Much has been made about Hillary Clinton's struggles with the millennial vote as her campaign hasn't quite locked down voters under 35. Many of these so-called "millennials" feel burned (no pun intended) by the primary process, in which Clinton beat out millennial favorite Bernie Sanders, and have had a hard time coming around to Hillary. A recent New York Times/CBS poll shows that more than a third of voters age 18-29 said they would vote for a third party candidate, with Libertarian Gary Johnson getting 26% of that vote. Polling has also suggested Johnson is pulling more support from Clinton than Trump.
While I understand the hesitation toward Hillary Clinton, it is critical we remember the consequences of a protest vote. Many young voters, including myself, don't really remember the 2000 election. We know George W. Bush won the election, and some of us know Al Gore was his opponent. However, most of us don't remember Ralph Nader. Maybe you recognize the name, but do you recognize the impact?
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Ralph Nader is seen by a majority as being a "spoiler" in the Bush v Gore election. He was the Green Party nominee in 2000 and, much like Gary Johnson, had large appeal among young voters. The 2000 Election basically boils down to one state: Florida. In that state, Bush beat Gore by 537 votes, winning the state for the Republican and pushing him over the top in the electoral college.
It was a super close election, and here's where it gets juicy.
Ralph Nader won a little over 97,000 votes in the state of Florida. Critics argue that if Nader hadn't been so successful in that state, Gore would have had enough votes to win the presidency. It's easy to point fingers, and there are a hundred different reason Bush may have beaten Gore. However, it's hard to look at these numbers and not wonder "What if?".
I understand the morality of a "protest vote". I understand not liking either major party candidate and wanting to make your voice heard. But in an election as important as this one, it's really quite simple: A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Donald Trump. By all means, make your voice heard, but the fact is one of two people is going to be president and every vote absolutely counts.
