Is Voting By One's Conscience Really a Wasted Vote?

Sometimes the candidates representing the two main parties do not have what it takes.  Something as all-important as casting one's vote in a presidential election should not need to be based on choosing between the lesser of two evils.  However, there is the point of view that casting a vote for a third-party candidate or an independent candidate amounts to "wasting one's vote."  While this is what I was told during the 2008 election season after voting for Ralph Nader, the 2012 options do not look much better.

 

In my opinion, B. Obama was not an option from Day One.  First, he made a big deal about speaking for the Middle Class while he was clueless about the Middle Class.  His ideas for health care, and the continued worsening of the economy, are only two examples.  Second, as his vote-getting agenda had his race as its focus, he showed himself as the type of candidate who would exploit anything in order to gain votes.  In recent months, he has taken a different angle on the same ploy.  

 

Barack Obama has two strikes against him when it comes to the war.  One is he has no personal stake in it.  The other is he is not really old enough to remember Vietnam.  When you put those two points together, you have someone who has no business being Commander-in-Chief of the United States military.  Anyone who has followed his promises during the last few months should be able to see he has no concern about ending the war in terms of getting all American troops out.  Instead, he is doing nothing but tossing out bits and pieces of hope--  not only to American people in general, but especially to military personnel and their families--  for the purpose of gaining voter support.  

 

From the looks of the Republican candidates so far, it is also "no, no, a thousand times no!"  

 

For those of us who take voting seriously, what option is left but to cast the vote for an independent or third-party candidate?  While candidates in these groups stand only a very small chance, it it better than none.  It is also better than voting against one's conscience by trying to elect those who cannot do the job.