Red-Blue America: Perhaps, but ‘none of the above’ might be better

  It doesn’t feel like a good time to be a Democrat or a Republican, does it?
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the weakest candidates to come along in decades. Both bring to mind that great old song from “The Simpsons” about mediocre presidents. Much like Zachary Taylor, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore or Rutherford B. Hayes, these two are unlikely to ever wind up on our currency.The third-party candidates aren’t much better. But don’t believe the line, peddled by practically every Democratic or Republican partisan, that a vote for the Libertarian or the Green or the independent conservative is a vote for Trump or Hillary (whichever is worse in your view).You don’t owe the Republican or the Democrat your vote or anything else for that matter. Much like respect and an honest buck, a vote must be earned. Has Clinton earned your vote? Has Trump?One of them will win the presidency. But your vote isn’t necessary for their victory. A third party is a perfectly respectable way to go, especially if winning ranks low among your priorities. Failure is not only an option; it’s a certainty.Libertarians had high hopes for Gary Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld. Both men were successful during their tenures as Republican governors of Democratic states. They may score a technical victory with 5 percent of the popular vote, which would entitle the famously anti-government Libertarian Party to federal election funds in 2020.Evan McMullin, an independent, appears to be polling well in Utah at the moment. But when it comes down to it, his chances of winning that state or neighboring Idaho, thereby throwing the election to the House of Representatives - the sole rationale for his candidacy - is vanishingly small.And Green Party candidate Jill Stein is so far to the left that she is meeting Trump on the right. The other day, Stein said Trump would be a better choice than Clinton because Clinton is so in thrall to corporate interests.On second thought, it doesn’t feel like a good time to be a Libertarian, an independent or a Green, either. The most powerful vote in 2016 may be abstention. None of the above never looked so good. Ben Boychuk is managing editor of American Greatness. He can be reached at bboychuk3@att.net or.facebook.com/benandjoel. It doesn’t feel like a good time to be a Democrat or a Republican, does it?
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the weakest candidates to come along in decades. Both bring to mind that great old song from “The Simpsons” about mediocre presidents. Much like Zachary Taylor, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore or Rutherford B. Hayes, these two are unlikely to ever wind up on our currency.The third-party candidates aren’t much better. But don’t believe the line, peddled by practically every Democratic or Republican partisan, that a vote for the Libertarian or the Green or the independent conservative is a vote for Trump or Hillary (whichever is worse in your view).You don’t owe the Republican or the Democrat your vote or anything else for that matter. Much like respect and an honest buck, a vote must be earned. Has Clinton earned your vote? Has Trump?One of them will win the presidency. But your vote isn’t necessary for their victory. A third party is a perfectly respectable way to go, especially if winning ranks low among your priorities. Failure is not only an option; it’s a certainty.Libertarians had high hopes for Gary Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld. Both men were successful during their tenures as Republican governors of Democratic states. They may score a technical victory with 5 percent of the popular vote, which would entitle the famously anti-government Libertarian Party to federal election funds in 2020.Evan McMullin, an independent, appears to be polling well in Utah at the moment. But when it comes down to it, his chances of winning that state or neighboring Idaho, thereby throwing the election to the House of Representatives - the sole rationale for his candidacy - is vanishingly small.And Green Party candidate Jill Stein is so far to the left that she is meeting Trump on the right. The other day, Stein said Trump would be a better choice than Clinton because Clinton is so in thrall to corporate interests.On second thought, it doesn’t feel like a good time to be a Libertarian, an independent or a Green, either. The most powerful vote in 2016 may be abstention. None of the above never looked so good.Ben Boychuk is managing editor of American Greatness. He can be reached at bboychuk3@att.net or.facebook.com/benandjoel.