In 1960, John F. Kennedy beat Richard Nixon by barely 100,000 votes, less than one vote per precinct. Buoyed by our hopes, we stayed together and won. In 1968, Richard Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey by little more than 500,000 votes. Divided by the Vietnam War, desolate from the murders of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy, we divided and lost by the measure of our despair. And the country went from a decade of prosperity and growth, with poverty going down and wages going up, to a conservative era of stagnant wages, growing inequality, and increasing poverty.
Every vote does count.
It is important to remember this in this election season, because there are seductive voices urging people to dismiss the live choices as meaningless. Ralph Nader says the system is so corrupt that no matter which candidate wins, we lose and the corporations and big money that floods our politics wins. So cast a protest vote for him or for Patrick Buchanan and express your dismay. I too have protested the impact of big money in our politics. I have fought against it both by supporting clean elections, public financing, disclosure, equal time, as well as working to mobilize people power to counter money power.