system
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human
CMV: No individual has the responsibility to vote for the “lesser” of two evils.

Election season is upon us, and in the Democratic primaries we’ve come down to a choice between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

Now this statement applies to everyone in regards to whomever you vote for, but in this instance I’m going to be talking about Bernie Sanders supporters.

As more and more of the establishment throws itself behind Biden, I hear more and more rhetoric about how regardless of who wins the primary we all should come together to support the party nominee.

Some people are very militant about this, and will blame their parties loss on voters who don’t turn out to throw their support behind the majority candidate. I’ve listened to this for 4 years as someone who didn’t vote in 2016, as if the reason Hillary lost was because me and these millions of other voters didn’t do our duty and go support her, and not the fact that her character and her policies didn’t appeal to me and millions of others.

I see the same sort of situation emerging in 2020 if Biden loses to Trump. I’ll hear a lot of rhetoric to the tune of, “If you didn’t vote you can’t complain,” and “The reason Trump is president is because of people like you.”

Politics shouldn’t be a zero sum game, and the fact we have only two parties basically turns our elections into a form of sports, where people are expected to support a team and a color, even if, or especially if your team’s policies don’t resonate with you.

I think there are more than enough reasons that I won’t vote for Joe Biden even if he gets the nomination as seems likely. Whether it’s my concerns for his mental health, my concerns about his touchiness, particularly with children, my concerns with his voting record particularly with things like the Iraq war, or Gay marriage, or my concerns with certain racial things he’s said.

Personall I feel as though I have enough reasons to conscientiously object to voting for Biden. Yet without a doubt someone will insinuate that I should plug my nose and go vote regardless of whether I find a candidate and his policies distasteful or not.

Imo it’s not my responsibility to vote just to push someone out of office. Instead, it’s my responsibility to vote for someone I feel represents myself.
gpt
Politics affects everyone and at the end of the day either the Republican nominee or the Democratic nominee will win the presidency. Conscientiously objecting doesn't do anything practical but make you feel better.