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 
Absolutely. It is your right (duty?) to vote for the person you feel would be the best president.
Unfortunately, the election doesn’t happen in a vacuum. And I think besides Donald Trump playing to the worst impulses of our nature, he is also vastly unqualified to be President.
Johnson has a solid, reputable, effective history in public office. But it’s also difficult for me to understand how he feels that “being ignorant” is good for the job.
Either way, this cycle, I’m impressed and glad that you found someone to earn your vote, and I hope your vote and others for Johnson show support for him, while also taking votes away from trump so he doesn’t gain the office.
hear, hear! the top two candidates are a joke. it’s time for a viable third party.
I wish I could convince you otherwise. Back in 2000 I thought the way you’re thinking and voted for Nader, but now I have the hindsight to know that unpredictably bad things can happen when the wrong person is in the White House.
And remember: Gary Johnson is not going to be president. Clinton or Trump will be.
But that’s exactly my point. I don’t have to vote for Trump or Clinton because they have the best chance of winning. That is a waste of my vote, especially since I find them both quite scary.
Truly, I find Johnson just as scary. He’s a former Republican governor with a tax-cutting obsession, and as a Libertarian now he’s for eliminating public education, rolling back environmental regulations, repealing Obamacare, and undoing the social safety net. Here’s a link to the Libertarian Party platform: https://www.lp.org/platform. It’s an interesting read.
Out of curiosity, which of his positions are attractive to you? (And I promise, I won’t try to persuade you beyond this!)
I like that he seems to be much more of a real person than the others. He believes that people should be able to make their own personal decisions, and that the US should stay out of other countries’ business unless we’re directly involved. He was successful as a governor, so he’s already got a good track record with budgeting. That’s just glossing it over of course, but I think he’s a breath of fresh air!
Good for you!
I have heard that “waste” comment and I think it is more of a waste to vote for a candidate simply because you do not like the other or because you think one is the lesser of the two evils. Your vote is never a waste because you are exercising your right of choice.