Beware the Consequences

There has already been a whole lot of screaming about how voting for the Libertarian Party "stole" votes from Romney. I agree that to be the case, but also agree that one has the right to vote their conscience. There could be an unwanted price for doing so................That must be understood

This election cycle votes cast for the Libertarian or Green Party (or whoever else) made no difference whatsoever. This time. Should that matter to a voter? Depends.

If one has die hard beliefs, then they can vote for the candidate that most closely mirrors their beliefs. However, in a close election, voting for a third party candidate could easily backfire. For instance I considered voting for T.J. O'Hara as I knew that Obama had no chance of winning in Texas. It would not have mattered. In a "battle ground" state where a vote like that just might possibly matter and to keep an Obama from winning I would vote for the person most likely to defeat him. Voting as your conscience dictates can sometimes put one in a position similar to dealing with the BCS system in college football. The BCS system forces football fans to root for teams that they would normally never root for to achieve a desired outcome.

For instance, I do not think that Oregon belongs in the BCS championship game. I could be wrong there, lot of football left to be played, but right now they have just not had a tough enough schedule and their defense has been exposed. That being said, I felt myself forced to root for USC; a team I despise. I don't despise Oregon but was rooting for them to lose.
Same with the Oklahoma/Notre Dame match up. Never in my life would I think I would find myself rooting for the Sooners. Never. Notre Dame either for that matter, but to me it is important (as such things go) for Notre Dame to be kept out of the BCS championship game. Why? Other than the fact that I have never liked Notre Dame is the fact that they are just not a good enough team. Therefore I had to root for the Sooners.

What does college football and the BCS have to do with politics? Well sometimes you may have to vote against what you really want to keep what you really do not want from happening.

But that is your choice. Do as you will.