Spoiling for a Fight

Sam's Blog makes a good case for third party voting and argues that such votes clearly affect the major parties: "if you vote with your convictions, even if your candidate does not win, the major parties attempt to gain your vote for the next election by adopting your principles." This is not always true however. It is just as likely that before the next election the duopoly parties in a given locale will tighten restrictions on ballot access, or make a greater effort in opposing the petitions of third party candidates to get onto the ballot. Examples abound. Libertarian Party candidate Eric Sundwall was forcibly excluded from the ballot in the recent special election in the 20th CD in New York, while South Carolina is working on bipartisan legislation that would make such efforts unnecessary ("If passed, two bills in the Legislature would reinforce a two-party system in a state with a strong tradition of supporting independent and third-party candidates.")

Nonetheless, Sam's point is well taken and indicates a tension inherent to duopolist ideology. In arguing against a third party vote, it is often maintained that to vote outside the two-party system is to waste a vote to no effect, and that voting for a third party could spoil the entire election.