I Will Vote for Whomever I Please, Thank You

Ah, election season. A time for advocates of all stripes to proclaim to one and all why their candidate is the best, last hope in saving this great nation. A time for desperate pleas to join the cause, to stay loyal to the movement, to place my trust in the one who pledges to “take on Washington” and all its corruption. A time to bet on the horses, because really, all that matters is winning, about keeping the lesser beasts from ruining our country.

Advocates are passionate for their preferred candidates, and so they should be. I can stomach most arguments on behalf of any candidate, because such arguments all take on the same form, once you step back and examine them. For any given candidate, the advocate lauds notable characteristics and policy positions while simultaneously dismissing any flaws, all the while augmenting the flaws and downplaying any notable characteristics or positions of another candidate. More simply, it is the parable of the beam and the mote. The politics of destruction is powerful temptation, even among members of the same “team.” Again, this is the established pattern, and by and large I can entertain such arguments, and on occasion even be entertained by them.

What I cannot stomach, however, is the following argument that I see thrown out from time to time, even from friends: “A Vote for Candidate A is really a Vote for Candidate F.” I find such approaches to be unpersuasive at best, insulting at worst. I find it to be both the weakest and most desperate of arguments, logically and factually incorrect on its face.

With every choice, there are consequences. When I cast my vote, I may pick a loser, but in no way can you logically extrapolate that unfortunate result into a plus for the winner. It may seem a “waste” to supporters of another candidate, and they are entitled to that view. Nevertheless, my ballot will lie in the stack of whomever I choose, and only in his stack.

I have the fortunate privilege and responsibility to vote, and I take it seriously. I will vote for the candidate that best fits my view and my values. Absent such a candidate, I reserve the right to make a third choice and not cast a vote for that office. This is a choice I make, and that choice is an extension of what I believe and what I think. No more, no less. I don’t make such choices lightly, and I will never in good conscience vote for any candidate that I don’t consider as sufficiently worthy of my vote. Results may vary, but by and large I hold this to be true. Rest assured, I would no more vote for a tyrant than I would vote for a criminal.

I hold allegiance only to God and Country, not to party, not to any interests but those that align to my views and my values. It is my right, my freedom, my integrity, and my decision.

So, please, spare me such a specious argument as “A Vote for A is really a Vote for F“. I will vote for whomever I please, and if in the end my vote doesn’t matter, or doesn’t make anyone else happy, so be it. But nevertheless, my vote will count, and I will gladly stand to be counted, win or lose.