By Fred Riehl
Manasquan, NJ –-(Ammoland.com)- Among those who do not support Obama but are fearful of Romney, I see a lot of chest-thumping about how you are beating the evil republican or communist incumbent, by supporting a third party, Libertarian, or Green Party candidate.
The truth is a third-party candidate has ZERO chance of winning, that is just the cold hard facts and it has nothing to do with if they are a better choice, which they may be, but no amount of wishing on your part can change that. They do not have enough money, they do not have enough organization and, really, no one knows who they are. So they stand no chance of winning.
Ron Paul (still a candidate for GOP party nomination but always with the option to run as an independent), is the one exception to the paragraph above, he knows this fact, and is a good example of someone picking the lessor of two evils. He knows that he can not win and that is why he has dialed back his campaign and allowed his support to subtly, fall behind Romney, HE KNOWS HE WOULD ONLY SPLIT THE VOTE. (Que the Paul Bots; Hardcore supporters will dispute this, but a tip of his hand is the curent pole on his web site titled “What Should Ron Paul Do Now?” this is Paul letting his supporters down easy as he moves away from splitting the vote.)
So what to do? You have three options, vote for Obama and doom us for sure, vote for your current third party favorite, which is a vote for no one, based on the facts above – you might as well stay home and not vote or vote outright for Obama – because your vote will have no effect on getting someone different elected.
Last is to vote for the Republican candidate, at least this way, we can pool our vote to make a change that moves away from Obama’s flawed view of America.
“Yeah but I can’t stand the Republican choice!” you say. Do you oppose him that much more than Obama? Ask yourself if the values of the GOP candidate are closer to my beliefs than Obama’s, or can I find some stand on the issues that I share with Romney that I can vote for him even if he is not my first, or even second, choice. The logical answer would be Yes!
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.” ~ SPOCK, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Keep supporting your Third-Party Candidate, but in the privacy of the voting booth, think hard and put your vote where it can make a difference. Then work to get your candidate more money, more visibility, and more support for the next election and make your change then.
This election is too important to leave to the “chance” that someone better might win! Our current President is a “Clear and Present Danger” and steps need to be taken to stop his re-election – FIRST. Then work for real change after the bleeding has stopped.
Ask yourself are you All In in 2012?
About Fredy Riehl:
Fredy is the founder and editor of AmmoLand Shooting Sports News and a certified “Gun Nut”.
@Karl
So, you would prefer another eight years of this nonsense rather than four? Additionally, you would prefer that these policies are implemented by a Republican party President, thus damaging the entire Republican party, as well as conservative goals across the board?
I know that I went to public school here, so bear with me, as I may be missing something obvious. This being said, four more years of disastrous Presidential policy, under a President known to have these tendencies, sounds more appealing than eight years of these policies under a President that is supposedly in our corner.
Bully Jim Fixit! That's the whole dung ball right there folks.
@Joel ~ because we hate Obama more!
Romeny ~ Paul 2012 Vote YES!
Just to reiterate here: Obama and Romney are essentially the same candidate. Romney, arguably, is even worse for the country than Obama, because he is the exact same politician, but wearing Republican colors. Not only will he continue Obama's path of destruction, he will destroy any credibility left (not that there is much, mind you) within the Republican party in the process. Don't believe me? Consider the following. Both have abysmal records on gun control and job creation. Both are vocal proponents of bigger government. Romney was a supporter of Obama's economic stimulus packages, and went as far as to… Read more »
Wrong,all of you. The reason we are stuck with a two party system in which a third and more reasonable candiate has no chance is that since the 1964 DNC in Chicago, we've been stuck with the "primary". Few people can afford to run two major nation-wide campaigns. The primary eliminates a lot of contenders, in particular moderate republicans adn democrats who might bring some clarity to issues and something like sanity to a nation that has become so sharply dichotomized we've forgotten how much we all need each other. This nation was built on compromise by and between our… Read more »
YOUR KIND are the reason "we" have lost. Not the "Obama"s of the world.
No one who is pro-gun is going to vote for Romney.
THAT is "just the way it is".
El Presidente has to go before he can do any more damage to the country. Voting for a 3rd party only lessons the votes neded to oust him. I liked Ron Paul but since he couldn't win his own parties nomination, he has no chance of beating Obama. It is about the lesser of 2 evils and we already know what Obama has done and is trying to do.
A vote for a third party candidate at this point is a vote for Obama. No two ways about it.
When Ross Perot ran many people said, "I know Perot can't win, but I'm voting for him to send a message." The message that was sent, and received, was eight years of Bill Clinton.
Thanks a lot.
Job one this time around is to get rid of The Dear Leader, Comrade Hussein MaoBama. Stay focused.
I don't ever comment on websites, but this article has just flatly pissed me off. People like the author, and articles like this are a large part of the reason that a third party candidate gains no traction. Instead of backing a better choice, people want to "play it safe" and keep on grinding away with the same old crap. "Oh, don't waste your vote!" My vote is irrelevant, as is yours, and most of the rest of the population. The electoral college system ensures that. But, just for a second, let's pretend that it matters. Romney is no better… Read more »
A vote for 3rd party is a vote for Obama, just like Clinton won in 92.
We have 2 parties for a reason… so we can have a majority vote win the election. Ron Paul had his chance during the primaries, he lost. Man up and step down.
It is absurd that we can have a presidential election with the winner getting only 35% of the vote and winning. Disgusting.
Not to mention Ron Paul is an idiot when it comes to foreign policy…isolationism doesnt work, never has in our country, we get things like Pearl Harbor.
I agree the haters above are just pissed the author is calling them on what they know to be true. Until someone like a Ron Paul brings 10,000's of people to a convention or marches in the street and shows some real movement in support of a third party it will never happen, and with being so close to the election, it is comical to believe someone can come from thin air and win. Time to choose folks, don't throw your vote away.
This is a brilliant article and much needed, folks in the so called "Independent" column need to make up their mind and voting for a "Third Party Candidate" that clearly has no name recognition is a complete pipe dream. Anyone that believes their unknown candidate is going to pull out a win with only 76 days to go until the election of our lifetime is living in a dream world and part of the problem. Read The "Illusion Of Neutrality – Eventually You Have To Choose A Side"
Stick to ammo. Your political logic is poor and I fought for the right to vote for anyone I choose. Romney is just like Obama, a diet democrat if you will, and I refuse to chose the lesser of two evils again!
Excuss me, but if Obama wins there might not be another election.
Think about it!
This is disgusting. If anything, voting for a third party is more crucial now then ever. In each and every election, Democrats/Republicans want you to think that if you don't vote for their candidate, then it was the worst decision of your entire life and that you personally are responsible for the decline of the US of A. Perhaps they are weak candidates? Perhaps they/their party do not represent as many Americans' values as they thought? If you vote for a third party, your vote goes to so much more! You vote your honest values and even if they do… Read more »
null and void since the president is decided by the electoral college and not the popular vote of the people.
Incorrect. You only have the option to vote for someone. It is a farce and a ploy to convince people that voting against someone is even possible. Have you considered why third party's have so little chance here in America? It is on your shoulders along with those who have gone before, spouting about voting for a lesser of two evils. You can vote for evil, as for me, I will vote my convictions.