Suppose that I find someone on the “other side” who I can trust -- a friend who I’m always arguing with over political disagreements but at the end of the day we have loyalty towards each other. And in the next election, we decide that neither of us are going to vote. Since our two votes are going to cancel each other out anyway, we both go out to lunch while all those other chumps stand in line at the polling stations. Because we trust each other, we both know that the other won’t secretly vote while the other isn’t looking. What do you think?
“It’s a great idea! Good for you!”
I agree. We are both reasonable people who appreciate creative ideas.
“That’s terrible! You should vote!”
You are probably a Democratic Fundamentalist. You support the Democratic ritual beyond the point at which it is actually making a difference.
“That’s terrible! You’re giving a third party an unfair advantage!”
You are probably a Rationalizing Democratic Fundamentalist. You’re a Democratic Fundamentalist in denial. You make up reasons for why you’re actually supporting productive behavior, not democratic fundamentalism, so you latch onto something true in principle but tiny in magnitude.
So does anyone want to have coffee at Starbucks next election day?
