A vote for Betsy Johnson is...
Well, you knew that by the end of the campaign, the main-party candidates for Oregon governor would be saying, "A vote for Betsy Johnson is a vote for [my opponent]. Johnson can't win. The polls prove it." And this week, that's certainly what we're hearing, mostly from the Democrat, T. Kohoutek.
We heard it from Al Gore about Ralph Nader. We heard it from Hillary Clinton about Jill Stein. It's standard practice. In a way, the argument is a self-fulfilling prophecy, in that it's pretty effective at prying votes away from third-party or unaffiliated candidates.
I stopped buying that line after Gore. I've been asked too many times to put a clothespin on my nose and vote for the party hack. Look at the country that's produced. I'm getting too old for it.
Sometimes I see it a different way, one you might consider. If you vote for Betsy Johnson, you're simply not choosing between the obnoxious Democrat and the Trump mommy. You're saying that you're disappointed in both major parties, and you want something better.
If it has to be seen as anything more than identifying the best of the three candidates, a Johnson vote is saying that if the only choice were between Kotek and Drazan, you'd sit the election out and not vote. To some, that's "throwing your vote away." If there are two bad candidates, they say, you have to pick one. Well, actually, you don't. Unlike in some fake democracies, you are not required to vote at all.
Tina Kotek would be a terrible governor. Christine Drazan would also be a terrible governor, for different reasons. I hate the thought of having to look at either one of them for the next four years. Once again, each of the two controlling parties has presented us with a Hobson's choice.
From where I sit, you can advance the lesser of two evils, or you can simply sit it out. A vote for Betsy Johnson is sitting it out – a hard pass to both sides in this screwed-up country and state. It's not just telling the Democrats and the Republicans that they need to get their acts together, it's showing them.
I can’t vote for one of the major party candidates. But there’s one I can and will vote against.
ReplyDeleteI think the one party, hard left, political system in oregon has about run its course.
ReplyDeleteThe change might not come in this election. But, it’s coming.
I'm a NAV leaning right.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the Drazan people will tell you that a vote for Johnson is a vote for Kotek.
DeleteIn my humble opinion, a vote for Drazan is a vote for Trump. And by extension, Putin. So that's a hard no for me. I would never do that, ever.
That's some fuzzy math.
DeleteHave to agree with Jack here, would never vote for Trump so I can’t vote for someone who is just another version of him.
DeleteI “can’t” vote........well I could but it would probably lead to divorce as my wife is a hardcore liberal and I am more of an independent conservative. She basically freaked out on my liberal sister once after my sister said she thought that Chris Christie would make a good President.
DeleteBesides, the last couple of times that I did vote, I think that it was for Ross Perot (twice) and Chris Dudley respectively. After Chris lost, I figured that all hope was lost in Oregon in ever having even a milquetoast somewhat conservative governor. I hope things have changed, but I tend to doubt that they have.
It's too bad Kotek isn't a few points further behind in the polls. Then the Johnson people could say, "A vote for Kotek is a vote for Drazan."
ReplyDeleteA vote for Drazan is a vote for…….Putin? Come on Jack, you are better than such silliness.
ReplyDeleteThe Republican Party is a bunch of traitors to our country. Some of them, indeed many of them, belong in prison.
DeleteI highly doubt Drazan's people will consider a vote for Johnson to be a vote of disappointment against both parties. They will soak up the win and trumpfy Oregon on the national stage. That is a guarantee. Remember Bush Jr won by a sliver and proceeded to declare that he had a national mandate from the people and he is a damn-sight better than a typical Trumper.
ReplyDelete