It doesn't matter.
If Kamala loses, they'll blame us. If Trump loses, they'll blame us. It's more convenient to use the 3rd party excuse than to acknowledge that the ruling parties, through the effects of their governance, have convinced tens of millions of voters that missing a badly-needed day's pay isn't worth taking the time to vote.
You heard'em, start campaigning for Stein if you want Kamala to win.
A vote for Stein is a vote for Kamala!
Democrats will still blame Stein if they lose, and even though their explicit strategy is to pick off disaffected Republicans, they'll never blame Chase Oliver. It's just like in 2016, when Hillary used the exact same strategy, and they blamed Stein, even though Gary Johnson took home a much higher percentage of the vote in most swing states. They don't care about spoiler candidates; they just want to punch left, especially when they need a scapegoat for a loss.
What's wild to me is that they actually put out attack ads targeting the Green party, which tells me they're believing their own propaganda.
Because democrats are deathly afraid of any mildly progressive party getting funding and being on the ballot nationwide, because then their entire blackmail scheme falls apart. You can't go "you fucking better vote for us, or else" anymore.
The democratic party has been suing to take PSL and the Greens off ballots in multiple states (which also serves to cut into their budget, which is almost entirely small contributions). That's the party trying to save democracy apparently.
Many Democrat voters do believe the propaganda, and I imagine it largely keeps them in line so they don't start looking elsewhere. I've heard multiple Democrat voting family members and friends specifically state this year that they think "The Green party only exists to siphon off Democrat votes" It's not just bots. Media is saying it because astroturfing works, unfortunately.
This. As long as they have a base big and dumb enough to buy any and every excuse to go further right (and blame progressives for it), they'll keep doing it.
Without looking at any statistics or polling, I think the spoiler effect is not as prominent and is over stated for one reason.
If I'm going out of my way to not vote for the Democrats or Republicans and voting third party that would mean that I dislike my options so much that I'm giving a fuck you to the two party system.
What people can gather from this is if you said there was only two options I would just sit out and therefore it wasn't going to affect either candidate regardless.
I'm open to be convinced otherwise but I think candidates blaming spoilers should look at the electoral college and themselves when every 4 years they are ready to blame single digit candidates for their losses.
It sounds like your interpretation of the spoiler effect centers on people voting third party due to dissatisfaction with the 2 unfortunately omnipresent parties, which would be the same as not voting. Have you considered that some people who were going to vote no matter what might vote for a third party candidate because their listed policies actually resonate with them?
I would agree with you maybe 10 years ago but I think that the empire being in such decline and leading us to the worst candidates back to back to back it's really hard for me to believe that third parties are to blame for the spoiler effect. Taking third parties off the ballot most likely wouldn't have the effect that people put on them because everyone has an opinion on the two candidates more than ever.
There is nothing to agree or disagree with here, I gave no opinion on spoiler effect, I explained 2 potential reasons why someone might vote third party.
Do you think all of those people who have been saying that third-party voters are going to destroy the US will be apologizing in the comment section here?
Sure i'll start. If this is true, I was wrong. I couldn't believe a republican to not fall in line with the party even if the put a party clown up. Good job proving me wrong and saving America.
First past the post is a terrible design. Let's rank choice and move on.
lol, pie in the sky right?
It is literally more likely for a socialist revolution to happen in the US than for us to use STV enough to choose the president that way.
But democrats believe in democracy!
Dem mental gymnastics are going into overdrive rn
I won't believe a single poll until this election is over. There is so much incentive for misinformation out there it is unbearable. Just get out and vote.