[extropy-chat] electing ideas [was Re:Fahrenheit 911 - objectivereview?]

[Spike]

> Pat Fallon
> 
> For example, if Republican candidates keep selling out on 
> "gun rights", some voters might consider voting for a Libertarian
candidate who is
> a strong advocate of the right to keep and bear arms.
> 
> This might send a message to the Republicans that they shouldn't take
> those voters for granted based on the belief that they have 
> no where to go.
> 
> Pat Fallon
> pfallon at ptd.net

Ja this was my point exactly.  If one finds oneself in a 
position where one cannot tell the difference between the
major candidates in a particular election, one is perhaps
best served by voting for the far wing of the opposite party.
Right leaning non-Bush fans would be best served by voting
for Nader, because he's an unelectable nut.  If he does
well, the left party moves left to collect Nader voters,
thus abandoning any semblance of support for corporate
rights, property rights and gun rights for instance, thus 
losing votes in the highly populated middle.

Similarly a left leaning libertarian who dislikes Kerry
should vote for Pat Buchanan, causing the right party
to move right in an attempt to collect those votes, thus
abandoning abortion rights for instance, thus losing
votes in the middle.

Nations would be best served if their two leading parties
would move apart some.  This would keep elections from 
becoming beauty contests, which is what they have become.

spike