Almost vindicated
November 5, 2008 – 8:59 pm by JohnOne of the main reasons I wrote that it’s understandable to vote was to spread publicity about anti-establishment, anti-State candidates and thereby make a more specific, public statement of disapproval with the system (as opposed to the silent, inactive form of disapproval that is complete abstention). That’s why I had no problem with supporting Mary Ruwart for LP presidential candidate and why I am proud I voted for Harry Browne in 2000 and why I voted for Ron Paul in the Michigan primary in February. Not only did I not expect them to win anything, I was certain they wouldn’t win.
This desire, delusion, fantasy, whatever you want to call it, that registering a protest-vote for a third-party or other alternative candidate actually does any good was almost vindicated yesterday. Ryan McMaken wrote that with 50% of Montana precincts reporting, Ron Paul appeared to have cost McCain that state (assuming all those Paul voters would have or could have been potential McCain voters). This is because at that time, the number of votes for Ron Paul was greater than the difference between Obama votes and McCain votes, so if all those Paul votes had gone to McCain, McCain would have passed Obama.
As it turns out, after all the precincts reported their numbers, McCain won Montana anyway. But it was kind of interesting to think what kind of message that state could have sent the GOP and the nation: one big reason McCain would have lost Montana would have been glaring at them loud and clear and quantifiable—those 10,000 or so Paul votes from disgruntled conservatives. It would send a much stronger message than if all those people had stayed at home, in which case the idiots in the media and the government would report, “Voter apathy among Montana’s conservative base cost McCain the traditionally red state…” Ahh, well, ’twasn’t meant to be. It seems like it never is.
