Who is voting for someone other than McCain or Obama?

I'm seriously considering going third party or a write in.  Who you are voting for (other than McCain or Obama) and why?

anyone? :)

Even if I wasn't too crazy about either candidate, I'd just swing a vote towards who I hated the least. That's what I did during the last election. When it's going to be close, I don't want to waste a vote (if there's someone running who I absolutely hate).

honestly, since i'm not in a swing state i myself can't go with that argument.  ny is going for obama so i don't think my vote counts much, so i'd rather live with myself and choose someone i like the most. 

I'm voting for Obama, but my husband says he's going to vote for Cynthia McKinney (green party), because her views more closely reflect his beliefs.  We're not in a swing state.

Shakira '08. 

i was just reading an editorial calling on republicans whose states are definitely gonna go to Obama to vote for a 3rd party candidate to 'send a message to the republican party."
I'm voting in a swing state, though I don't even think PA should be considered a swing... I see Obama taking it.

Nader 08!

:) Nuff said.

I already voted (go absentee ballots) and I was amazed at all of the people that I could have voted for president.  Mine had democrat, republican, libertarian, green, socialism and liberation, independent and a few others. 

I say if you want to vote for someone else, go for it, just don't expect them to win.

I've voted for third party candidates many times when I knew my state was going to vote a certain way.

My state, Ohio, is up for grabs big time and I hate the McCain/Palin ticket. I do favor most of Obama's policies and I haven't even looked at what other candidates are on the Ohio ticket. So if I were to choose to throw my vote to a different party this year it's tantamount to voting for McCain/Palin. I just can't do that.

A third party candidate is not going to win this election, I assume that anyone who votes for one is aware of that. I understand the argument behind why we need more than two parties, but the actual election is not the place to make that statement.

Yes, your vote does matter! PLEASE consider voting for whomever you would be most comfortable with in the White House, whether it's McCain or Obama.

Because that's a great way to bring about a third party viability...

Fret not, the republicans are the ones voting third party this year.

Original Post by emilyd22222:

A third party candidate is not going to win this election, I assume that anyone who votes for one is aware of that. I understand the argument behind why we need more than two parties, but the actual election is not the place to make that statement.

Yes, your vote does matter! PLEASE consider voting for whomever you would be most comfortable with in the White House, whether it's McCain or Obama.

Just to be clear, I do understand that a third party candidate will not win this election, but I would still rather use my vote as my voice and pick whichever candidate i like the most, regardless of who is the democrat or republican candidate.

I can't even vote in this election (arggg, I come close) but I've been following it very closely.

My personal opinion is that you shouldn't vote for 3rd part candidates, as their votes hinder the people that the race is really between. For example, any votes that went to Nader took away votes that could have gone to Kerry. I understand not having viewpoints that follow closely with democrats and republicans, but for your vote to count you should pick which one shares the most of your viewpoints, and vote for them. 

^And that's why third parties never win an election.

I really like Bob Barr - the Libertarian candidate. I know he won't win though so I guess I gotta pick the lesser of two evils, considering I'm supposedly in a swing state - Michigan. We usually go Democrat so if I saw that it would be an automatic, I would vote for Barr.

Have fun watching the debate tonight, my fellow political news junkies!

Probably Bob Barr, but I'm still undecided. It definitely won't be McCain or Obama.

I think that voting for the lesser evil is throwing away a vote. The reason why third party candidacies do not succeed is because of the attitude that it's a wasted vote. I changed my party affiliation from libertarian to republican for the primaries just so I could vote for Ron Paul. He got some pretty solid numbers, including over 100,000 in Pennsylvania even when it was certain he had no chance in winning. Those are the numbers that count ~ the ones that bring visibility. Not in the short term, not for this election, but in the grand scheme of things, it counts.

I live in Arizona, which is McCain territory. He will take this state. In that sense my vote doesn't count. But in the sense that it will likely be one more number in favor of libertarianism, it counts quite a bit to me.

Sandra_jean thank you for that comment! i love it!!!  I love Ron Paul - I can't decide between Baldwin (although he's so christian and a little too "out there" for me, Barr, or writing in Ron Paul - even though I know that writing him in is technically "wasting my vote."  Have you read his book Revolution: A Manifesto ?  I just finished it.  His chapter on money was especially enlightening.  

Are there any third party's that lean towards Republicans? Seems like its always Democratic nominees platforms.

Barr and Baldwin are pretty conservative - and ron paul, a republican, is endorsing baldwin, i read Barr is considered really far right.

Ron Paul

though I think Alan Keys is the best speaker I have ever seen in my entire life. He beat the pants off of Obama when they debated in Ill.

Youtube Alan Keyes.