en masse“. And if I don’t find a viable candidate among them I will gladly write in a name of my own choosing (probably John Bowling, though he might just turn it down if elected. I love that man.)
The point is the more you adhere to a lesser of two evils mentality the more you give away your vote to a conglomerate. It is their responsibility to nominate someone I will vote for, not my responsibility to vote for whoever they nominate. All you are doing is telling the Republican (or God forbid, Democratic) party that they can throw anyone they want in there and you’ll pull the lever. You are essentially voting by proxy, giving your vote to someone else to make for you. As for me, I plan on casting my own vote thank you, even if it is almost two years from now and I have no clue who it is yet.
Comments? Questions? Do you chant RUDY, RUDY, RUDY? All feedback welcome below 🙂
Oh to have friends like that!
Perot ’08!
–Veranda
Yea John C. He would definately be my vote too. I love that guy.
I thought global warming was the biggest issue of our day… Just kidding! I would vote for J.B. in a heartbeat! Great Blog, Dice!
-JEK
OK, my choice Dr. B then Newt. BUT consider all that is at stake in your voting. First of all, we’re ALWAYS voting for the lesser of two evils. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a “W” fan, through and through– not blindly seeing him as perfect, but trusting his motive, heart and decision making processes given that no one can see the future. But at the heart, without Jesus running for political office, no human truly deserves our full vote (sounding Sunday School yet?) So, we choose the human being we think can most influence with principles we embrace ourselves and those principles that matter most to us. For me, and I agree with you Dice, there is no single more important issue than the abortion one. However, we are winning that battle– not by an all out vote but by chipping away at the extremes and narrowing the practices. Everytime we narrow it, there are new extremes “created” that become at risk for the next vote and so on. I don’t know Rudy well enough but on E-Day, if it’s him vs. Obama/ Clinton, vs. an independent, it’s important that we win! The worst scenario is a Clinton/ Obama who may only be in office for 8 years but can do decades of wrong by poor Supreme Court nominees. (By the way, don;t be fooled by Obama– he’s BAD NEWS on many fronts). Rudy on that day will be our best shot, or lesser of two evils. There is no viable positive result from the third party deal– it merely splits the base and becomes a vote for the true opposition. That’s how we had Clinton for 8 years. What then do we learn about Independent candidates? They are either really playing for the other team or are so egotistical that they want to lap up as many votes they can just to prove a point. Neither has a positive long range effect. Our work for Newt or someone like him, needs to be now, not later. Gee only 20 months to consider . . Love ya, man
Great points, Mr. President.
However…
I would disagree with the assessment of a third party/independent candidate as being either disingenuous or egotistical. The “viable positive result” is that the third party/independent gets elected. Last time I checked there was nothing in the constitution about only Republicans and Democrats are allowed to be Presidents. Whoever gets the most electoral votes will win, no matter what.
I’m just not ready to hand over my vote to the Republican caucus.
Let me put it this way.
If I go to Pizza Hut and order a Pizza and they bring me a salad. I’ll politely say, no thank you, I ordered a Pizza. If they then say, well, we thought a salad would be more appropriate for you so you are getting a salad, I would have two choices. Eat the salad, or go over to Hungry Howie’s and get a pizza.
I’m just not ready to tell the Republican restaurant that I’ll take whatever they serve up.
Ah yes, but my friend, you have to remember that if you fail to elect your candidate in the third party fashion, which recent history tells us is virtually guaranteed to be the case, then you not only didn’t get your candidate, you erroded the votes of the one (probably Republican) most like your top choice and handed the office to your least favorite, the greatest of three evils! (Enter Slick Willie (past), or his accent- changing wife future). So you not only didn’t get your pizza, you traded your fresh salad for spoiled sauer kraut and warm cottage cheese. Even I would choose the salad knowing the pizza is not a viable reality. Sorry about the shooting situation. Bad news.
Alright Mr. smartypants El Presidente. Let’s take this analogy, and make it work. Let’s say you are in a group setting, let’s say a classroom. You agree that whatever the class votes on for lunch will be served to everyone. You can write down any food you want, but through word of mouth you realize that a lot of people are voting for salad, and a lot are voting for spoiled Sauer Kraut and warm cottage cheese, it doesn’t appear that many are voting for your preference, Pizza. Not only that, but it appears to be a pretty close battle between the leafies and the nasties. What do you do? Personally I try to rally the class around Pizza and vote for it. Why? Because the other two choices just don’t work for me. I’m not eating lunch if either is served. Now, if I find out much of the class is going for cheeseburgers, I’ll hop on that right quick, even if Pizza would be my first choice.
Man, I’m hungry.
I couldn’t agree more! I’m all for the best candidate and I believe that rally work is now . . and for 20 stinkin months. I will proudly stand with you for pizza, my first choice as well! When’s the first rally?