I'm in NYC looking to get to Boston. My bus options are either Chicago or Los Angeles. I'd rather walk, thanks. Or maybe look for an alternative mode of transportation.
I'm in NYC looking to get to Boston. My bus options are either Chicago or Los Angeles. I'd rather walk, thanks. Or maybe look for an alternative mode of transportation.
This completely discounts that not voting/voting 3rd party is a political decision with its own set of (incredibly minute, as with voting) consequences and implications. Let's acknowledge that one's vote has no consequence in the outcome of an election and the actual, small influence is in amplifying or invalidating different political messages, movements, and ideals.
So, yes, you're going to L.A. or Chicago no matter what. Your vote has no bearing on this. You can decide to do a selfie that says "Well this sucks, but Chicago is better than L.A. C'mon guys let's work and try for Chicago," or you can post a selfie where you've written FUCK THIS on your forehead and encourage people not to validate this kidnap-and-bus process with participation.
Has not voting/voting third party ever been interpreted as that? Look at 2016 -- all the takes from the mainstream or the Democratic establishment were "those folks helped put Trump in the White House." It doesn't matter whether that's the reality of it; if you're trying to send a message, whether you're successful depends on how the message was received.
I think that strategy could work if we had (1) coordination of votes, (2) enough people on board to make it matter, and (3) a unified leftist messaging apparatus that said "this is what we're intending to accomplish and why we've chosen to do this." But I don't see any of that except maybe (2).