I'm with Rebel in agreeing that a vote cannot be "wasted" That's short-sighted thinking, and it assumes you know more than someone who votes, for example, for Nader.

If you truly believe in Nader as a president, regardless of whether or not they can actually win, then your vote is not wasted. People get so caught up in this thing of one side versus another. I certainly would never tell anyone their vote is wasted if they vote for Nader, and that they should just vote D or R. That's not the Democratic thing to do.

A Republican friend of mine at work said he voted for Perot in 1992 because he believed Perot could win and would be a good president. But after that, he said he'd never vote for someone that couldn't win again, and that he only wants to vote for winners (though he is certainly most likely to vote R than D in just about all cases). How short-sighted is that? There's a mentality out there that if you vote for someone and they don't become president, you're a loser in some way. I've gotten this from other people too, and polls show a significant number of people like to know they voted for a guy that eventually became preisdent. Maybe it feels like you helped someone become president when you happen to vote for the winner, but I don't believe that personally.

I vote based on who I honestly believe would be good for the country, because that's how I understand the voting process, mentality and intent of a Democracy. Hell I may even use the write-in candidate line this time. How's that for your wasted vote?

EDIT: There is some argument to be made about voting for the lesser evil, like what happened in France with their last election (the only other option they had besides Shirac was the French Hitler). However I'm glad to say I don't think we've fallen so far as they have.