Voting for lesser of two evils won't change U.S. politics

Editor,

This letter is in response to Kyle Farris' letter in Tuesday's edition of the Daily Lobo. The problem with young voters, and voters in general, is not everyone who is eligible to vote does, and voters accept the two-party system by voting for the lesser of the two evils.

News flash: You're still voting for evil, and that doesn't make it right. It is inconceivable to me that so many people use the excuse that any third-party candidate is never going to win and any vote for that candidate is a waste. You're right, because with that sort of mentality, no other party exists, and there will never be real change.

There's not really a big difference between the Democrats and Republicans. John

McCain is a man who has openly said he votes with Bush 90 percent of the time. He was even once coined as one of the most liberal Republicans. And Barack Obama doesn't have all that much experience, spending less than four years as a senator. Both are influenced by corporations and base their political agendas on professional, personal and hidden monetary ties to lobbyists. Sarah Palin's husband works as an oil field worker. No wife in her right mind would stand up to big oil companies, as she claims she has, knowing in the long run it could cost her husband his job. I'm not even going to start on Joe Biden and his ties with the credit card industry.

These aren't platforms of any sort of change in my book. I'm voting for Ralph Nader in November. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm throwing my vote away. He's polling at 8 percent in New Mexico with very little media access and a limited campaign. That's impressive. I don't care if no one believes Nader has a chance at winning. The only reason, in my opinion, why no one lets Nader debate is because Nader would wipe the floor with Obama, McCain and his lipstick-wearing pit bull of a veep.

Don't not vote for someone because the media don't give the third-party candidate equal access. Don't not vote for someone under the assumption that a candidate has no shot in hell. If you do, you're voting only out of fear. Your vote is your only voice, and if you truly believe the two-party system doesn't work for you, vote against it. Believe it or not, not only do you have the right to vote, but you also have the right to not be influenced by our laughable excuse of the watchdog media. What a ridiculous notion to be opposed to something or someone and still vote with it in the larger scheme of things. In my personal opinion, that's ignorance at its finest.

Lila Sanchez

UNM alumna