From: Michael F. Kamprath <kamprath@space-grant.sprl.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Why should I vote for Marrou?
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 10:29:22 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan, Aerospace Engineering
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In article <KINDRED.92Oct9170342@sleepy.telesciences.com> David L Kindred,
kindred@telesciences.com writes:
>In article <1992Oct1.222721.17684@genie.slhs.udel.edu> 
>nancy@genie.slhs.udel.edu (Nancy Lebovitz) writes:
>
>   In article <1992Oct1.170318.13169@iplmail.orl.mmc.com> 
>steveg@iplmail.orl.mmc.com (Steve Gabrilowitz) writes:
>   >How can I vote for a candidate who admits he has no chance of winning?  Isn't this
>   >just about the same as throwing my vote away, or just plain not voting at all?
>   >
>   My tentative theory is that it depends on what time scale you're using--if
>   you're just thinking about the upcoming election, then it doesn't make
>   sense to vote for a candidate that can't win. On the other hand, if you
>   think that the major candidates are of about equal value, but voting for
>   a third party candidate will help build up an alternative that you'd
>   prefer, then voting for the candidate you believe in makes sense.
>
>   It might take twenty years to pay off, but voting for the minisculely
>   lesser evil doesn't pay off at all.
>
>					  ---Nancy Lebovitz
>
>My thinking is starting to turn in this direction also, after several
>years of voting for the "least bad" of the demopublican (or are they
>republicrats?) party's candidates.  I am even thinking that it might
>be appropriate to vote for libertarians in those races in which they
>are running, and NO ONE in the others.  I would think that this would
>help indicate that the demopublican party is totally unwanted.
>					- Dave

If you give in to the idea of the "Two Party System," then America will never
emerge from it.  You wouldn't believe how many of my friends thought you
weren't allowed to vote for anyone who wasn't a Democrat or Republican.  They
actually thought the law doesn't allow it.  There is this incredibly powerful
political machine in place in our nation that would be perfectly happy is 
everybody were that disimformed.  

Now, I am not advocating any certain party here.  If you actually like the 
Democratic or Republican party line, vote for it.  If you don't, then it
is your moral responsibility to not vote for it and vote for a party/individual
who more closely reflects your preferences.  That is what democracy
is about.  Your vote should reflect what you feel.  

(I've been sporting this .sig file for about two weeks now, but it fits
in perfectly with this discussion.)

========================================================================
| Michael F. Kamprath                   | The University of Michigan   |
|   kamprath@space-grant.sprl.umich.edu |      Aerospace Engineering   |
|   kamprath@engin.umich.edu            |                              |
+---------------------------------------+------------------------------+
| This country is a _democracy_.  It is NOT a "Two Party Sytem."  DO   |
| NOT believe The Lie that not voting Republican or Democratic will    |
| waste your vote.  Vote for who ever you please, and let the          |
| politicians find out what a democratic government is all about.      | 
========================================================================