Nathan Newman:
> There is another way to make your vote count, which is what folks do on
> this list continually. Announce it ahead of time and thereby induce
> others to do the same by exhortation and example. This is what
> endorsements are all about- a person other people respect announces their
> vote for a candidate, therby encouraging others to follow their example.
> ...
If what matters is the announcement and the exhortation, than the voting itself is clearly superfluous.
Furthermore, if we are speaking of political activity besides voting, such as exhorting others to vote, there is no reason to confine our exhortations to the matter of voting or to indeed to confine our political activity to exhortation. A world of opportunity opens up.
All this being the case, there is no point whatever in going to the polls to vote for a classist, imperialist, racist, drug-warrior, capitalism-sucking, police-state party or candidate -- unless, of course, that's what floats your boat. I won't hold voting against anyone, because a vote _for_ is of as vanishingly small importance as a vote _against_; and the time, energy, sadism and superstition used to cast a ballot for a major party might more harmfully be put into kicking a dog.
I do exhort you, however, to consider what it means to _you_ to sign on to the regime of someone who is willing to kill and imprison harmless people for political gain, knowing full well that they are harmless and that what he does is cruel, unjust, and destructive. If -- _pace_ our many Realpolitikers here -- I may wax moralistic for a moment.