this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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Can someone explain to me why there isn't a third track? If we're so fucking concerned about the threat of another Trump presidency then why aren't we all registering Republican and making someone else win the primary?
Because tracks don't appear out of thin air. For all the people screaming "where's the third track?," it is never going to appear unless those people start building tracks before the train arrives at the junction.
The time to start talking about and working to legitimize a third-party candidate isn't the election cycle; that work has to be done in advance.
I'm not suggesting spinning up a third party, just wondering why reasonable people don't see the opportunity to register Republican and give Trump the boot. I gave it a shot, but it seems like no one else had the same idea.
The problem is that it would have to be an entire movement. And you’d need to all back the same non-Trump candidate. Without that unity it’s spinning wheels in the mud.
First past the post with single member districts is why there isn't a third option
don’t think i can do your first question justice (though looking up the spoiler effect is a good start) but for the second:
such manipulation of the primary, while theoretically possible and legal (not a lawyer), would take massive concentrated effort and messaging (and therefore money) to coordinate successfully, and would be entirely unprecedented. the system is broken, yes, but is generally foolproof enough to make such manipulation impractical in the real world.
edit: another fact i forgot to mention. it’s almost certainly too late as the primaries are well on their way and complete in some states.
It doesn't take any money or coordination to decide to vote for someone other than Trump in the Republican primary, and anyone can do it. Apparently voting for Biden or 'noncommitted' in the not-really-contested Democratic primary was a higher priority than resisting fascism.
…? no. flat out wrong.
you are asking millions to entirely change their voter registration to a different party and then unanimously pick one candidate that is better than Trump and win.
to communicate that would cost more in funds than the Republican party spends in campaign advertising altogether.
the “uncommitted” movement works because it doesn’t have to be unanimous; only a handful have to do it to be effective
Is changing your party affiliation difficult or cumbersome in other states? I did it in about three minutes, wasn't a big deal at all.
If millions of people did the same, they wouldn't need to vote for the same candidate, just anyone but Trump. Literally anyone else they could vote for would be an improvement, even if they went on to win the general.
ok go for it lol. try to convince millions of voters to become republicans on paper. better have a good candidate who is running as well. oh and you might want to have a plan for the states who have already selected their nominees.
This is why there's no third track
https://youtu.be/s7tWHJfhiyo?si=Q-eUT8JxqNh0Rpjl