Vote Your Conscience
The midterm elections are tomorrow and the big question is whether or not Democrats are going to regain control of the Congress from Republicans. I confess that I am somewhat ambivalent about which way the election swings. Like I said around this time last year, the polarized rhetoric in American politics “masks what amounts to a similar approach to government by both Democrats and Republicans.” Also, as a “Christian die hard conservative,” I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican Party over the last few years. They are no longer the party of “limited government,” let alone the “party of morals.” I will still cast a few votes their way, but for the first time most of my key votes will go to third party candidates.
Following the motto of the Constitution Party, “Principle Over Party Politics,” as well as the Libertarian’s tagline, “The Party of Principle,” I will be voting my conscience on Tuesday, November 7th. I can hear the objections already. “But you’re wasting your vote, Scott!” If you want to step into the voting booth and tell yourself, “This is the lesser of two evils,” or “this a vote against the other candidate,” then go right ahead. Just remember that there are often alternatives to the two-party politics machine. Of course, with it being so hard to get third party candidates on the ballot, you may be left with little choice in your state (if that, considering that many seats go uncontested).
Your vote for a third party canditate may seem like a waste on the surface by taking votes away from one of two probable winners. This is exactly what the major party players want you to believe—fear and ignorance help keep them in power! Only one candidate can win, so either the Republican or Democratic candidate is going to lose. How much worse is it for your vote to go to a losing Libertarian? Is it any less noble than a vote for a losing “lesser of two evils?” Also, keep in mind that more third party votes help increase that party’s access to campaign funds, thus prolonging their exposure and pressuring other parties to modify their platforms in an attempt to win back votes.
The Republican Party was formed as a third party in 1856. At the time the two ruling parties were the Whigs and the Democrats. In 1860, only four years later, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the first Republican president. It happened then and it can happen again (in spite of the seeming stranglehold on seats by the Republicans and Democrats). Whatever happened to those Whigs, anyway? Remember, there is no such thing as a wasted vote outside of you making it a self-fulfilling prophecy by not voting your conscience.
I just hope and pray more people will vote their conscience. It seems strange, how many folks vote blindly. A short sighted and petty excuse, “lesser of two evils”.
regards
It’s encouraging to see a fellow American (and Christian) with these same sentiments that I posses.
Great post.
‘Just do what your heart tells you to do… that’s what I do…’
Napolean Dynamite
What a wise sage in this time of trials and tribulation.
[...] In most of the contests I am primarily voting for Libertarian candidates. In the others I will vote Republican. You can read more on why I made this decision on my personal blog. Suffice it to say that the Libertarian Party, as well as the Constitution Party, most closely represents my political beliefs than that of the two major parties (though neither are spot on). And while I think that Sonny Perdue is a conservative and a gentleman, he still believes that government can “do more” rather than “do less” (i.e., limited government). [...]
The problem I have is that I don’t have “a conscience” regarding this election. What I mean to say is that I don’t have an opinion on any of the candidates. The one thing that has struck me more than anything during this campaign is how incredibly “political” it all is. I know that seems so obvious, but this is the first year where I have just truly been disgusted with the process. I find myself frustrated by the fact that while legally, anyone can run for office, realistically only those with lots of money and power and influence have a shot. I tend to be a skeptic anyway, but I just feel like I can’t believe anything any of the candidates say. Do *they* really vote their consciences? Or do they vote what is most likely to get them re elected? In the past, when I haven’t had strong feelings for one candidate or the other, or haven’t known much about the candidates, I have just voted Republican, primarily for the “lesser of two evils” reasoning. This time, I just decided not to vote. I know, condemn me. But I didn’t want to vote on a party basis this year, for similar reasons that you’ve cited, and I just didn’t feel strongly enough about any of the candidates to make it worth loading up two kids and standing in the rain to throw away a vote to someone I don’t really care about. And ultimately, my abstaining from the vote was a philosophical gesture of surrender to God’s sovereignty (even though I know this will sound like a cop out, it’s not), essentially throwing my hands in the air and saying, “Lord, I have no idea who should be in office. You decide.” Obviously I know He decides anyway, but I mean to imply a more deliberate recognition of that fact than I have in the past.
@GlenH: Me too, and I’m glad we can find some common ground, even if political theory-wise we’re worlds apart.
@Ana & Bill: Thanks!
@holton: So did you vote for Pedro?
@Willa: I totally understand your frustration and disgust. I was commenting elsewhere about how I think that the mudslinging and “us vs. them politics” actually works to the two-party candidates’ advantage; because 1) it focuses the attention on them, 2) it causes some people to choose sides rather than examine the issues/platforms, and 3) it makes other people stay home and not vote. And to the Democrats or Republicans a vote uncast is better than one for a third party candidate, which leads me to what you said about how hard it is for someone to run for political office. Not only do you need a lot of money to get the message out, but you also have all these hurdles that have been placed in your way by the ruling parties just to get on the ballot (check out that third link in the second paragraph of the post).
Also, while here I am being all preachy about voting your conscience, and as you alluded to, one must also admit that even if you vote for a candidate based on his merits, once that person is sworn into office he becomes a tool for his party. You are expected to vote the party line versus your conscience, which is why everyone else has their knickers in a knot over the key contests. My hope and prayer is that by supporting third parties, and encouraging others to do so, that at a minimum the mainstream office holders will at start to take notice and say to themselves, “Hey, people are starting to notice that my actions don’t live up to my rhetoric. I might not get re-elected.”
So, no…I’m not going to condemn you for not voting…unless, of course, I hear you complaining between now and the next election!
You would appreciate my new book Delusional Democracy; check it out on my website; thanks
[...] listening to the pundits, the pollsters and playing into the self-fulfilling prophecies and just vote your conscience! This entry was written by Scott, posted on January 2nd, 2008 at 9:45 pm, filed under Ethical, [...]
I always do.
I think the whole “vote your conscience” idea is misguided… perhaps even disingenuous. I submit that virtually everyone claiming that they “voted by conscience” is mistaken (or, perhaps “self decieving” is the better term).
Voting your conscience, means voting for your ideal candidate – giving no consideration to who’s an “official” or “electable” candidate. Anyone truly voting by their conscience would write in their own name (assuming they met the Constitutional requirements to run for President), since they’re the only person they’d be sure would make the decisions they’d want 100% of the time.
Anyone who doesn’t vote for themselves is, at some level, trading away a portion of what they want (i.e. their conscience), in favor of some degree of “electability”.
Try thinking of it this way: The “conscience” voters are simply broadening their choice of “electable” candidates from the traditional 5 to 10, to about 20 or 30. Which, when compared to the 200 million+ U.S. citizens eligible to become President, is virtually just as limited a choice.