cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18991756
In a double boost for Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday afternoon threw his backing behind the former president in the 2024 presidential election while Jill Stein unequivocally stated she will not drop out of the race.
Voting for Jill Stein isn’t just about winning this election; it’s about pushing for change and ensuring that progressive voices are heard.
If the Democratic Party wants to secure progressive votes, they should present stronger candidates who genuinely represent those values, rather than blaming third parties for potential losses.
Fear of Trump shouldn’t dictate our choices—voting based on principles is how we build a better future.
What part of what I am saying don’t you understand? I’m not voting for your candidate and I’m not scared of Trump.
I’m voting based on my principals that actually putting a Democrat in a possible goal is better than trying to send a political message.
The electoral college means that additional votes in progressive states after getting 50%+ 1 are worth exactly zero whereas losing 1-2% in swing states can lose you enough swing states to lose the election. This means that progressive policies that won you +10% of the entire US population but lost you a fraction of 1% in the crucial states cause you to lose.
Are you actually saying that you want to send the message that in order to earn your vote Democrats should do something incredibly stupid that will certainly cause them to lose?
And I respect and support your right to do that. That’s not the path I’m taking though.
The electoral college system does create challenges, but it doesn’t justify abandoning principles for fear of losing.
The real issue is that the current system forces voters to choose between the lesser of two evils instead of advocating for policies they truly believe in, which is why voting for third parties can push for the change we need.
I’m not scared of Trump. And I’m not voting for Harris. Or Trump. It’s really that simple.
The green party has failed for 40 years to win any federal office whilest running as a green. In those 4 decades in 50 states they have in total managed to elect someone to a state level house position twice and it hasn’t happened in 21 years! Its a certainty that the least effective party in history will once again fail. Given that its impossible to win you should vote for the person who isn’t going to destroy our country so you have a chance to make a political statement in 2028!
The Green Party’s lack of federal office wins doesn’t negate the importance of voting for a candidate who truly represents your values. Real change doesn’t happen overnight, and dismissing third parties only perpetuates the two-party system that limits genuine progress. Voting out of fear rather than conviction is what truly undermines our democracy—it’s essential to support candidates who advocate for the future you believe in, even if that means challenging the status quo.
And guess what? You’ll be saying, “oh no, not THIS election, it’s too important. You can make a statement next election. THIS one is too important.” Just like the democratic party has been saying for the last 50 years. lmao
I’m not voting for Harris, brah. Accept it.
It’s been 40 years and the green party has never won anything at the federal level and hasn’t had anything at the state level for over 20 years. You aren’t going anywhere and you will NEVER go anywhere in the current system because a first past the post system with two large entrenched parties will NEVER EVER not in 1000 years see a third party with meaningful impact.
You need the national popular vote compact, then you need to prove ranked choice voting at the state level, then you need to remove the EC. Since the green party has never had a meaningful voice in government of any sort you can’t work towards any of those or indeed anything else nor will you ever be able to.
It’s like your sitting in a car with an empty gas tank and a dead battery and you’ve been that way for decades. Gradually it gets more and more decrepit. A few years ago thieves ripped off the tires and now you are sitting on blocks. You told your spouse you were going to work but all you are doing is sitting in the rusted hulk making car noises.
Dismissing the Green Party because it hasn’t won federal office ignores the fact that many significant movements started small and faced long odds before making a real impact.
The current system is indeed stacked against third parties, but that doesn’t mean we should give up advocating for change; it means we need to push even harder for reforms like ranked-choice voting and the national popular vote compact. If everyone resigned themselves to the status quo, progress would never happen—change starts with those willing to challenge the system, even when the odds seem impossible.
Mocking third-party efforts as futile only serves to reinforce a broken system, rather than recognizing the value of persistence and principled action in shaping a better future.
Green Party candidates have occasionally garnered significant attention and votes, but they have not been successful in winning federal office due to the challenges third parties face in the U.S. political system, including limited visibility, funding, and the dominance of the two major parties.
They have had some local successes in other parts of the country, such as winning seats in local government or state legislatures. Californians have elected 55 of the 226 office-holding Greens nationwide. Other states with high numbers of Green elected officials include Pennsylvania (31), Wisconsin (23), Massachusetts (18) and Maine (17). Maine has the highest per capita number of Green elected officials in the country and the largest Green registration percentage with more than 29,273 Greens comprising 2.95% of the electorate as of November 2006.[68] Madison, Wisconsin is the city with the most Green elected officials (8), followed by Portland, Maine (7).
And the simple fact that dividing your power base gives your opposition’s coalition a better opportunity to defeat you, and enact their preferred policies instead of yours. The idea we can just grassroot ourselves to a viable third party neglects the 200+ year historical context of our political system.