• bobburger@fedia.io
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    3 months ago

    I see that I have 3 options for voting.

    Vote for Biden, the candidate that’s closest to my politics. Result: I help the government move closer to my values.

    Vote for Trump, the candidate that is farthest from my politics. Result: I help the government move farther away from my values.

    Vote 3rd party or don’t vote. Result: I have a slight sense of moral superiority because I voted my conscience but didn’t actually help the government move in the direction I wanted, and may have helped it move in a direction I didn’t want.

    Given these 3 options, Project 2025 and Trump’s stance on abortion make Biden worth a vote.

    Sure Biden’s policies aren’t exactly what I want, but they’re a lot closer to mine than Trump’s are. And since either one of Trump or Biden is going to be the next president (unless something unexpected happens), I’m going to vote for Biden.

    • Wiz@midwest.social
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      3 months ago

      You are right. With our first-past-the-post system and our electoral college, we only have two possibilities: Trump or Biden winning. You get to help decide which is the best (or the least worst).

      I see 4 possibilities, depending on your political leaning.

      1. Liberal voting for Biden. Helps Biden.
      2. Conservative voting for Trump. Helps Trump.
      3. Liberal not voting for Biden. Helps Trump.
      4. Conservative not voting for Trump. Helps Biden.

      If you don’t like these choices, work to get rid of the Electoral College. Work to support ranked-choice voting or some other alternative to first-past-the-post. But sitting this out will hurt one candidate while helping the other to win. If you don’t like either candidate, vote for the least worst of the top two - the one closest to you.