First, it's pains me to say this, but it's the unfortunate reality of politics in America... Barring the winner of the next election dying before being sworn in, the absolute reality is, that on inauguration day this January there are only 2 possible outcomes.. Either Barack Obama will be sworn in for a second term as President of the United States, or Mitt Romney will be sworn in and become America's 45th President. That's it folks... There is nothing anyone can say or do to change that reality... NOTHING.
On election day, I know from experience that there is nothing more righteous, or more honorable, than going to the polls and casting a vote of principal and conscience, for the candidate you truly believe in your heart, is the best and most qualified person to be President of the United States. I admire those who stand by their principals by voting for the person they truly believe in. It's a noble thing to do.
Unfortunately though, for a small but growing segment of Americans that do this in support of a 3rd party candidate, it comes at a cost. In doing so, a person surrenders their influence and effectively has no say in who will lead the country. In reality, it means that their votes truly won't count, and their efforts end up contributing absolutely nothing to the process of electing a president. Understandably, that's a price they are more than willing to pay for standing by their convictions and beliefs, but there's another very important cost that I hope you all will give serious consideration to before you vote... It's what it could cost the country and every single one of us, if the wrong person wins the election.
In a perfect world, a person should always cast their vote for the person they feel is best for the job without exception... But the world, including this country, are far from perfect and given how close we find ourselves to the edge of that ever looming financial cliff that we're currently on, it wouldn't take many steps in the wrong direction for us to go over the edge. I truly believe for the first time in my life, that a real potential exists, that the American economy could collapse due to mistakes, errors in judgment, or incorrect actions possibly taken by our president in the coming 4 years.
Understand, I'm not saying this will happen, nor do I believe it's likely to happen, I just believe that the possibility of the economy tanking due to presidential mis-steps now exists, which for me raises the importance of who we elect. If you believe as I do, that the country is in trouble, and how the economy is handled over the next 4 years is of great importance, I strongly urge you to take part in deciding which candidate would serve the country's best interests, by casting a vote that's capable of effecting the outcome of the coming election.
Even if you can't stand Barack Obama or Mitt Romney and believe that electing either would be a disaster, for the sake of the country, I hope you will hold your nose and cast your vote for the one you believe to be the better choice of the two... Because casting a vote for anyone else, is no different than if you had just stayed home, and this election is far to important to do that.
There's a lot riding on this election, so I really hope that those of you who had planned to vote for a 3rd party candidate, would please reconsider that decision... There's just too much to lose here.
Thanks.