Rightly disgusted with the choices offered by the major parties in the 2016 POTUS election, many voters abstained or voted third party. Being sympathetic to both Green and Libertarian concerns (and angry that those concerns got so little attention in the inane debates), I agree that there is something to be said for voting third party in the uncontested states that are safely blue or red. A minor party that crosses the 5% threshold in the popular vote will get ballot access and more attention in the next election.
What about the contested states?
Like it or not, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were the only candidates who could have become the next President. Like it or not, abstentions and 3rd party votes in contested states could have tipped them from Clinton to Trump. Like it or not, tipping contested states could have tipped the Electoral College from Clinton to Trump (or even thrown the decision into the House of Representatives, which would have chosen Trump).
So what? Should I not vote my conscience, regardless of where I live? No!
The point of voting is not self expression. The point is to participate in choosing the driver of a bus we all must ride in. The 2016 POTUS election was a choice between 2 bad drivers. One of them had a record that includes moving violations and at-fault collisions, but not DWI or total losses. The other was (and still is) an intoxicated newbie seething with road rage.
Image cropped from the Seattle Times
Among the many posts on many blogs that deal with this election, U can read more with independent and unusual angles in Keith’s blog as well as here.
Mellow Curmudgeon 
To continue your metaphor, it is really too bad, but, I am pretty sure we are all bozos on this bus. Bozos are very, very good at denial, so, the minor conundrum of having to choose between evils, won’t keep the bus from heading down the road it’s been on all my life, one that can seemingly lead to self-immolation.
Which makes any vote rather pointless altogether, because no matter who drives, it’s still a bozo. Considering also just how “all over the map” this bus has already traveled, who can say how far is left to go?
Maybe I’m a purist, but, the social contract supposedly implied by the Constitution has been abrogated in every respect by the government itself. Thus, to participate only encourages them to think they are getting away with it. Participation implies two sided action, with responsibilities held by both. I’ve fulfilled mine; they have not.
gigoid, the dubious
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Not participating encourages them even more.
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My friend, they don’t require encouragement; they’re sociopaths, and make their own rules, which have nothing to do with anyone else’s actions, or motivations. They are, and I speak from both experience and education, clinically insane. It doesn’t matter which people do, they’ll still do all they can to manipulate for their own benefit, and not care how that affects anyone else.
gigoid
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While not quite old enough to have personal memories of the New Deal, I do have personal memories of battles against segregated schools and whites-only voting. Progress was made and progress was frittered away. My demographic (old white guys) is aging out of its electoral dominance. Maybe progress can be made again; maybe not. Mere complaining (however correctly) will not suffice.
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“The 2016 POTUS election will choose between 2 bad drivers. One of them has a record that includes moving violations and at-fault collisions, but not DWI or total losses. The other is an intoxicated newbie seething with road rage.” …….and tertiary syphilis ….just saying.
http://www.wow.com/wiki/General_paresis_of_the_insane
That bus is going to be driven…no matter what i do…but i for one chose not to pick one loathsome choice over the other. I like them both NOT. The rest of the country can decide who drive our bus, as you said the bus is on the road.
In my opinion the point of VOTING IS self-expression and to vote to influence the outcome without really supporting the candidate….is pointless!
My vote may not have actually made a difference but it didn’t make me sick at myself.
The goddess once known as ~~dru~~
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I would rather be in a fender bender than in a flaming flip over.
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I’ll take the flaming flip over, any day, rather than a stupid fender bender that makes me ashamed of myself. HOWEVER…
I’m suicidal and WHAT A WAY to go? So don’t try to even understand me, let alone like me….HOWEVER; i like you….what did the algae say to the fungus…..? “I lichen you.”
To each our own but may i say I’d rather disagree with you than talk do some real idiot. (in my not so very humble opinion) You fun….others notz so much. THAT IS CATz speakz…
Let us just both agree to disagree… ~~dru~~
ps I did say tertiary silyphilis,,,look it up…..almost I am persuaded to be a “clinton”.
~~dru going back to being just dru~~
I’m getting rather fed up with the goddess shit.
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Almost as entertaining reading the comments as the post itself. Great analogy. Woe is me, I live in Florida and have been hoping the polls would consistently move steadily in one direction or the other so I could feel not guilty about voting Libertarian. But ’twas not to be. So I’ve cast my early ballot for the driver with moving violations. I’m pretty sure we can keep a close eye on her from a few rows back. Besides, I have a feeling she’s learned her lesson and the heavy responsibility of the drivers seat will have her paying close attention to the road rules. Meanwhile I’m hoping (praying!) there’s not enough riders voting to put the drunk lunatic con man in the drivers street.
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Thanks for both, the comment and the vote.
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Excellent analogies, and now unfortunately, we are all in the bus, waiting for it to crash into the truck~
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