Well… The most likely way for Third Parties to have a chance is by using voting methods other than “1st past the post.”
…And who took the case to SCOTUS to fight such a change?
~
The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down a last-ditch effort by the Maine Republican Party to stop ranked choice voting from being used for the first time in the state’s presidential contest.
Justice Stephen Breyer on Tuesday rejected the request for the high court to intervene after the GOP sought to delay ranked voting in this November’s presidential election until state voters had the final say through a referendum.
The Maine GOP’s latest appeal was filed after the first votes already had been cast via absentee ballot.
The voting system allows all candidates to be ranked on the ballot. It uses extra voting rounds, last-place candidate eliminations and the reallocation of votes to ensure a majority winner.
Yeah, let’s have a Libertarian President and Vice President, while still having two houses of Congress populated by Democrats and Republicans. The good side: Both traditional parties immediately start working together in a manner that all polled Americans claim they want to see. The bad side: The one thing they work together on is ensuring that the Libertarian is a one-term administration, and is resisted so strongly that every American Voter sees how ineffective and useless a protest vote is. The third parties need to win local and regional offices to create a base before they can ever run for the top job.
Libertarians are fine people. So are communists. (No snark intended there).
Libertarian governments are, however, just as irresponsible and misguided as a communist government. People are nice. Governments are not.
Our government was designed to keep itself, society and the economy in check. Which it does, more or less. Like that pendulum RBG refers to. Libertarians are, by nature, reluctant to use that power. Communists too eager.
Until people are better we can’t rely on a libertarian or communist government. And once they ARE better we won’t really need them.
Yes, we WOULD be better off if Gary Johnson had won, but that just shows you how awful Donald Trump is. . It also doesn’t change the fact that Gary Johnson had literally no chance at all, so what is the point? We would also be better off if Crazy Sheila The Sidewalk Loonie won.
I’m going to bring over a comment from another cartoon, “Introducing a cleaning product called VOTE! Perfect for removing unsightly Orange Stains.”
Unfortunately in the real world there are only two choices, vote Trump and have at least 4 more years of chaos, lies and deceit. Vote Biden and begin the healing process.
I’d just like to point out that this logic works just as well in reverse. I don’t want to get into a raging debate about libertarian vs Democratic policies, so let us look at it from the perspective of the main character of this comic, to whom the argument is being made. The argument is that we would have been better off if people had elected Johnson. But this character obviously also thinks things would have been better if Clinton had been elected. So Johnson being better than Trump does NOT represent a logical argument against her point that voting for this third party candidate did not work well in 2016. That would only follow if she thought having Clinton would be as bad or worse than Trump. (This says nothing about whether Democratic or Libertarian policies are better.)
The problem with that logic is, Gary Johnson was never going to win. Jo Jorgensen isn’t going to win. Feel free to throw your vote away to feel good, but that’s all you’re doing. It’s like voting for your favorite in the primary, then ignoring the general. A vote for Perot in 1992 – before he left the race and returned – might have made a difference. Since then, not so much.
If we’d have had Jo instead of Gary in 2016 I think it would have been record totals for the party. Right before we were all sent to reeducation centers by President Hillary.
scottborst about 4 years ago
Quite possibly, yes.
kaffekup about 4 years ago
You’re all probably tired of seeing this, but for those considering voting Lib who haven’t…
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/libertarians-decide-to-become-a-joke-in-2020.html
Cheapskate0 about 4 years ago
Libertarians making sense? Guess that was the punchline!
RobinHood about 4 years ago
Well I know the DC neighborhood
And talk is cheap to make the story sound good
And the tales grow taller on down the line
But I’m telling you, babe
That I don’t think it’s true, babe
And even if it is keep this in mind
Third parties shouldn’t run baby
If that’s the way you vote it baby
Then we don’t want you around
I don’t believe it, not for a minute
Voting under the gun third parties shouldn’t run
Apoligies to Gary Dean Richrath
braindead Premium Member about 4 years ago
Well, Scott, there is going to be only one of two outcomes, and you know what they are.
If you want to join the Russian trolls and recommend a third party, thus voting for Trump, no one can stop you.
.
Izzat what you want? Trump for life?
213,000 covid dead is not enough for you?
whahoppened about 4 years ago
Don’t let what might be an important vote get siphoned off!!
Silly Season about 4 years ago
Well… The most likely way for Third Parties to have a chance is by using voting methods other than “1st past the post.”
…And who took the case to SCOTUS to fight such a change?
~
The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down a last-ditch effort by the Maine Republican Party to stop ranked choice voting from being used for the first time in the state’s presidential contest.
Justice Stephen Breyer on Tuesday rejected the request for the high court to intervene after the GOP sought to delay ranked voting in this November’s presidential election until state voters had the final say through a referendum.
The Maine GOP’s latest appeal was filed after the first votes already had been cast via absentee ballot.
The voting system allows all candidates to be ranked on the ballot. It uses extra voting rounds, last-place candidate eliminations and the reallocation of votes to ensure a majority winner.
~
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-supreme-court-denies-maine-gop-s-request-to-stop-ranked-choice-voting/ar-BB19NkJb
Julius Marold Premium Member about 4 years ago
“A ham sandwich would have been a better President” – Dana Milbank
sykerocker about 4 years ago
Yeah, let’s have a Libertarian President and Vice President, while still having two houses of Congress populated by Democrats and Republicans. The good side: Both traditional parties immediately start working together in a manner that all polled Americans claim they want to see. The bad side: The one thing they work together on is ensuring that the Libertarian is a one-term administration, and is resisted so strongly that every American Voter sees how ineffective and useless a protest vote is. The third parties need to win local and regional offices to create a base before they can ever run for the top job.
Durak Premium Member about 4 years ago
You know who WOULD have made a better president? Hilary Freaking Rodham Clinton!
You know who else would have been a better president? Me!
And Scott Stantis. And Stephen Colbert. And Bart Simpson. Jeb Bush. Mitt Romney. And a long list of others, real, imagined, even dead.
William Robbins Premium Member about 4 years ago
Well, we’d be better off if Donald Duck had won… but I see Durak beat me to it.
GFox49 about 4 years ago
Ha! Libertarian Party….Scott Stantis is so far off the rails his choo choo is limping down a country road. Gary Johnson and now Jo Jorgensen? WTF!
bxclent Premium Member about 4 years ago
yes we would be better off with a Libertarian
Durak Premium Member about 4 years ago
Libertarians are fine people. So are communists. (No snark intended there).
Libertarian governments are, however, just as irresponsible and misguided as a communist government. People are nice. Governments are not.
Our government was designed to keep itself, society and the economy in check. Which it does, more or less. Like that pendulum RBG refers to. Libertarians are, by nature, reluctant to use that power. Communists too eager.
Until people are better we can’t rely on a libertarian or communist government. And once they ARE better we won’t really need them.
Bless you all.
Ignatz Premium Member about 4 years ago
Yes, we WOULD be better off if Gary Johnson had won, but that just shows you how awful Donald Trump is. . It also doesn’t change the fact that Gary Johnson had literally no chance at all, so what is the point? We would also be better off if Crazy Sheila The Sidewalk Loonie won.
Bruce1253 about 4 years ago
I’m going to bring over a comment from another cartoon, “Introducing a cleaning product called VOTE! Perfect for removing unsightly Orange Stains.”
Unfortunately in the real world there are only two choices, vote Trump and have at least 4 more years of chaos, lies and deceit. Vote Biden and begin the healing process.
PoodleGroomer about 4 years ago
Lyndon LaRouche is rested and ready.
guyjen2004 about 4 years ago
Vote for whoever you want. Or don’t vote. It’s your right and your individual choice. This is the United States of America.
rossevrymn about 4 years ago
SSSSSSSsssssssssssssssssnoooorrrrrrrrre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Andylit Premium Member about 4 years ago
They lost their way a long time ago.
Their 3rd ranked vote getter in the primary was this guy.
https://verminsupreme2020.com/
He actually serves on the party’s Judicial Committee.
StackableContainers about 4 years ago
A Libertarian is just a failed Republican
dotbup about 4 years ago
There are only two candidates on the ballot; DEMOCRACY AND FASCISM
VOTE and make sure all democracy loving people you know vote.
Don’t think for a moment that this election isn’t the most important election since the Civil War
James Hay about 4 years ago
I’d just like to point out that this logic works just as well in reverse. I don’t want to get into a raging debate about libertarian vs Democratic policies, so let us look at it from the perspective of the main character of this comic, to whom the argument is being made. The argument is that we would have been better off if people had elected Johnson. But this character obviously also thinks things would have been better if Clinton had been elected. So Johnson being better than Trump does NOT represent a logical argument against her point that voting for this third party candidate did not work well in 2016. That would only follow if she thought having Clinton would be as bad or worse than Trump. (This says nothing about whether Democratic or Libertarian policies are better.)
Scoutmaster77 about 4 years ago
Winner takes all is what it is. There will be no coalition government in the US.
Warhaft about 4 years ago
The problem with that logic is, Gary Johnson was never going to win. Jo Jorgensen isn’t going to win. Feel free to throw your vote away to feel good, but that’s all you’re doing. It’s like voting for your favorite in the primary, then ignoring the general. A vote for Perot in 1992 – before he left the race and returned – might have made a difference. Since then, not so much.
mistercatworks about 4 years ago
Luke, the Kool-Ade is strong in our featured commenter.
fritzoid Premium Member about 4 years ago
There are many alternatives to voting for either Biden or Trump.
There are no alternative outcomes.
sciencedoc about 4 years ago
If we’d have had Jo instead of Gary in 2016 I think it would have been record totals for the party. Right before we were all sent to reeducation centers by President Hillary.