In an op ed recently published on his web site, Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights debunks the practice of voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Wrights says that anyone who does this not only betrays their principles, but also abandons all hope of ever having government that respects and defends liberty.
“When you vote for a candidate who doesn’t represent your views in order to stop another candidate who doesn’t represent your views, you end up with a government that not only doesn’t represent you views, but is run by people who have no incentive or motivation to even consider what you might think,” he writes. “If you maintain you’re choosing to support one evil in order to avoid a greater evil, you’re basically admitting there is no evil you would not support in the interest of a ‘greater’ good.”
In a related op ed, Wrights comments on the recent endorsement of President Obama’s reelection made by the Communist Party USA chair. Wrights called this a classic example of a third party leader advocating a position that will insure his party never becomes a viable political force.
