Should a Catholic Vote For the Constitution Party?

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The real problem in voting for a 3rd party candidate that hasn’t a real chance of winning is that we siphon off votes from candidates close to what we support so that they lose votes which only helps the pro-death opposition.

And the death penalty, as has been discussed here over and over again is not intrinsically evil, as is abortion and euthanasia. For, although the Church desires that governments not employ the death penalty, the Church does support governments’ right to use it just as it always has, with discretion and taking into account viable alternatives.
 
Della said:
The real problem in voting for a 3rd party candidate that hasn’t a real chance of winning is that we siphon off votes from candidates close to what we support so that they lose votes which only helps the pro-death opposition.

And the death penalty, as has been discussed here over and over again is not intrinsically evil, as is abortion and euthanasia. For, although the Church desires that governments not employ the death penalty, the Church does support governments’ right to use it just as it always has, with discretion and taking into account viable alternatives.
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Oh okay thanks. I personally vote Republican generally because of the first reason you mentioned. A third party candidate has no real chance of winning but a Republican candidate does.
 
Holly3278 said:
Oh okay thanks. I personally vote Republican generally because of the first reason you mentioned. A third party candidate has no real chance of winning but a Republican candidate does.
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You’re welcome! And I do the same, although there are some 3rd party candidates that I like better–I don’t believe in wasting my vote as we try to turn over the abortion laws that have ruined millions of lives. I just wish these 3rd party pro-life candidates would either join the Republican Party (because it has a pro-life platform and the Democratic Party doesn’t) or not run.

Too many dedicated pro-lifers think they should “vote their conscience” and vote for a non-winnable 3rd party candidate even though the Church has not said that they need to do that. It’s frustrating when they just won’t see how they are throwing their votes away, and thinking that somehow they’re not liable because they soothed their conscience (translated: did what they wanted to do instead of what was actually the wisest thing to do). Jesus told us to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves, and that’s what I keep in mind when I vote.
 
since I live in a non-swing state, I have voted for constitution party candidates if a landslide (or large majority) victory is predicted for a certain candidate. I want to get the message to the Republican party that they need to be more pro-life.
I haven’t registered as a member of the Constitution Party, because I’m not convinced of their policies on immigration as of yet. That may change, though.

Here’s a good article on how third parties have been an influence throught our nation’s history: usgovinfo.about.com/cs/politicalsystem/a/thirdparties.htm
 
I am familiar with the Constitution Party and at one time supported their candidates. They do tend to be more pro-life than the major party alternatives; although, they are a bit more pro-death penalty than I like.

I am no longer in any way a supporter of them. Life under the Constitution Party would be like living in a Fundamentalist version of Saudi Arabia. Dhimmitude does not appeal to me.
 
Della,

Actually, a third party doesn’t need to win in order to influence things. The way things work in the US, the two main parties tend to drift away from the electorate. A third party comes along and touts the electorate’s platform; once the third party gets about 15 percent of the vote, the two main parties wake up and co-opt the third party’s platform. The third party withers away, but the platform (which mirrored the concerns of the electorate) gets implemented.

I am in a rather “safe” Republican district and intend to vote Libertarian … if they have changed their minds on abortion. Otherwise I will have to find some other way to show my displeasure.
  • Liberian
 
If the race is close and if someone votes for a third party, then they may be voting in the least desireable of the candidates.

Thus, for example, “protest votes” for Ross Perot resulted in the election of Bill Clinton, even though the “protest votes” definitely didn’t want Clinton to win.
 
Della said:
The real problem in voting for a 3rd party candidate that hasn’t a real chance of winning is that we siphon off votes from candidates close to what we support so that they lose votes which only helps the pro-death opposition.
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Exactly.
 
Al,

Yes … that’s why I specified that I am in a “safe” district.
  • Liberian
 
I would say that no one should vote for a party. One should vote for candidates. You should know about the candidates that are running and where they stand on the issues and then vote for them in regards to that.

I do not look at whether or not a candidate can win becuase if I took that into account then I should not even vote for anyone but Democrats that are running for Senate in my state (New York) because they have no hope of winning.
 
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