As a foreigner I always wonder about something.
If we assume that Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin and the people who hold the real power largely remain the same, no matter which of the two wins: Why always vote for them again and legitimize their grip on American politics, or not vote at all and throw the last bit of power the government allows you to wield away?
It´s not like there aren´t any alternatives. Stop making excuses and put your money where your mouth is. Vote for a Third party, such as (2012 election):
The Libertarian party:
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2012 presidential nominee Gary Johnson states that the party is more socially liberal than the Democrats, but more fiscally conservative than the Republicans. The party has generally promoted a classical liberal platform, in contrast to the social liberal and progressive platform of the Democrats and the more conservative platform of the Republicans. Current policy positions include lowering taxes, allowing people to opt out of Social Security, abolishing welfare, ending the prohibition of illegal drugs, legalizing same-sex marriage, and supporting gun ownership rights.
The Green party:
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The party promotes environmentalism and social justice with policy principles in nonviolence, grassroots democracy and participatory democracy, gay rights, gender equality, and anti-racism.
The Justice party:
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The party was designed with the intention of shifting government back to a focus on the Constitution by removing corporate influence in politics. The Justice Party supports campaign finance reform; and does not accept any corporate funding. The Justice Party supports a constitutional amendment to abolish corporate personhood through Move To Amend. The party is in favor of a financial transaction tax, pro-progressive tax structure and wants to end the Bush tax cuts. They support green jobs and infrastructure programs. The Justice Party wants to bolster social security by raising the cap on payroll taxes. It wants to require that banks work with homeowners to stop foreclosures. It is pro-immigration reform, pro-breaking up large banks, pro-reinstating Glass-Steagall, pro-government funded higher education,and against subsidies to oil and gas companies.
The party is for aggressive climate protection.
The Justice Party supports a universal single payer health system, an equal rights amendment for women, marriage equality, ending wars of aggression, closing many military bases, reducing the budget, immigration reform, repealing the Patriot Act, protecting and rewarding whistleblowers, and ending the War on Drugs. The party also seeks to prosecute individuals whose illegal conduct led to the 2008 financial crisis.
The Constitution party:
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The party advocates a platform which reflects the Party's interpretation of the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Bible, and the Bill of Rights.
The Constitution Party supports reducing the role of the United States federal government through cutting bureaucratic regulation, reducing spending, and replacing the income tax with a tariff-based revenue system supplemented by excise taxes. The party also takes the position that the "imposition … of Federal income, payroll, and estate taxes … is an unconstitutional Federal assumption of direct taxing authority."
The Constitution Party calls for the eventual end of social security.
The Constitution Party favors a non-interventionist foreign policy. It favors withdrawal of the United States from most current treaties, such as North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the World Trade Organization. The party takes mercantilist positions in supporting protectionist policies on international trade. The party also believes in exercising a tariff system to counteract the United States' increasingly negative balance of trade.
The party opposes illegal immigration and seeks stricter controls on legal immigration. The party opposes welfare subsidies and other taxpayer-supported benefits to illegal immigrants. It rejects the jus soli.
The party is against abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage and pornography. It supports the right to bear arms.
Now there should be something for everyone. All of those had ballot access in almost all or most states.
Most people don´t consider voting for those parties as right now they are far too small to play a role in the elections and they´d rather not throw their vote away like that. But if everyone keeps thinking that, nothing will ever change, and Democrat/Republican supremacy, and that of the military-industrial and corporate complex behind them, is engraved in stone. It´s a vicious circle. People love to complain about the current political system and the establishment politicians, only to ensure every four years that everything will stay exactly the same as it is.
The only way to change the minds of the masses on this would be if the Third parties reach a critical amount of votes to show that they are a viable alternative. But for this to happen, somebody has to show some balls and make the first step. Voting for a Third party won´t change anything in 2016, or 2020, perhaps not even 2024. But if more and more people decide not to vote for the lesser evil, but for a party and program they actually believe in, there will come a day when the two party system will crumble.
If you vote Republican and a Democrat wins, it could be argued that your vote was also worthless and vice versa. Why not say fuck it, give them the finger and sleep with a clean conscience by voting for a Third you agree more with. At least there´s a slight, however small, chance for a change and you made it possible. You tried to stop the decline when they asked you for your opinion, and if the majority of your fellow citizens decided not to, so be it. Let them reap what they sow. You did what you could this time. Now go on with living your life to the fullest and developing an exit strategy.
Personally, I would vote Libertarian, mainly because of
Gary Johnson. Not the president America deserves (that´s probably Hillary) but the one it needs.