A protest vote makes sense

[Michigan11]

Forget Johnson, if he were for advancing liberty he would have went for a house or senate seat in his state of New Mexico, to join up with our others in congress coming.

 

[paulbot24]

I hope you are right but doubt that you are. I don't even know what you are talking about.

I don't know what he is talking about either but the fifth of November sounds familiar for some odd distant reason. Perhaps I should look up that date again to remember.

 

[Matthanuf06]

We are screwed. Vote for Obama or Romney, and if you can't just save the gas. Look, I understand the desire to protest, or have your vote counted...but it's all literally irrelevant. It will actually be discarded or ignored.

Want to not waste your time? We need to do better and either have a viable 3rd party or actually take over the party

 

[Sematary]

We are screwed. Vote for Obama or Romney, and if you can't just save the gas. Look, I understand the desire to protest, or have your vote counted...but it's all literally irrelevant. It will actually be discarded or ignored.

Want to not waste your time? We need to do better and either have a viable 3rd party or actually take over the party

Vote for Obama or Romney? I DON'T think I want any of what YOU are smokin'!

 

[Endthefednow]

The Only Protest vote I will cast is a write in for RON PAUL!!

 

[michaelwise]

Forget Johnson, if he were for advancing liberty he would have went for a house or senate seat in his state of New Mexico, to join up with our others in congress coming.

He could still do that. He's young enough.

 

[Michigan11]

We are screwed. Vote for Obama or Romney, and if you can't just save the gas. Look, I understand the desire to protest, or have your vote counted...but it's all literally irrelevant. It will actually be discarded or ignored.

Want to not waste your time? We need to do better and either have a viable 3rd party or actually take over the party

You joined this movement, and post on these boards, long face posts? Pull yourself together man and come back. This movment is moving forward in a big way, yet you still don't see it

 

[Michigan11]

He could still do that. He's young enough.

Maybe he will and then yes we should back him entirely.

 

[michaelwise]

Full disclosure;
I have not seen the movie V for Vendetta till this evening. I'm about 3/4 of the way through it.
So far it isn't anything I haven't already thought of.

I believe the ending will be to my satisfaction.

 

[tttppp]

Your vote doesn't count, Jackson. What counts is who counts the votes. Hitler taught us that.

Have you seen Gangs of New York? There was a similar quote about how its who counts the votes that matter. And I agree with that.

 

[MikeStanart]

For those considering "Staying Home": You may not like your choices on the top of the ballot, but don't forget about the choices below. There are many Liberty candidates running who need our votes.

 

[jmdrake]

Yes, and the numbers are reported if not broken out like that, and WE can break it out like that. They don't report third party numbers much, either. I'm not trying to persuade anyone, I think everyone should use their own vote as they best prefer to cast it. I was just pointing out that for those who DON'T like Gary Johnson or anyone on the ballot, there is another option.

Actually they do report third party numbers. They did in 2000 and many liberals blamed (wrongly in my opinion) Ralph Nader for Gore losing the election. Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr's numbers were reported as well but not to the same extent. Why? Because they weren't enough to account for the difference between McCain and Obama. So you've actually given a good reason to vote for Gary Johnson instead of writing in Ron Paul. Ron Paul's write in votes will generally not be counted no matter how high they are. Ron's write ins could be 30% in a state and not be mentioned. But if any 3rd party candidate gets more votes than the margin of victory it will be a huge story, just like Nader was in 2000. That said, I don't expect Gary Johnson to be within the margin of victory precisely because many people are going to write in Ron Paul and not have their votes counted at all. And I'm saying this as someone who does not like Gary Johnson. He lost me when he got his butt handed to him on Fox News by Charles Krautheimer trying to explain why we should intervene in Uganda but (apparently) not anywhere else. Either you're non-interventionist or you're not. (Double negative I know). GJ trying to say the Iraq war was wrong because we had no U.S. national interest, but somehow we should "wipe out" the LRA (hasn't been an effective fighting force in years) shows that he's letting some twenty-something "trendies" with slick internet videos set his foreign policy agenda. In some ways that makes him worse than Obama or Romney on foreign policy.

they don't have to accept write in votes to count how many vote and to count how many vote for names on the ballot for president. And 42 states do allow write ins, also.

My state allows write ins, but last time there was no mention of the write in number. In fact I've never seen that reported even in cases where I know there must be a significant number of write in votes. For example, sometimes a democrat is running unopposed for certain local races, but there's at least a contest for the larger race. I sincerely doubt the hundreds or thousands of republicans that voted for other republicans on that ballot just decided to leave it blank. And sometimes I've seen that work the other way where there's only a republican on the ballot.

but people should do what they want with their own vote. To ME that best says what I feel: "I don't like any of the others and I want Ron Paul."

And if ^that's how you feel, by all means write in Ron Paul. But don't be under the illusion that you're having the same protest impact of someone who votes for a candidate already on the ballot. Anyway, I'm hoping that once Mitt Romney is finally nominated this forum can see the light and do the right thing and take Gary Johnson out of "opposing candidates" and give him his own defender of liberty subforum. Like I said, I'm not a fan of GJ. But treating him like an enemy is ridiculous.

 

[michaelwise]

My analysis of the movie;
This is what real HOPE is all about.

 

[cavalier973]

Not only will I not be voting for Romney (or Obama) for President, I will not be voting for any GOP candidate down-ticket. I appreciate that Gary Johnson has a better chance than Virgil Goode, but certain issues on which the Libertarian Party is better than the Constitution Party are trumped (for me) by the issues on which the CP is better than the LP.

 

[mickey mouse joy division]

I'm voting for Obama. I want the RNC to lose.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Hat tip to pcosmar

 

[jmdrake]

Not only will I not be voting for Romney (or Obama) for President, I will not be voting for any GOP candidate down-ticket. I appreciate that Gary Johnson has a better chance than Virgil Goode, but certain issues on which the Libertarian Party is better than the Constitution Party are trumped (for me) by the issues on which the CP is better than the LP.

For the life of me I don't know why Chuck Baldwin didn't secure the Constitution Party nomination again. I hear he's on the "constitution party of Kansas" ticket. In the future I think people in the liberty grassroots need to do a better job of "hedging our bets" to make sure there is some kind of decent choice in November if the preferred candidate doesn't win the primary.

 

[Travlyr]

I still like to pretend that we'll be able to save the country from itself without a revolution (a fighting one, I mean).

Yes, you can save the country peacefully, but you have to understand the fundamental problem first. End The Fed. Don't hate the State. The Counterfeiters are the problem. That is the most important thing you can do to win your freedom. End The Fed. ASAP. Watch this video and take it to heart.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VAYGWp8V9II#!

 

[paulbot24]

For the life of me I don't know why Chuck Baldwin didn't secure the Constitution Party nomination again. I hear he's on the "constitution party of Kansas" ticket. In the future I think people in the liberty grassroots need to do a better job of "hedging our bets" to make sure there is some kind of decent choice in November if the preferred candidate doesn't win the primary.

This is an excellent point and it is also one that Ron made himself when addressing the liberty movement's future back in 2008. I wish I could find the youtube video of it. He said this is an essential issue that must be addressed before we can really progress and why he was endorsing Baldwin, Barr, and Johnson. To make this very point.

 

[sailingaway]

Actually they do report third party numbers. They did in 2000 and many liberals blamed (wrongly in my opinion) Ralph Nader for Gore losing the election. Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr's numbers were reported as well but not to the same extent. Why? Because they weren't enough to account for the difference between McCain and Obama. So you've actually given a good reason to vote for Gary Johnson instead of writing in Ron Paul. Ron Paul's write in votes will generally not be counted no matter how high they are. Ron's write ins could be 30% in a state and not be mentioned. But if any 3rd party candidate gets more votes than the margin of victory it will be a huge story, just like Nader was in 2000. That said, I don't expect Gary Johnson to be within the margin of victory precisely because many people are going to write in Ron Paul and not have their votes counted at all. And I'm saying this as someone who does not like Gary Johnson. He lost me when he got his butt handed to him on Fox News by Charles Krautheimer trying to explain why we should intervene in Uganda but (apparently) not anywhere else. Either you're non-interventionist or you're not. (Double negative I know). GJ trying to say the Iraq war was wrong because we had no U.S. national interest, but somehow we should "wipe out" the LRA (hasn't been an effective fighting force in years) shows that he's letting some twenty-something "trendies" with slick internet videos set his foreign policy agenda. In some ways that makes him worse than Obama or Romney on foreign policy.



My state allows write ins, but last time there was no mention of the write in number. In fact I've never seen that reported even in cases where I know there must be a significant number of write in votes. For example, sometimes a democrat is running unopposed for certain local races, but theirs at least a contest for the larger race. I sincerely doubt the hundreds or thousands of republicans that voted for other republicans on that ballot just decided to leave it blank. And sometimes I've seen that work the other way where there's only a republican on the ballot.



And if ^that's how you feel, by all means write in Ron Paul. But don't be under the illusion that you're having the same protest impact of someone who votes for a candidate already on the ballot. Anyway, I'm hoping that once Mitt Romney is finally nominated this forum can see the light and do the right thing and take Gary Johnson out of "opposing candidates" and give him his own defender of liberty subforum. Like I said, I'm not a fan of GJ. But treating him like an enemy is ridiculous.

By writing in, even were they not counting it and were my vote only noted as a gap between the number who voted for president and the combined numbers who voted for named candidates, I have a much more accurate impact of what I actually think and the number exists. If it is large, we can make a big deal of it. 3d parties may be reported but not much, and voting the way that accurately reflects my feelings, is much more important to me. Making a statement that I liked a candidate I don't like doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm just speaking for myself, however.

However in my state I should be able (with help) to make Ron a certified write in so they count votes.