I wrote in an earlier post on Ralph Nader that I planned to vote Green this year, as I have so often in the past. However, today I changed my mind and decided to vote for Obama on Election Day. I don't fault my original reasoning for voting Green. I live in New York State, which is reliably Democratic in presidential elections. It's near impossible for Obama not to win New York, and with our ridiculous way of creating winners, Obama doesn't need the popular vote to be president, as so clearly shown from the 2000 election.
But I've decided based on what I'm hearing and reading that there's an actual chance this year that Obama will win the electoral vote and Romney the popular vote. In the scheme of things I'd take that win, so long as a Republican is not in the White House. Nonetheless, a popular vote win is quite important in giving the president legitimacy. I would like to see the Green Party grow, and how it polls in federal elections decides whether it gets on the debate stage and increases its share of federal dollars in the next general election. Another year, perhaps.
Just in case I persuaded anyone out there, in New York State and other reliably blue states to vote Green, I suggest that you join me in voting for Obama. If he wins he'll need the popular vote to govern with legitimacy. Does anyone, even Republicans if they're honest with themselves, believe that Bush was a legitimate winner? I doubt it!
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