There’s so much political stuff all over social media right now. It’s hard to relax on the couch with my phone in the evening and flip through Facebook when all of the posts are slamming everyone who supports one candidate or another. Right now, you’re an asshole no matter what side you take.
I was recently told that my vote for Gary Johnson would be a waste. This is nothing new. People have been told that third-party candidates are wastes of ballot space for a long time. And I’m sure the memes informing us of Abraham Lincoln’s third-party backing don’t really convince anybody. (He was a Republican, and they were new at that time but not third party.)
But my vote for Gary Johnson will not be a waste.
Why? Well, first let’s examine why people think it’s a foolish thing to do. Some say that voting for him is a vote for Hillary, and the others claim it’s a vote for The Donald. Um, no. It’s a vote for Gary. If I make my little punch mark next to his name, then that’s who the vote is for. It’s pretty simple, really. The big parties are telling you otherwise because they’re playing to your hatred. Being scared into changing your vote? Now that’s a waste.
Or maybe American folks are just too caught up in wanting to be able to say that they voted for the winner. The basic gist that I get these days is that they don’t want to vote for Johnson because he has “no chance.” Hmm. Alright, so the next logical step is to vote for someone you don’t like simply because they might win? That doesn’t make sense to me, either. Last I checked, we have the right to vote for the person we want. It’s not a gamble at a casino. You don’t have to make the winning bet to be the winner.
My vote for Gary Johnson will not be a waste because I will be voting for the candidate whom I believe will make the best president. That’s it. It’s so easy that nobody can quite wrap their brains around it. I repeat: You are not wasting your vote if you are choosing the person you like the best. Whether that is Trump, Hillary, or Johnson, no vote is wasted if it is educated and earnest.
Ashley O'Melia, Author 