What would you do if you didn't like either one of the Presidential candidates?

United States
October 3, 2008 6:03pm CST
Let's pretend for a minute that you don't like either one of the Presidential candidates. What would you do? Not vote? Could you vote for a write in candidate in the 2008 US Presidential election? People used to do that kind of thing all the time. Guess it would work better in a local election, not a Presidential race. What do you think?Are they going to have anyone running on an Independent ticket, this year?
6 people like this
24 responses
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
3 Oct 08
I'm not a big fan of either candidate, but I consider McCain head and shoulders above any alternative. I'll give you a run down on your third party options. Ralph Nader (independant): Left wing extremist. most people already know what he stands for I hope. Cynthia McKinney (Green Party): Far beyond left wing extremism. Former congresswoman who pushed legislation to use taxpayer dollars to educate the public about Tupac Shakur. Attacked a police officer for stopping her when she entered a restricted area without proper ID. Recently claimed that the government killed off 5000 prisoners and dumped them in the swamp during Hurricane Katrina. Bob Barr (Libertarian Party): Right wing extremist, former congressman. Left the republican party because Bush and Cheney were too liberal for him. Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party): Bizarre extremist who thinks women should not be allowed in the military, the south was right in the civil war, and despises Martin Luther King Jr.
2 people like this
• United States
3 Oct 08
So McCain is definitly the lesser of all the evils... wow! Tupac Shakur?? She really felt the world needed to be educated about Tupac? Wow!
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
3 Oct 08
The woman is a flat out nutcase. Her most recent accusations have led news pundits to begin questioning her mental health. Despite that, I should point out she has more experience than Obama. Not that any of that changes how deluded she is.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Oct 08
Whoa, that's pretty scary. Interesting information. I have no clue who the other candidates are and I don't think I'll be voting. I'm actually surprised that someone made this topic because I had been wondering the same thing lol. I'm afraid to vote because I don't know who to trust. I'm scared to vote for someone who ends up screwing things up because I'll feel responsible lol.
@pam210 (344)
• United States
4 Oct 08
Well I'm not thrilled with either canidate but I think you have to pick the best choice. You could write in a canidate or vote for someone on an independent ticket but that would just be wasting your vote. I think if you beleive in the voting process then the people have made their choice, the field has been narrowed down to two and you have a choice between the two. Remember a year ago - how many people were in the race then. The two that are left made it through. That's just how I feel and I will vote this year for the one canidate I dislike the least.
2 people like this
@oneidmnster (1385)
• United States
3 Oct 08
I think the only reason anyone would admit to liking either one these candidates,is strictly doing it along party lines. Right now,I'm leaning towards McCain,only because I think he would probably screw the country up less.I wish there was a third party or an Independent worth voting for.
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
3 Oct 08
This has been my problem every year. It's like voting for the lesser of 2 evils. Especially the last election where your choices were Bush and Chaney for a 2nd term, or John Kerry and John Edwards... both idiots!! That was a difficult election because I knew Bush wasn't helping our nation, but I really didn't think Kerry and Edwards were going to either. I was really hoping Rudolph Giulliani would have stayed in the race this year. I would have been behind him 100%.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Oct 08
Kerry was scary! And, disturbing revelations have come out about Edwards personal life since then. Bush/Cheney were no better. But, what choice did we all have?
• United States
4 Oct 08
Same here! But, I won't say which one. Another friend on Mylot is getting harassed over her political views. So, I'll keep my political opinions close to the vest this year!
• United States
4 Oct 08
yes, exactly... it's the lesser of 2 evils.. and same thing this year. I'm not crazy about either of the candidates.. but one scares me more than the other.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
3 Oct 08
If I didn't like either candidate I would have to look at the whole picture and vote for the ticket that I felt would do the least amount of harm. I believe that casting your vote for a third party independent is a waste of time unless there is some chance of that that person could win. Ron Paul supporters will say that the media ignored him and killed his campaign, and I believe they did ignore him, but he could have done more to raise money and stir up the interest and support that would have brought the media around. I don't know about all of his supporters but the ones I know personally weren't willing to part with any of their money to help support his campaign, all the while griping about the media. Contrary to the poster who may still be directly above me, I don't vote the party. I have voted Republican and Democrat...I even voted for Ralph Nadar back in 1970something when I believed he had a chance. I started out liking McCain. So did my husband who is a Vietnam vet. As time went by we became more concerned, then undecided and recently we switched our support to Obama.
2 people like this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
3 Oct 08
There is an Independent candidate this year, although I can't remember the woman's name. If I didn't klike either candidate from the Dems or the Repubs I would probaly vote for any other candidate that was on the ballot. If there was no other choice, I'd just skip that part of the ballot and move on to whatever else was there to vote on
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Oct 08
Was it that woman who wanted to educate the public about Tupac?
• United States
4 Oct 08
Fwidman... read the #7 response... she sounds Psycho to me.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
4 Oct 08
That I don't know. She is the nominee for the Green Party this year. Her name is Cynthia McKinney. Here's a link to their website http://www.gp.org/index.php
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Oct 08
Are you kidding??? I do not have to pretend. So as I hate to waste a vote by nor voting I shall just vote for the lesser of the two evils!!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
4 Oct 08
I am not American, but I do know there are third party candidates. I know one of them is Ralph Nader, and I know there is the Libertarian party, but I do not know who else is running. The trouble is that if you vote for a third party candidate, often the Presidential candidate that you do not like gets in. So the best thing to do is to look at all the issues and votes for the one who has the same values as your second choice. I think there is an Independent running and if whoever wins the Presidency does not matter, I would say vote for a third candidate, but if your view is if X gets to be President the country is ruined, or if Y gets to be President, the country is ruined then better to vote for one of the leaders of the two Major parties even if they are not what you would prefer.
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
4 Oct 08
Third party, duh. The reason why it doesn't work in Presidential elections, is because too many people don't think it could work and think voting's like betting -- you have to pick the winning team. Ridiculous, of course.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
4 Oct 08
I'd choose one of the others (and probably am), there's 6 on most state ballots. I saw someone give you a libertarian link, here's another you can look at. Chick Baldwin of the Constitution party. Ron Paul has even endorsed him in the race. I wish ron was still running though, he was probably the best of the bunch. It's only a "2 party system" because we made it so. We continualy support the 2 big box parties and cintinuously expect different results...we don't DEMANDmore media coverage of other candidates. We don't do anything to get other candidates on the ballots in our states. Do you know the requirements in your state to get a candidate on the ballot there? You should. there are 75 or so parties through out this country. We don't need just 2 and if the events of the last few weeks haven't convinced people of that, then we're doomed as a nation. Here, check out Baldwin's campaign, heis on the ballot in most states,if he isn't and you like him, write him in. http://www.baldwin08.com/
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Oct 08
I'll check it out. Thanks!
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
4 Oct 08
Hello beauty queen. If I don't like either of the candidates, I would not vote. I would also try to vote for a third person out of the candidates, whom I think is more talented. Happy voting, beauty queen.
1 person likes this
• China
4 Oct 08
It is ok, friend. Take your time for it. It is very important for the citizens of a country to have a gorgeous president who makes his country a better one without letting his people suffer from any loss either financially or in some other aspects. I wish you good luck and also wish you to make a right choice after some careful consideration. Best regards to you.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Oct 08
Thank you, my friend! I will take my time and consider all options carefully. Have a lovely day.
• United States
4 Oct 08
Thank you for your comments. I'm also very undecided.
• United States
4 Oct 08
Vote for a third party candidate. There are more then two people running for president.
1 person likes this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
4 Oct 08
Not vote. I live in Canada and we are having our elections now too, and I don't like any of the four parties running. I don't trust any of them and just have no use for any of them. So I am not going to be voting this election. I feel bad about that since I have been voting for 33 years and the will be the first time I am not voting. But I rather not vote at all so they get the true count of the people that voted that really wanted that candidate.
1 person likes this
@mscott (1923)
• United States
4 Oct 08
I hink this is the actually case for many people this year. I don't think they like either. i think a ot of people are voting for one because they blame Bush for everything and it is a carry over. I am still not sure what I will do as I don't want either one. I think we are going to be screwed either way for the next four years.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Oct 08
I'm feeling the same way too!
• United States
4 Oct 08
Bill the Cat for president! - I've been reduced to voting for my favorite candidates, Bill the Cat and Opus, again this year. I think the entire economic crisis could have been averted if Hilary, Obama, and McCain had not wasted so much on the primary! I'm really disappointed in the two-party system and the fact that you need to be ridiculously wealthy to run this country...all that money proves is that you have more than you need, NOT that you can run a country!
I really DON'T like either candidate (heck, one of them is going to die in the next term IMHO) and the only candidate that I DID like quit the race before Super Tuesday, so I guess I'm back to voting for my write-in candidates...Bill the Cat for President and Opus for Vice-President.
@AmbiePam (85982)
• United States
6 Oct 08
If I didn't like either Presidential candidate, I would vote for what I would term the lesser of the two evils. I will always use my right to vote. Women took so long to get this privilege. There are some things we could find to compare the candidates with that may meet a few of our standards, I'm sure. So I would vote no matter what.
• United States
5 Oct 08
For the primaries I had to vote my party and I do not like my candidate of my party. So I wrote in someone else. Now if I did not like one of the candidates I may vote for mickey mouse of someone like that.
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
4 Oct 08
Who's pretending? Do we really want Palin being one breath away from being president? And as for O'bama? well enuf said. Yes, I will vote, and I'm seriously thinking of voting for a write in........ROBIN WILLIAMS FOR PRESIDENT! The way I have always seen it is, if you don't vote then you have no right to complain about what the President is doing or not doing. If you do vote then you have that right.
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
4 Oct 08
I think we should all vote here and elect a president for Mylot then this will be the only one we answer too..lol..
• United States
4 Oct 08
Awesome idea!
@my2boys (821)
• United States
4 Oct 08
I do not like either one of the presidental candidates this year. I dislike them both equally but since one of them is going to win anyway I am voting for the one with the best VP. Or at least the one that I think has the best VP. Have a nice day.