A conservative’s dilemma: Vote for Trump? Back Harris? Go 3rd-party? Skip the race? | Opinion
Right-of-center voters have been dealing with Donald Trump for more than nine years. As a third Election Day arrives with him as the Republican nominee, the relationship status for many remains: It’s complicated.
The vast majority of voters on the right love Trump. A much smaller group can’t stand him. And a few sway back and forth — turned off by the way his enemies pursue him but frustrated with his character flaws and rhetoric. Enamored of some policies and baffled by others. Concerned about his behavior but terrified by the Democratic alternative.
It’s decision time. And while this cohort might be small, in a close race, every vote could count. So, how might a conservative who’s not fully on board with Trump sort through the options at the ballot box?
CONSERVATIVES WHO WILL VOTE FOR KAMALA HARRIS
For some, the danger of another Trump term is too much. His unpredictability, his narcissism and the risk that he’ll indulge his authoritarian leanings make him an impossible choice.
Harris, they reason, is wrong on many things, but she’s wrong within normal parameters. And it’s a binary choice, so just saying “not Trump” is not enough. They have to actively take part in keeping him from the White House.
It would be one thing if Harris had reached out to these voters with any kind of substantial policy moderation. But other than a few vague reversals that she had to make if she wants to win, Harris has not persuaded many that she would govern as anything other than a progressive warrior.
For swing-state conservative voters with these concerns, the choice must be agonizing. For those in states destined to go one way or the other, though, how does it make sense to abandon your principles?
CONSERVATIVES WHO MIGHT VOTE THIRD PARTY
For a while, it looked like this could be a once-in-a-generation shot for someone who’s not a Republican or a Democrat. Trump vs. Joe Biden was the rematch everyone dreaded. And a member of one of the most famous families in politics was making a go of it as an independent.
But Robert F. Kennedy Jr. flopped, in part due to the difficulty of getting on the ballot in many states. He threw his lot in with Trump.
The Libertarian Party, long an option for conservatives looking to lodge a protest vote, has been in turmoil even beyond its usual fractiousness. Its nominee, Chase Oliver, has gone nowhere. The Green Party, of course, is to the left of Harris.
Conservatives who just can’t stomach Trump or Harris could go Libertarian on the notion of helping the party stay on the ballot by winning a minimum percentage. But that’s not a very satisfying way to vote.
SOME WON’T VOTE OR WILL SKIP PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Your vote is your voice, the tired cliche goes. But what if you want to say is: This just isn’t good enough?
That’s perfectly acceptable, or it should be. Some conservatives will skip the presidential race, sending the message that none of the above is a better deal than any of the listed candidates.
Some will stay home entirely. That’s a mistake; there are too many state and local offices at stake. But leaving the top of the ballot blank is a valid protest, even if it doesn’t make much difference.
BITE THE BULLET AND VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP
An appreciable share of conservatives who could talk your ear off telling you what’s wrong with Trump will nonetheless vote for him. Here’s how they’ll get there.
Harris would be a disaster for the economy, the border and America’s efforts to protect Israel and stand up to China, they figure. She would usher in far-left policies on abortion and gender policy. And given the chance, she and a Democratic Congress will set out to remake the country as a progressive utopia, packing the Supreme Court and usurping institutions such as the Electoral College to rig the game.
Trump will only have one term. He’ll nominate strong judges and, if his first term is any indication, his worst ideas will die due to his poor staffing choices, failure to focus and lack of attention to the details of governing.
Sometimes, when faced with a buffet full of choices you don’t like, take the one you can stand to choke down and move on.
The country will, too. We’ve survived a lot of bad or mediocre presidents; neither Trump nor Harris has the mettle to take America down, even when she’s unsteady or fragile, if we resolve not to let them. And if all else fails, we have elections every two years.
Nothing is permanent in American politics. Not even the anguish of right-leaning voters staring down the barrel of a second Trump decade.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 3:28 AM with the headline "A conservative’s dilemma: Vote for Trump? Back Harris? Go 3rd-party? Skip the race? | Opinion."
