Reply #97: Great post! I urge you to make it an OP, more people need to read it.

[scarletwoman]

Your point #3 is especially important:

3. If you can't stand either the D or the R candidate in your area, vote third party. There's a reason for this: people who don't vote aren't counted.

Say that 90% of the voters stay home. In that case, the candidate who wins 6% instead of 4% of the eligible public will claim a landslide and a mandate.

Think that's not true? I'm old enough to remember when Reagan claimed a landslide and a mandate with only 27% of eligible voters.

But if you vote third party, you ARE counted.

If things get really bad, if the Blue Dogs succeed in totally corrupting the party, I would like to see a result in which either the Ds or Rs obtain a plurality but the D and R votes are equaled or exceeded by the combined votes for the Greens, Socialists, Communists, Libertarians, whoever is on the ballot in your state. If your state doesn't allow third parties, write in someone. The tallyers will have to notice a large number of write-in votes.

If enough people do this, the major parties will run scared.

(my bold added)

Anyway, yours is the smartest post on this thread. Thank you for always being such a wise voice around here.

:loveya:
sw