Stop Me Before I Vote Again

Should I vote for president in November?

1. My vote for president won't matter....

This line of reasoning raises several interesting questions, but the one that seems most interesting to me is the question of what collateral damage one might do by voting for a Democrat.

JL poses the question in terms of "voting for President." But suppose we pose it in terms of "voting for the Democratic Party," or even "contributing to the continued existence, in its present form, of the Democratic Party" -- because that's what, I argue, every vote for a Democrat does.

Thought experiment: If you could push a button and make the Democratic Party disappear -- would you? I would. I think we'd be better off, frankly, in a one-party state with primaries than a two-party duopoly with runoff elections -- which is what we have now. At least there'd be fewer hurdles to jump.

I dunno whether JL would push the button as cheerfully as I would, or whether he would push it at all. But perhaps posing the question helps clarify our thinking. If you wouldn't push the button -- why not? What useful purpose do you think the continued existence of the Democratic Party serves?

And if you would push the button -- then how can you justify pulling the lever?