this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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Trying to build viable third parties by voting for them in presidential elections is like trying to build a third door in your house by repeatedly walking into the wall where you want the door to be. (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago by AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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[–] EnderMB@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's the argument, no?

I don't give a fuck if America has more than "two" parties, but either one of two things is true:

  • Americans are more aligned with the two parties than people would like to believe.
  • Many people won't vote for a third candidate because they feel that their vote would be "wasted", because it wouldn't contribute to one of the "likely" parties to win.

If I had to guess, the former is probably more true than people on social media and the left would like to believe.

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

but either one of two things is true:

It's worse. It's both, which is in part why third parties don't ever work.

And the solution is election reform, not yelling "just vote for what you believe". Because people just voting for what they believe causes spoiler candidates to spoil elections.

[–] EnderMB@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't disagree that reform is needed, but I do disagree that voting for a third candidate is useless, purely on the basis that they work elsewhere. My point is that America isn't special, and a party that won't necessarily win can affect policy without ever truly seeing power.

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

purely on the basis that they work elsewhere.

Do you mean working elsewhere, with elsewhere being other levels of government, or elsewhere being other countries?

Either way I disagree, but I want clarification first.