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An Argument Against ‘Party Only Voting’ | Choosing The ‘Lesser Of Two Evils’ Isn’t Enough

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One glorified argument raises its ugly head every election cycle. The “lesser of two evils” and why we should all vote against liberal democrats no matter who runs as the Republican. But ‘Party Only Voting' needs to come to an end.

I admit that I am sympathetic to the theory. I do usually find two ways to be productive in life:

  1. Produce Good
  2. Defeat Bad

Upon closer inspection however, politics tends to be more of a mire. It is not as black and white as Democrat vs Republican. I find the lesser of two evils argument to eventually lead to a scenario in which we fully despise both parties. We already have one of the most polarized political atmospheres possible. Nearly 99% of the Democrat Party is highly unfavorable (and that’s being nice) to a Constitutional Conservative. Likewise probably in the realm of 70% – 80% of current Republicans should also attract our consternation. So why are we expected to vote 100% Republican and pull that dreaded level that reads “All Republican” ?

An Argument Against “Party Only Voting”

Founding Father's Opinion on Party Voting

There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.
~ John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson

I find this quote from John Adams to ring particularly true today. We have just endured 8 years of Barack Obama. An 8 year period in which Obama supporters were incapable of understanding fact and reality. Obama supporters were die-hard and loyal. 100% positivity about Obama all the time.

I fear the same is beginning for Trump. We see it in the tariff debate where Trump supporters are encouraging Bernie Sanders’ trade policy which would end in less free trade and more economic distress. This has never been a conservative agenda item….until now. It apparently is taboo to ever criticize “one of your own.” I for one reject this theory and will argue for conservative principles and ideas no matter the leader of the country. I will not turn a blind eye simply because a Republican is in charge.

A difference in politics should never be permitted to enter into social intercourse, or to disturb its friendships, its charities or justice.
~ Thomas Jefferson To Henry Lee

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This quote by Thomas Jefferson is already in play. We all know those Facebook friends that we despise solely on the basis of their politics. We now have private companies waging into political theater further separating the citizenry and wedging us closer to absolute polarization.

An Argument Against 'Party Only Voting' | Choosing The 'Lesser Of Two Evils' Isn't Enough

Say No To The Party Lever

Here is a practical approach that we should all employ instead:

First, figure out the principles in which you believe and fully embrace them. Your principles will be your compass. Support candidates for office that represent your ideals. Oppose candidates that do not represent your principles.

Let me tell you a story.

During the beginning of the 2016 Republican Presidential Primaries, I really found four candidates to be acceptable. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. As the campaign progressed, I quickly found myself endorsing Ted Cruz before the Iowa Caucus. My view on Trump was the biggest shift throughout the campaign. I went from finding him favorable to fearing what a Trump presidency would mean. At first he was super attractive due to his rhetoric on illegal immigration and the feckless leadership of Barack Obama. He quickly soured my conservative roots with the tariff talk, constant flip flopping, and concern about him identifying as a Democrat for decades.

As many did during the campaign against Clinton, I doubted Trump’s ability to win. He ran arguably one of the worst campaigns of recent memory. Luckily for him, his opponent was the despicable Hillary Clinton. Trump ended up winning the battle. He entered office as the most disliked President in modern American history.

My personal struggle was the classical lesser of two evils. Do I vote for Trump simply to make sure Clinton does not get into the White House? Or do I vote for conservative principles, even if that means a candidate with zero realistic shot of winning? I voted for Darrell Castle. I carried the same thinking down ballot and did not cast a vote for Senator Pat Toomey nor my incumbent Republican congressman.

What the hell gives right?

I decided I no longer want to be used as a pawn in this awful system. With only two major parties, “true outsiders” are at an enormous disadvantage. The Republican leadership usually handpicks their liberal Republican candidate to run against the liberal socialist Democrat. This cycle needs to be broken. This system will never be defeated if we embrace the “lesser of two evils” argument. We would theoretically continue to vote for big government Republicans. Where is the punishment for that? There is no incentive for the Republican party to change. We will only get more of the same.

I don’t disagree with an individual if they decide to believe in the lesser of two evils. They, however, are not battling big government Republicans. The idea that pulling the party lever is somehow patriotic or inherently conservative is delusional. I don’t foresee a major third party rising to restore small government principles anytime soon. So we either continue the gravy train for the lesser of two evils or we rise up and demand better. We should not support Socialist democrats nor liberal Republicans.

This is certainly a micro loss (Perhaps more Democrat victories). But it is a macro win (big government Republicans will become extinct).

Up Next: Trump Immigration Ban Was The Right Call – Now It Needs To Go Further

Do you agree or disagree with the post above? Let us know in the comment section below.

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21 Comments

21 Comments

  • Shavager says:

    I disagree, period. NOBODY with any modicum of Conservatism could endorse of vote for ANYBODY in the DemocRAT party, people!! There is NO “Democrat Party” anymore, trust me, I’ve been a LIFETIME DEMOCRAT VOTER, registered for more than 40+ YEARS. This is NOT the party of JFK, HHH or “Scoop” Jackson. John Kennedy, I BELIEVE, was ‘knocked’ off by his own party leaders and Hubert H. Humphrey died decades back with Henry Jackson. The party is OWNED by George Soros and his various operations: MoveON, Open Society, etc….and he’s DEDICATED to collapsing our dollar and capitalist, free market system just as he’s done in UK and four other countries. He promotes America as an OPPRESSIVE nation–can’t you hear it being parroted by leftists and DemocRATS now? He’s spent millions to get leftists elected including Gore, Kerry, Obama and Hillary Clinton. He wants OPEN borders, mass immigration, watered DOWN immigration laws and AMNESTY, DRAMATIC EXPANSION OF WELFARE, funded by ESCALATING Taxes, America DISARMED and steep reductions in military spending. He’s a promoter of radical environmentalism, OPPOSES the Death penalty for ANY crime, promotes SOCIALIZED MEDICINE-ObamaCare and wants RACIAL PREFERENCES in academia and the business world, TAX funded ABORTION, STRICT Gun control and legalized DRUGS. He’s the BIG DADDY of SOCIALISM and PUPPET DADDY for Obama and the ‘real’ president behind Obama, IRANIAN muslim Valerie Jarrett. It’s TIME TO CLEAN OUT the RINO’s from the Elephant Party for American PEOPLE to benefit but there’s NOT a single Republican that wouldn’t be a BETTER choice than ANY DemocRAT, BET ON IT!

  • Bill Kettering says:

    By only voting for one party we are often missing the opportunity to vote for that person who may really be the best choice. I do not call this method of voting “loyal” I call it ignorance of those who are running for a particular office. BK

  • barbara gordon says:

    it should be for the best to do the job

  • Marty says:

    What ^ he said!

  • Margaret R says:

    Two party system divides us, and keeps us from independently assessing the agenda of the candidates.

    • greg smith says:

      That’s half of it, Barbara. However, don’t forget the party platforms, the basic tenants approved and agreed to by all in the party structure. There might be an excellent Democrat, for example, but if you are pro-life you would be voting for a pro-choice platform by voting for the Dem.
      Party platforms are totally ignored by the ignorant masses who vote for the loudest voice, gender, or race, not really caring about the issues involved. Too bad! Perhaps voters should be required to take a test to see if they qualify to vote ;~)

  • SouthernPatriot says:

    I grew up with a father who was a Democrat leader in my state. I saw him become more and more disillusioned with the marked swing to the left of the party and of the candidates. Finally, one day with me tagging along as I did always, I witnessed my father enter into the state headquarters of the Democrat Party and announce, “No, I am not leaving the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party long ago left me!” and he resigned. Later, I would find that Reagan, and Governor Zell MIller said something similar.

    Though my father was no longer a Democrat leader, he was still a registered Democrat, because in our state, there was no Republican Party or if you registered Independent, there was no one you could vote for since there were no independents. Just within the past almost 40 years did we have an alternative to demented Democrats in our state and local elections. During that time, it has been a sea change.

    Even when Democrat candidates espouse pro-Second Amendment stands, expanding our natural resources for exploration and extraction, and other generally “conservative” views, when elected they inevitably go along with the national Democrat Party for taxpayer paid abortions, abandonment of our U.S. Immigration laws, and not only sodomy marriage but also sodomy preferences as a favored minority. There has not been a Democrat I have voted for in the past almost 40 years and I cannot see anything in the next 40 that I will vote for a Democrat.

  • Gary Hornback says:

    Party politics need to cease. It is disruptive to the process of getting this country back on the road to recovery from the very, very disruptive and deconstructive obama administration.

  • Brent says:

    So, your cure for having severely limited choices in elections is to further limit our choices? Not so brilliant. What his Country really needs is to chuck the 1 1/2 part system we’re mired in. All of the legitimate political Parties need to be given an equal voice. No more gerrymandering by the 1.5 “major” parties.

  • Pat DeMoss says:

    Because, any way you look at it, the author wasted his vote, He may as well have votedf or Hilary Clinton. Until we change the system, so as to ensure that the very BEST candidates win the primaries, we are stuck with making the choice based on who’s the lesser of two evils.

  • Denis Ott says:

    since 1961 I have only split my votes

  • Ne says:

    The democates showing their true colors and they should never be in white house ever again they are not even democate they need to lose that and use THE HATE PARTY

  • richard sandifer says:

    Freedom of choice !!

  • Walter Bison says:

    We need to do what is best for our nation,
    not the party!

  • TONY says:

    it reads to me you do not favor or like trump. There more than 2 choices of evil as you so state, there’s the independent, the write In. it comes down to the American understanding what it means to be an American with the right to VOTE. We, Americans are the true evil for letting America slip out of our hands(small gov) into greed,power hungry politicians, with Big GOV. Americans undertsand what our founders give us, “The United States of America with a Constitution, don’t work against it, but! from within.

  • Dale P. Patterson says:

    During any given I find that I do not agree with any single party platform and find that a straight party ticket is counter to my right, and freedom, of choice.

  • Margery Summers says:

    I’m fed up with all the bickering between the parties. They spend more time working for their party than they do for the American people who elected them. We’re paying them to do a job that they are not doing. Term limits to hold them accountable.

  • Lowell Boardman says:

    Great Article, as I read, I woke up and discovered that while I once questioned everything and everyone, I had become Lazy, accepting what I heard in a party dominated media bubble. Since I began voting in 1967, I have volunteered for and at age 18,voted for Candidates on both sides of the Aisle. During Junior High School I volunteered for Barry Goldwater. My American History Teacher taught us to recognize the various versions of propaganda, used by both parties, designed to distract voters from looking at the facts. Now those propaganda formats dominate the news cycle, delivering 24/7 “Fake News” consistent with their owner’s single party views. If someone finds a non partisan Journalist who adheres to a professional standard and investigates both sides of an issue, to write a cogent factual summary of what they discover, let me know. The public does not trust either side in the media war. They can spot propoganda shrouded opinion, when it is parroted as Fact. We need a 24/7 fact checking channel to identify the lies ASAP reporting in real time. As for now we have retreated into party line consistent bubbles. In the capsule we never hear the truth nor the facts. There may be ethical Investigative journalists somewhere. Their article may appear in a blog, or some other obscure venue. The “Two Party News machine mows down any contrarian viewpoint. Today the articles written by Benjamin Franklin would never see the light of day in National Media. The independent journalist can write articles for his town’s weekly, “News Advertiser,” His work will never see the light of day in Main Stream Media. We can build an ethical news service, that questions every mainstream political release disguised as, “News.”

  • Dan eavan says:

    I am Canadian. We have four main political parties. The Conservative and Liberal parties are the two largest. We have representation by population so the two smaller parties can win enough seats that the big boys have to pay attention, for the balance of power.
    One time the Conservatives were in power with a majority of the 265 seats available. The voters disliked their performance so much that at the next election the Conservatives got only two seats of the 265. That keeps parties responsible to the voters.
    You had a great democracy but it seems that the most money wins. Your representatives are bought and vote to get re-elected not what is best for your country.
    Obviously, Donald appealed to the disgruntled. He has mental problems. You have great rules but you better get Donald under control. Donald is for Donald not the American people.
    We are attempting reforms because the party with the most total votes doesn’t always win the whole country.
    Everyone that has the right to vote can do so. It appears that there is a great deal of manipulation or obstacles in your system

  • Gned the Gnome says:

    Insanity is to keep voting for the Republocrats and Demoblicans and expecting a different result. Voting for the lesser of evils is still evil. And it’s so unnecessary – just pair up with an opposite and then both of you vote for the 3rd party of your choice (works best for Libertarian but voting for any 3rd party helps fight the 2 party monopoly). Result, 1 less D vote and 1 less R vote. No fear of helping the worse candidate win! Problem solved!

  • ROBERT REIN says:

    I used to be a staunch Republican conservative and was actively involved in its support. After numerous years of having to vote for the “lesser of two evils” I gave up on the Republican party because they gave up on the conservative principals that make up my ” living soul”. I became a “true” Libertarian. Small non centralized government and a champion of individual rights and the responsibilities that they entail. Adherence to the Constitution has to be the primary objective of any politician regardless of political party. The farther politicians drift from those principals the closer we get to losing this Republic…Paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin “we have given you a Republic let us see if you can keep it”!!!

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