cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16451158
this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2026
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votes third party
No not like that
Seriously though, I think it's important to confront and admit that voting for the lesser evil does legitimize the evil they do, even if the greater evil does it worse. Because critically digesting both that fact alongside the fact that voting for the lesser evil really does result in better outcomes for society is what will actually get the hesitant on board with going and doing it. If you try to dismiss or handwave that fact, you are dismissing and handwaving the very real concerns of the disillusioned non-participants. Acknowledging the dissonance is far better.
I think it's also important to point out that while direct action and social organizing are the most effective things things you can do to change society, they are incredibly time consuming while voting usually takes 5 - 30 minutes. And if you're actually interested in the former, there's little to no excuse to avoid the latter.
Just whatever you do, don't shame people for being disillusioned. That makes people really dig in their heels.
Is this outcome today from everyone supporting third parties over and over, or from everyone voting lesser evil over and over?
Its from more people voting on the right than people voting on the left.
And how does voting green alter that dicotomy for the better.
It wastes your vote.
Begging the question
What is the spoiler effect?
The only people in favor of the spoiler effect want Republicans to win.
Nobody is in favor of it because it causes the republicans to win. But it exists whether you acknowledge it or not, third party votes in generals are votes for republicans in most cases.
If we restrict the answer to just electoralism, I'd say it's because more people are voting greater evil than lesser evil and OP's image explains why.
Not when the Lesser Evil gets progressively more evil over time to try and pull votes from the Greater Evil camp. They have no incentive to implement any policies you're in favor of as long as they have your guaranteed support. If the next Democrat promises to be as worthless as the last one, don't vote for them.
It actually does, even considering that. That's just how bad the greater evil party is. There's a lot of space for the lesser evil party in their wake. But yes it does get worse overall either way. That's why while voting is important, you really should be doing something beyond that as well, if you really care. And if you really care enough to do something beyond that, voting is trivial for you to do.
Not in the long run. "Vote blue no matter who" is how we end up in 2036, with the republican on the ballot promising to execute all trans people, and the democrat promising to merely jail them.
Agreed, not in the long run. Voting is like stop the bleed on a traumatic injury. It'll keep you alive in the short term so you can get more comprehensive care.
So if you know that it's harmful in the long term, then when will you stop voting for the lesser evil?
When the organizing and fighting that that you do beyond voting finally pays off. Like back to the analogy, if a wound is all dressed and banaged and healing, you no longer have to worry about stop the bleed.
Realisticay though, for the rest of your life. Because these are very large social moves that typically happen over generations. Unless you're the next Che Guavara or something. In which case hell yeah go you.
Honestly ranked choice voting can help somewhat
Ranked choice voting is way overdue