this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
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[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 7 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Yet as someone who lives in a more diverse democracy (although it has been getting dangerously more polarized in the recent decades), I’m always baffled by this presumption that a candidate deserves someone’s vote by default.

If you live in a democracy where the spoiler effect isn't an issue, then just be happy, whistle, and move on.

If you live in a democracy with first past the poll elections with an electoral college, then you should understand how the system works and vote accordingly.

The spoiler effect is where you vote for someone (Jill Stein in this case) who you think better aligns with your particular set of policy goals, but since they have no chance of actually winning you help the candidate most opposed to your policy goals (Trump in this case) by subtracting votes from the less aligned candidate (Harris in this case) that actually does stand a chance of winning.

It's an ironic outcome of voting in our system. By voting for the person most aligned with your preferences you actually help the person least aligned with your preferences.

Trump is worse on genocide and climate and will be assisted greatly by idiots voting for Jill Stein in swing states.

They've done research and provided these assholes aren't on the ballot, people usually choose a ballot-present major party option instead.

[–] thoro@lemmy.ml 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

If you live in a democracy with first past the poll elections with an electoral college, then you should understand how the system works and vote accordingly.

If you understand, then you understand that only swing states matter and you're essentially free to vote as you feel in solid red or blue states.

[–] Cryophilia@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

For President specifically. Downballot still matters.

And if you're not in a swing state, but are in a state that "leans" R or D, your vote matters.

[–] AliSaket@mander.xyz 4 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

I did say that I live in a democracy with more parties, not that it does not include elections where there is the "first past the post" principle, so I'm familiar with the spoiler effect.

Trump is worse on genocide Although that might be true in some sense, please try to understand the people affected here. If your family is the one affected, it doesn't get more dead, than dead. I'm not saying, I would vote the same way, but I can understand not wanting to actively vote for killing your family.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

In a US presidential election, your vote supports Israel no matter what party it is for.

If people are actually interested in choice on this and many other issues, they'll have to organize to change the electoral process. But this is America so instead we will sit around in threads like these all day pretending that pissing away your vote with Stein will somehow change that when it obviously will not.