FaceDeer

If you keep picking lesser evil, then they keep getting more and more evil.

When you go into that ballot booth there are exactly two options in front of you. Well, technically, three. They are:

• Pick the greater evil.
• Pick the lesser evil.
• Throw your vote away and let the outcome fall where it may.

So, you’re crossing out “pick the lesser evil.” I assume you’re also not advocating for picking the greater evil. So you’re saying just abstain?

If a party’s primary system is undemocratic, then your only choice is to vote for another party - even if that party is currently losing very badly.

Ah, you’re suggesting voting for a third party. Under first-past-the-post electoral systems that’s part of the “throw your vote away” option.

Every national election, we’re encouraged to hold our noses, vote for the immediate short term goal, to “buy time”.

Yes, because by the time you get to the election itself those are the only two options left. It’s been winnowed down to that by the electoral process and it’s too late to have any other options by that point.

Lesser evil, or greater evil? That’s it.

What should be done at that point, and every election thereafter, is to vote for someone who opposes FPTP.

In primaries, sure. For local candidates and so forth. It’d be awesome to get rid of first-past-the-post. I’ve pushed for it in my own country, where there’s at least a little chance it might happen.

But at the end of the campaign when it’s voting day and you’re standing there in that voting booth, and there’s the D vs R choice sitting there in front of you, there’s no “get rid of FPTP” option as an alternative. Just D and R.

Yeah, you don’t like to hear that. Tough, it’s reality. Believing in a preferred reality and insisting that it must be real simply because you want it to be real isn’t really our thing here, is it?

I don’t see what your point is here. I’m not saying that things are going great in the US and they shouldn’t be changing their approach to things. I’m literally just saying that when you’re faced with a ballot where there are only two viable options (as is the case under the American electoral system) then you should pick the less evil option. Even if it has elements you don’t like, such as also being captured by Christian nationalism. Your only other option is the greater evil, why would you vote for the greater evil?

As I said, that doesn’t make the lesser evil a good option. If you want a good option then sure, keep working on that. In the American system that means vote in primaries, participate in local elections, get involved in various other ways. Try to influence what shows up on that ballot. Do that between-election organization as well.

And then when the election rolls around, hold your nose and vote for the lesser evil. I literally can’t fathom what else you think should be done at that point.

When the options are a greater evil and a lesser evil, hold your nose and vote lesser evil. Just don’t think that makes them good.

This is hardly news. It’s captured the Democrats too, just a bit less blatantly. Just look at the “religion” column on this table, there’s one unknown and then just a solid stack of crosses regardless of party.

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