I'm tired of this "I don't like the candidate" business. I understand it, but a vote for the candidate is really a vote for the party, the party's agenda, and the party's appointments. A Democratic president, any Democratic president, will work more closely with a Democratic House or Senate and vice versa. Any Democratic president, no matter how conservative, is more likely to listen to and compromise with Democrats in Congress than any Republican. You get more done when the legislature and executive work together. You get less done when they're divided. Trump got more done before the midterms because his party held the House. Same for Obama. But the converse of that is that if you like some lower profile figure in the legislature better, then it behooves you to vote for an executive that will more likely cooperate with that figure. At least your person will be in the room. Vote the party. Vote the person in the primary and the party in the general election. It's really as simple as that.
And if you don't like the way either party is headed volunteer with the one you like better. Go to meetings. Canvas. Change it. Party agendas are set by party delegates who vote at conventions. Those delegates are selected by party volunteers and members. Pay your dues. Put in your work. Have a voice in your preferred party. You might actually meet your legislators that way, your state representatives, your congressmen, even your senators. (Mind you, it helps to have folks elected from your party, which . . . tends to happen a lot more often when folks knock on doors and talk to people.)
As to third parties, sure, it's theoretically possible for a third party to make a difference, but it's a lot more likely at the local level where a third party candidate can get the visibility needed to get elected. Get your third party on the school board, or the board of aldermen. Short of a miracle unprecedented in the history of the United States your third party darling won't be elected. At best they'll spoil the election for the party you don't like. At worst they'll spoil it for yours. It's not even just a matter of money. Your fancy and famous third party candidate can have all the money in the world and still lose because they don't have people on the ground volunteering for them. Because they don't have the built in backing. Because they don't have allies in Congress or on the evening news.
In the end . . . vote. And if you can find the energy and if you can do so safely . . . volunteer.
And if you don't like the way either party is headed volunteer with the one you like better. Go to meetings. Canvas. Change it. Party agendas are set by party delegates who vote at conventions. Those delegates are selected by party volunteers and members. Pay your dues. Put in your work. Have a voice in your preferred party. You might actually meet your legislators that way, your state representatives, your congressmen, even your senators. (Mind you, it helps to have folks elected from your party, which . . . tends to happen a lot more often when folks knock on doors and talk to people.)
As to third parties, sure, it's theoretically possible for a third party to make a difference, but it's a lot more likely at the local level where a third party candidate can get the visibility needed to get elected. Get your third party on the school board, or the board of aldermen. Short of a miracle unprecedented in the history of the United States your third party darling won't be elected. At best they'll spoil the election for the party you don't like. At worst they'll spoil it for yours. It's not even just a matter of money. Your fancy and famous third party candidate can have all the money in the world and still lose because they don't have people on the ground volunteering for them. Because they don't have the built in backing. Because they don't have allies in Congress or on the evening news.
In the end . . . vote. And if you can find the energy and if you can do so safely . . . volunteer.
