Voting Third Party
 

I consider this to be one of the most important sections.  I have met many people who have agreed with the ideas and goals of the Libertarians, but they do not want to vote for them for a couple of reasons.  There are two objections to voting third party that I have run into: wasted vote and negative voting.  The first is the idea that it does no good to vote for someone who can't win.  The second is that "I like what you are saying, but I don't want Candidate X to win so I am going to vote for the guy that has a better chance at defeating him"

• Even if we can't win your vote is valuable.  In many states, ballot access is determined by vote totals.  By eliminating the need to work to get on the petition we can put our efforts into getting our message out.
• The more often you vote for someone who does not support your ideals the less your ideals will be heard from.
• Higher vote totals can translate into more media attention in subsequent campaigns.  It will show the world their is real world support for liberty.  This will make the job of getting someone elected next year that much more possible.  (These give people a reason to vote for you even if you don't have a chance to win)
• If voting for someone who is sure to lose is "wasting your vote," then isn't it just as big a waste to vote for someone who is sure to win?
• If you vote for Candidate Y, he isn't going to think your vote was just to keep someone else out of office. Y will assume you support his agenda, which will almost always be an agenda of more government.
• Continuing to vote for Y gives them no incentive to change.  Y will assume that you think he is doing a good job.
• When you vote Republican, nobody knows why you vote Republican. You might be a Christian Conservative, you might be country-club blue-blood or you might just come from a family which votes Republican because that's the way great, great grandpa voted.

  When you vote third party, people know exactly what you stand for and exactly who you are. Your vote counts. And if your numbers ever get big enough, the major parties will adapt their platforms to get your vote. (This can obviously be altered for Democrats)

• Voting for a candidate that doesn't support your view is like political welfare.  Its giving him benefits (votes) for not doing productive work (reducing government)
• The problem isn't Al Gore or the Religious Right (you can fill in whatever party or group they think the problem is).  The problem is big government and neither the Republicans or the Democrats are doing anything to fix it