Just some thoughts on voting 3rd party

I've never voted third party before. I know people who have, and I've experienced the frustration first hand that comes with the fear of friends who refuse to use what power they have to protect people more vulnerable than themselves. I had a friend in 2020 who REFUSED to vote for Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, and I tried to really communicate what I thought was the hypocrisy of his personal insulation from the consequences of a second Trump term. And I'm pleased to acknowledge that in this sentiment, I shared Cornell West's position.

What brings me to supporting Cornell West now is not the attitude of my wealthy, purist, friend. If I still lived in Pennsylvania, I will admit that I could be convinced to vote for Joe Biden in 2024. But I'm at the point that I simply demand convincing. I'm not lining up automatically, I need to be given a better reason. It's a small, small, TINY ask.

I think I'm one of millions of people West is speaking to. I'm willing to vote for the lesser of two evils, but if doing so is just a delay tactic for the worse outcome? That's just a distinction without a difference.

Whether I vote for Cornell West is immaterial, because I live in a blue state. Which is a sentence that is as democratic as saying 'I hope the supreme leader decides to choose the candidate who gets the most votes this year.' And that's the problem. If my only influence is volunteering or giving MONEY to help persuade a few thousand people in places that matter in a system engineered to limit choice? Then I'm going to use that influence to say we need to stop putting up with that system. And if that scares the better of the two corporate parties, then GOOD. Maybe a little existential fear might motivate them to get on the right side.

We'll see. But if people ask, "Aren't you afraid of what happens if Republicans take over again?" I'll say, "YES! That's why I'm giving my support to someone who seems to take that threat seriously!"