Our electoral system is trash, designed in a way that disproportionately favors groups willing to compromise and coalesce behind a single candidate. If we split the vote by voting our conscience while the “other side” consolidates behind a single candidate, we’re at a serious disadvantage. The core issue is how the public is ignorant, or worse, misinformed and confident (made easier by ignorance). This is a failure of our education system, a system that’s been declining for decades. Not a lot I can do, I was born into this.

As just one cog in the machine, my power is limited. If I see a close race between two candidates, with others trailing far behind, I’m compelled to compromise for what I believe is the better outcome. If you prioritize supporting a third party, or if you genuinely see both leading candidates as equally shit, then by all means, vote third party. We all have our priorities. However, I do resent being judged for making pragmatic compromises to cause some change, as mild as it may be.