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Society & Culture
David French
2016 Election

“Conservative columnist David French announced Sunday he decided not to run for president as an independent candidate.”

Discussion

Mon, 06/06/16

Guess I’ll write him in then.

The weekend provided yet another pile of reasons to not nominate DT, much less elect him.

Yes, a write-in vote (if hundreds of thousands do likewise) indirectly helps elect the theoretically worst candidate. Yes, the real results of what we do are part of the equation when voting one’s conscience. But no, an indirect consequence is not necessarily the moral equivalent of a direct one. If some criminal kidnaps you and your best friend and then says to you “Would you like your best friend to be killed by gunshot or stabbing,” what do you do? Arguably, assuming the criminal is a good shot, it’s probably better for your friend to get the bullet. Less suffering. Probably. But if you insist that you’re not in favor of the murder of your friend, are you really responsible for your friend getting the knife?

I’m not going to vote for America’s destruction, even if my protest does have the indirect consequence of getting the nation knifed to death rather than shot.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Tue, 06/07/16

If pleasing God with your vote is not important to you, then just vote for evil, even though it is less evil than you might have voted for. Spurgeon: “When the choice is between two evils, vote neither.” If your choice is to be consistent with your faith, maybe a write-in won’t change the outcome of the election, but it might testify to the consistency of your convictions.

Wed, 06/08/16

The trouble is that most States do not allow a person to write in anyone’s name who is not accredited to be on the ballot. This is the prevent “comic votes,” such as “for Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck.” Unless your candidate has registered to be on the ballot, a write-in vote will not be counted. So, it is for the ones on the ballot, or it is not a vote.