Who will you vote for and why?

[Valley Oak]

WHO WILL YOU VOTE FOR AND WHY?

I'm a staunch Hillary supporter but I might end up voting for Jill Stein because California is a "safe state."

My public policy views come closer to Jill Stein's than to Hillary Clinton's. In a swing state, however, switching my vote to a third party would put the election in peril and put a dangerous fascist Trump in the White House. In such a case, I would vote Hillary without a second thought.

Nonetheless, I think it is important to express my real views in a state such as California because there is a +90% that Hillary is going to win it. We don't have many options in a two-party system (hint: there are only two choices in a two-party system--lol).

I would NEVER vote for any Libertarian scumbag like Gary Johnson. They are antithetical to everything I believe in. A quick reflection on the two right wing parties: Republicans and Libertarians have chosen wealthy White, male, candidates. Libertarians are an offshoot of the Republicans; that is why they usually run under that party: Ron Paul, his son Rand Paul, and Johnson and Weld were Republican governors.

The Green Party, however, comes MUCH, MUCH closer to the values of our conscious community here in the North Coast and Sonoma County in particular. Furthermore, Jill Stein is a very progressive woman with a long, strong, liberal background fighting for the environment, for working families, and many other issues just like Bernie Sanders has been doing his entire political career. Stein and Sanders are much closer to each other than either one of them is to Hillary.

Noam Chomsky supports Hillary in swing states. He stated this on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman interviewing him recently. I agree 100% with Noam Chomsky. (His opinion clearly implies that you should vote your conscience in "safe states" that Hillary will probably win. Furthermore, Chomsky also said that you have to "hold your nose" and vote for Hillary. I could not agree more.

SO, WHO WILL YOU VOTE FOR AND WHY?

Chomsky on voting in 2016:

https://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/16/chomsky_on_supporting_sanders_why_he

[Barry]

I'm a staunch Hillary supporter but I might end up voting for Jill Stein because California is a "safe state."...

I sure would like to see Jill Stein call for her supporters to vote for Hillary in battleground states. If she doesn't and Trump wins, and if everybody who voted for Jill had instead voted for Hillary and she won, then Jill is personally responsible for "President Trump". I sure wouldn't want to take that risk. This is such a no brainer. Has she done this already?

And back to your post, I'm going to vote for Gary Johnson. While I don't support him or Libertarians wholeheartedly, nor do I actually want him to be president, I'd love to see some of their positions and rationale be part of the national discussion. Hopefully it would shake up some ossified positions/assumptions of the Republicans and Democrats.

[Valley Oak]

Curiously enough, just like what you said about Johnson, I too do not actually want Jill Stein to be president. My vote for Stein is simply expressing the fact that her positions reflect mine much more accurately than Hillary's. That said, I also believe that Hillary was not able to enjoy the same freedom of expression as Bernie Sanders, who told it like it is. However, many people have criticized Hillary precisely for not coming across honestly (fearing she will lose the centrist vote). And that this is precisely what would have given her greater appeal with the American public. Who knows. I don't think there is any way to find this out for sure.

If I had the power to pick the next POTUS, and my only two choices were Hillary or Jill, I would handpick Hillary. Jill is closer to my heart in public policy but I don't believe she has what it takes to manage this enormous country and its maze of powerful interest groups, etc. And I repeat, Hillary cannot enjoy the same advantages as Sanders and Stein to speak her mind freely and say everything she really feels. Just look at the recent blowback at her accurate statements about half of all Trump supporters being a "basket of deplorables." Truer words were never spoken but now she is paying the price with descending poll numbers and talk of a possible replacement, such as VP Biden heading the ticket in November.

I'm aware of the impact that Hillary's health has had on polls in recent days. I also know that these health arguments against Hillary are completely bogus and shamelessly opportunistic. But the American people were never terribly bright, so they fall for this health bullshit that Republicans are exploiting to the hilt.

On another point, any responsibility that Jill Stein has with helping to create "President Trump" will also fall on the shoulders of Gary Johnson. Furthermore, because Johnson now has 11% support amongst American voters and Stein has only around 4%, Johnson has MORE responsibility for a possible President Trump than Stein does.

Additionally, because of ideological similarities between Libertarians and Republicans (both Johnson and his running mate, Weld, were Republican governors), Johnson's Libertarian ticket has far greater influence on stealing votes from Trump than Stein can ever hope to have. This is also important to take into account and I think that most folks are completely missing this last dynamic.


I sure would like to see Jill Stein call for her supporters to vote for Hillary in battleground states. If she doesn't and Trump wins, and if everybody who voted for Jill had instead voted for Hillary and she won, then Jill is personally responsible for "President Trump". I sure wouldn't want to take that risk. This is such a no brainer. Has she done this already?

And back to your post, I'm going to vote for Gary Johnson. While I don't support him or Libertarians wholeheartedly, nor do I actually want him to be president, I'd love to see some of their positions and rationale be part of the national discussion. Hopefully it would shake up some ossified positions/assumptions of the Republicans and Democrats.