I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the presidential election this year is going to go down as one of the most memorable. The fact that we even have to compare the two candidates is absurd. I understand that neither is perfect, but in this situation, there's one that is clearly a much better option than the other. And yet, thousands of people have decided they aren't happy with their two options, and are electing to vote third party this year. So, if you're one of those people, then this article is for you.
This is not the time for revolution.
Revolution, when we speak of it over dinner tables or in lecture halls, sounds enticing. It sounds exciting, important. It sounds like we might finally do something, be a part of something. And we all want to be a part of something; look at the thousands of revolutions all throughout history. If you speak to a group of people desperate enough for change, they're willing to overlook reason and rationality in order to fulfill a fantasy (Interestingly enough, this is how Trump is running his campaign). Revolution comes packaged nice and pretty and, when we speak of it with wide eyes and hopeful hearts, we forget what it really is.
This is not the time for revolution. Trust me, I understand that you might not like either of your choices. I too voted for Bernie, wanting to believe that honestly could overcome the spiteful nature of politics. I like to believe that we could come together and elect a third party candidate and create a political revolution. I think a lot of people really love the idea of that. But the reality of it happening is just not feasible, and this is just not the time to be gambling the future of our country.
Voting third party is how Donald Trump stands a chance of winning the presidential election. Sounds absurd? Think again. Say the Democratic and Republican parties are split relatively evenly, and the election could hypothetically swing either way, which was how the numbers came in earlier in the year. A third party candidate begins to gain traction, appealing largely to democratic voters who dislike Hillary but are dead-set against Trump (or many who were previously supporting Bernie Sanders, who was splitting polls with Hillary for a time). If this movement grows large enough, it could end up splitting the Democratic party in two, thus winning Trump the election.
I get it. Neither option is perfect, and voting third party seems like a way out. But there's no possible way that a third party candidate could gain enough support this late in the game to overcome both candidates. Even Sanders himself urged people not to vote third party and to support Hillary, who he's publicly backed.
If you choose to vote third party, consider it equivalent to subtracting a vote from the Democrats, which in turn allows the Republican party to gain popularity. If you choose to vote third party, you're letting Trump win the election simply because you're being stubborn.
This is not the time for revolution. This is the time to make sure we don't allow a racist and misogynist to become the next president and undo much of the political progress we have made. And if that happens, then don't worry- there will be plenty of time for revolution then.
