Will Many Here be Voting for Ron Paul or Bob Barr?

[LanceOregon]

I know one man who will be voting for Bob Barr in the coming election.

Another friend of mine plans to write Ron Paul's name in, despite the fact that he is not on the ballot.

Did anyone else watch the big rally for Ron Paul in Minneapolis today? His supporters filled the Target Center. I thought it was odd to have a rally for someone who was not running. Why would they do that??

Here is a photo taken outside the Target Center:

Yet another fellow I know will be voting for Ralph Nader.

Are these people wasting their vote, in your opinion? They all say that they are guided by their conscious, and voting on principle.


Here is a news story on today's rally by the supporters of Ron Paul:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g0M3Xsg2vqrsu47M2xbF3EnDmp0AD92UVAQ01

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[Sixer]

As much as I hate to think like this.... It seems that a vote for anyone other than McCain / Palin is essentially a vote for Obama. I know, I know... every vote counts and what not, but it's going to be a close race. Unfortunately none of the above mentioned politicians are going to be in any real contention in it. You might as well write in Ross Perot for President.

 

[JohnKSa]

Preface
READ ALL OF THIS POST. If you read the first few sentences and stop you will have completely and utterly missed the point.​

Too many people see their vote as a tool to put someone in office, but that's not how it should be. A vote is too precious to be used to support a candidate whose views do not fully reflect the voter's views. Not even if that candidate is the best choice from amongst the pool of truly viable candidates. I didn't always believe this way, but I am finally convinced that voting is not really about who wins.

So, who gets my vote? I pondered awhile and finally realized that the only person I know of who shares all my views and would run the country exactly as I think it should be run is JohnKSa. Since I can not, in good conscience, compromise my principles by voting for anyone who doesn't espouse my views and principles, I will be voting for myself as a write-in from now on in every election in which I participate.

All the rest of you compromisers can vote for whoever you want, I will be voting my conscience.

I invite anyone who TRULY believes in principle and conscience to join me in voting for yourself. Let these other "gamers" try to pick the "best" (least worse) candidate from amongst the politicians of this country--we'll have the satisfaction of knowing that we struck a blow for what is RIGHT!

 

[Danzig]

+1 to JohnKSa

I will not vote for a candidate just so "they can win" or worse, "so that so and so DOES NOT win"

None of the Candidates are ideal..but the two front runners are completely loathsome creatures.

As I libertarian, I do not think that I an in good conscience vote for Bob Barr. So I will likely write in Ron Paul's name. Many of us will at least send a message that the status quo is not acceptable to us.

 

[LanceOregon]

Actually, since the President is not elected by a direct vote, probably the majority of us will really have no say in this election. Let's face it, the majority of states are either solid red or blue states. Oregon, for example, is a solid Democratic state now. Bush lost badly in Oregon both times that he ran. The simple fact that I face is this: no matter who that I vote for, ALL of the Electoral College votes from Oregon will go to Obama. My vote will not be counted.

There are probably less than 20 contestable states. Maybe less. Those of you who are lucky enough to live in one of those states, may be able to influence the outcome of this election with your vote.

Why we don't amend the Constitution to allow for direct election of the President, I don't know.

.

 

[JuanCarlos]

There are probably less than 20 contestable states. Maybe less. Those of you who are lucky enough to live in one of those states, may be able to influence the outcome of this election with your vote.

Actually, depending whose map you're looking at, it can be more like ten. As the election nears, maybe even less. Though I've seen at least a couple maps now that have me in a swing state, so I guess that means I can look forward to a couple months of having campaign ads in heavy rotation.

 

[stevelyn]

Did anyone else watch the big rally for Ron Paul in Minneapolis today? His supporters filled the Target Center. I thought it was odd to have a rally for someone who was not running. Why would they do that??

It's not so much about supporting Ron Paul as it is supporting his ideas of Constitutional govt, monetary policy and individual liberty.

 

[Forwardassist]

I live in a solid blue state. It really does not matter who I vote for in this election.

 

[Brett Bellmore]

As much as I hate to think like this.... It seems that a vote for anyone other than McCain / Palin is essentially a vote for Obama.

How can it be the case that Democrats can say that a vote for anyone other than Obama is a vote for McCain, and Republicans can say that a vote for anyone other than McCain is a vote for Obama, based on precisely the same reasoning?

It can't be that a vote for Barr is at the same time a vote for Obama AND a vote for McCain.

The reasoning is, my vote is assumed to be McCain's by right, and by voting for anybody else, I'm thought to be taking it away from him.

No, neither McCain nor any other candidate has a presumptive claim to my vote. It's MY vote. And this year I'm giving it to Barr, so that I can avoid being seen as apathetic when I don't give it to either McCain OR Obama, neither of whom deserve to be any closer to the White house than a tourist can get.

 

[publius42]

There are probably less than 20 contestable states. Maybe less. Those of you who are lucky enough to live in one of those states, may be able to influence the outcome of this election with your vote.

Why we don't amend the Constitution to allow for direct election of the President, I don't know.

The electoral college structure was put in place to ensure that less populous states had a voice in national affairs. The Senate (originally elected by State governments, not the people directly) was another attempt to subdue the inevitable encroachment of federal power into state and local affairs. Without the electoral college, a candidate could simply sweep the major cities and win the Presidency. The electoral college is a way of recognizing that there is more to America than New York and LA.

To answer your question, my plan had been to write in Ron Paul, but the more I learn about Obama, the more inclined I am to vote against him. I live in Florida, where it might matter. My biggest concerns about Obama have to do with his associates he does not want to talk about. Bill Ayers. Khalid al-Mansour. Percy Sutton. Tony Rezko. Jeremiah Wright. Research those people, and if you are in a state where it matters, vote for (ugh) John McCain.

 

[ringworm]

 

[wingman]

my plan had been to write in Ron Paul, but the more I learn about Obama, the more inclined I am to vote against him.

Same here but after watching how much the media appears to protect and love Obama I will vote McCain. There is simply too many things we do not know about Obama and it will never come to light
until after the election if then.

 

[Musketeer]

From our nation's founding to today voting for elected officials has ALWAYS been a compromise with the possible exception of Washington. Accept it and deal with it as a realist or live off in fantasy land.

I liked Ron Paul. What people fail to accept is

1. He is not running.
2. He cannot win at this time.

I also support the idea of Paul making a visible presence with the hope of bringing change into the RNC.

Now if people want to feel superior and sit on the sidelines ranting and raving while Obama wins feel free. Realize you have contributed nothing. Talk about your high morals all you want but the bottom line is you thought it more important to proselytize your political faith than to make a mature informed choice and oppose someone who would take the SCOTUS hard left, spend at a level that would make Bush look miserly and lock the nation into a healthcare system we would never escape.

If that happens I will be able to say I did something effective by voting for McCain. You will not.

 

[Musketeer]

Why we don't amend the Constitution to allow for direct election of the President, I don't know.

For the same reason we do not have a real democracy (we have a representational republic).

MOB RULE.

 

[Creature]

Too many people see their vote as a tool to put someone in office, but that's not how it should be. A vote is too precious to be used to support a candidate whose views do not fully reflect the voter's views. Not even if that candidate is the best choice from amongst the pool of truly viable candidates. I didn't always believe this way, but I am finally convinced that voting is not really about who wins.

That makes no sense to me. So until the "perfect candidate" comes along, one who's views 100% match yours, what are you going to do? Not vote?

 

[freakshow10mm]

So many people want the country to be in the middle of the political scale but never vote for a middle ground party such as the Libertarians. They continue to vote for the same left wingers or right wingers all the while wishing for a common ground in the middle. I just don't get it.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

I'm leaning towards Bob Barr. In essence, I know its a vote for Obama, but I'm not totally convinced that voting for the lessor of two evils is the way to go this time and Palin's addition to the race hasn't exactly convinced me McCain is now the answer.

My only hope by voting for Barr is that if enough people vote 3rd party that sooner or later the establishment might have to face a wake up call.

 

[Musketeer]

My only hope by voting for Barr is that if enough people vote 3rd party that sooner or later the establishment might have to face a wake up call.

After how leftists are appointed to the SCOTUS and the implementation of Nationalized Healthcare perhaps that might happen. More likely though will be a shift to the other party. We will still be stuck though with bad justices for 20+ years and Nationalized Healthcare forever.

I don't think that is a good gamble.

 

[FireMax]

As a conservative, I prefer to vote for conservative candidates. I see John McCain as more of a democrat than a conservative. Frankly, I am astonished that he even got the republican nomination.

Since the republicans are serving up liberals for president these days, I have decided to look elsewhere for a conservative candidate who shares my views. Bob Barr is that man. He has solid conservative credentials and he has my vote.

The only wasted voted is if you vote for someone you don't care for out of fear. My vote will be for a conservative. As a conservative, I will not waste my vote by voting for the two "establishment" liberals in the race, Barry Obama & John McCain.

 

[FireMax]

I'm leaning towards Bob Barr. In essence, I know its a vote for Obama

A vote for Obama is a vote for Obama. A vote for Bob Barr is a vote for Bob Barr.

Brett Bellmore
....my vote is assumed to be McCain's by right, and by voting for anybody else, I'm thought to be taking it away from him.

No, neither McCain nor any other candidate has a presumptive claim to my vote. It's MY vote. And this year I'm giving it to Barr, so that I can avoid being seen as apathetic when I don't give it to either McCain OR Obama, neither of whom deserve to be any closer to the White house than a tourist can get.

Bravo.