• TC_209 [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        While there are two dominant political parties in the United States, every presidential election I’ve participated in has had more than two candidates to choose from. I’d appreciate it if you’d expand upon your point.

        • Shiggles@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Oh boy I’m sure this isn’t a question in bad faith asking how an extremely obvious and well documented flaw of first past the post works

        • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          The US is under FPTP, only two candidates matter and voting outside those two or refusing to vote is mathematically identical to a vote for the candidate least aligned with your own values.

        • WolfLink@lemmy.ml
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          7 months ago

          Face it: there are only two candidates who realistically have a chance at winning the general election. It’s been that way for every US election we’ve seen.

          If you vote for someone who doesn’t have a realistic chance of winning, that’s about the same as just not voting at all.

          So you really have 3 choices: candidate A, candidate B, or indifference.

          And there are two possible outcomes: candidate A or candidate B.

          If one of those outcomes is at all preferable to the other, (e.g. either A is “better” or B is “worse”), it’s strategically best to vote for the main candidate you prefer, since that increases the chance of getting your preference of the two outcomes.

        • Doug [he/him]
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          1 year ago

          How many presidential elections have you participated in where more than two parties received any electoral votes at all?

            • Doug [he/him]
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              1 year ago

              I assumed you understood how a presidential election worked in the US. Was I mistaken?

                • Doug [he/him]
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                  1 year ago

                  Because they’re an instrumental part of how the election process works for quite a while now. If a candidate is receiving 0 electoral votes they are functionally as electable as you or I.

                  You’ve more than proven yourself to be in bad faith here though, so you’ll have to pester someone else with future efforts.

                  • TC_209 [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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                    1 year ago

                    I’m literally just asking you to explain your own understanding of presidential elections and that’s somehow acting in bad faith? What else am I supposed to do, given that you mistakenly believe that there are only two political parties in the US and, for some unknown reason, I’m an elector and not just a regular voter?

          • Nakoichi [they/them]@hexbear.net
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            1 year ago

            Which is anti-democratic and I am glad you mention it because it means my vote in california doesn’t even matter anyway lmao.

            Your democracy is a fucking joke.

          • Infamousblt [any]@hexbear.net
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            1 year ago

            So you’re ashamed to support it? Honestly that’s even worse. I understand quietly doing it because you think you have to but going around telling everyone about it and trying to convince them to as well doesn’t seem like shame to me. Seems like you’re proud about it

        • Doug [he/him]
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          1 year ago

          No argument here. I’m not propping it up I’m just forced to live within it