You know, I really wish that, JUST ONCE, I’d encounter a 3rd Party Voter who was willing to take responsibility for their vote. But no, they all have to share one of a selection of bullshit articles that absolve voters of the responsibility for the outcome of their votes. They say “It’s Gore’s fault, because he didn’t win Tennessee!”, or they link to bullshit articles that use a lot of statistical handwaving to ‘prove’ that Nader voters in Florida in 2000 didn’t cause Gore’s defeat, and say “Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man!”

Except it’s not. We have actual data, because voters in 2000 were actually asked the question. Nationwide, 47% of Nader voters said they’d have voted for Gore; 18% for Bush, and 32% would have not voted at all. 97,488 people voted for Nader in Florida. Gore lost by 537.

Now, of course, there are lots of other factors, like the Palm Beach County butterfly ballot that gave Pat Fucking Buchanan a lot of votes from a Jewish enclave, which even Pat admitted were unintentional; the superiority of the Bush post-election strategy and ground game; and Antonin Fucking Scalia. But slice it how you will, you can’t absolve Nader voters of some responsibility.

Just once, I’d like to hear one say, “I realize that Trump being elected would be a catastrophe, far worse than it would be if Hillary Clinton won. But it is SO IMPORTANT to me that I not vote for Hillary Clinton that EVEN IF I knew my vote for a third party allowed Trump to become President, I’m willing to bear that responsibility”

Now, in California, and a lot of other blue states, Clinton will have a large enough margin that those inclined to vote for Johnson or Stein will not change the result. Perhaps a significant 3rd Party vote will even help push the Democrats in a more progessive direction, though with the most progressive platform from either major party in history, I’m not sure how.

But in Ohio, in Florida, in other states that WILL make the difference, voters inclined to vote for 3rd parties, even while believing that Trump winning is a far worse outcome than Clinton winning cannot dodge the responsibility for the outcome of their vote.

Saying this simple thing has got my idiot brother and my awfulizing sister* - neither of whom live in states that hang in the balance - insisting that I’m bullying and badgering them to vote how I tell them to. Essentially, they’re using me as a proxy to argue with everyone who tells them they HAFTA vote for Hillary.

*She has built up Hillary Clinton in her mind as almost Reaganesque, saying she’d appoint Justices like Rehnquist, instead of Douglas, even though her husband appointed RBG, and Breyer. When she decides someone is her nemesis, she goes all out.