From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Fri Oct 13 2000 - 23:41:04 MDT
Mike Lorrey said something which made me realize the irony
facing American voters in a few weeks. Let me make a running
start at it:
I have always resented the fact that the news media have so
much influence in major elections. If they choose to dismiss
a candidate, that candidate has *no chance* of election. In
both 92 and 96, I voted libertarian, but of course the news
media decided they did not want a libertarian, so... we got this
present yahoo and her husband.
Nowthen, suppose we go ahead and accept things the way
they are, recognizing that the winner of this election will be
either the Democrat or the Republican. I dont know the exact
numbers, but suppose that currently the likely voters are as follows:
Republican: 45%
Democrat: 46%
Green: 2%
Libertarian: 2%
undecided: 5%
If this is the case, then obviously this election is going to be a
cliffhanger, and the outcome is important as all hell, so then
suppose further that:
1) You decide you will donate 500 bucks to some political
party and 20 hours of your time campaigning for them.
2) That you are a Libertarian
What is the most logical thing to do? Vote Republican, your
*second* choice, and donate your money and time to...
the GREEN PARTY! Your last choice! The Eco-nazis!
Reasoning: since the news media is covering everything
said and done by the Rs and Ds, your paltry 500 bucks
and 20 hours would sway perhaps 10 votes. However,
if you donate and campaign to one of the "miscellaneous"
parties, you will sway perhaps 100 votes with the same
donation and effort. The 100 votes you win for the eco-
nazis would be mostly at the expense of your third choice
Dems, whereas if you donated and campaigned for the
Libertarians, the 100 votes you would sway would come
at the expense of your second choice Republicans!
So, Mike, you are absolutely right, dammit. {8-[ The logical
thing for a pragmatic Green to do is to vote Democrat and campaign
for and donate to Browne, while the most logical thing for a pragmatic
Libertarian to do is to vote Republican and donate to Darth
Nader. Libertarians for eco-totalitarianism. Greens for Browne.
Ill be damned.
What am I missing? spike
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