Nader Support and Cognitive Dissonance: Is there a logical explanation?

[tedoll78]

I don't get it. And it happens pretty often.

A supporter of Candidate X, who didn't get the nomination, states that he/she will vote for Nader because the nominee isn't good enough on some issue or another.

I ask the supporter: "Do you trust Candidate X?"

The Supporter: "Oh yes, very much so. He's so intelligent, articluate, etc.. I trust him completely."

Me: "You do know that Candidate X is pleading that you vote for the Democrat in November, correct?"

Supporter: "Yeah.."

Me: "Why does your trust in Candidate X break-down regarding this?"

Supporter: "..."

*snip*

Why the logical breakdown there? Does emotion take-over? I've asked it several times of several folks, but still no answer is given..

[aquart]

1. It's a religious issue.

They came to worship, not to vote.

And I have NO patience with it. Or with Ralph Nader, for whom I wish that the evil he has done come back to him from every place it has gone, from every one it has harmed.

[GreenArrow]

4. if they came to worship

they'd follow their cult-leaders wishes, wouldn't they?

It'll certainly be fascinating to look back on this in say, 10 years time.

[TiredTexan]

2. This scares me so

much because so much is at stake. People fiddling while Rome burns. While Bush adds gasoline.

I was a Deaniac, and switched to Edwards when he dropped out.

Now, it's 100% Kerry. I may not agree with him all the time, but he's 90% and Bush is 2%. Darth Nader is not an option.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. Try and stay with me on this

I will slow it down so that despite your support for the putative nominee, you may understand. Most supporters of candidate(s) "X" did so because they took a look at the putative nominee some twelve months ago, and thought to themselves " this guy can't win. Worse, I don't like his patrician , haughty wooden style, and his stiffness would creep out a zombie. Maybe there's another candidate who would better represent my views and comfort level of what I think it will take to beat the 'oft-mis-underestimated W'." Thus after a long search and examination of the issues, a candidate is found.

Said candidate(s) represent SUCH a threat to the establishment. What follows is obvious.

It is perplexing to supporters of the candidates why you failed to understand the only one who is familiar to the Rove machine, and what they are comfortable running against, is the one you support.

So when you ask, it's just such an alternate universe question, there's just no reply available. Except, "uh, because I'm not a robot?"

You see, the supporters of these candidates, they are outside the herd, they don't take orders , they didn't agree with the premise of the putative nominee in the first place, so they are left ostensibly , with no answer and nothing they say can explain this sufficiently to a putative nominee partisan.

Then there's the rest of us, who are voting for the ham sandwich.

[tedoll78]

7. Okay..

It's not an alternative universe question; it's quite legit.

I've heard many people claim that Candidate X is basically the reinvention of American politics (hell, I've been one of those people), and then they ignore him/her when s/he recommends the Nominee. Spare me the emotion, the snide insults, the smarmy platitudes.. I'm asking a legit, straight-faced, serious question. And I mean no insult by that question.

[DieboldMustDie]

5. We have 8 months to persuade them to switch.

We have to get them to realize just how horrible a second Bush term would be.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. For some people the principle is inherent in WHO and WHAT

they are voting for and what they stand for. If that person does not match enough of their stands to a tee, then it is an integrity issue for them to offer their vote even if it means that the person who is completely and totally the opposite of all their stands wins.
Get it?

[tedoll78]

8. Is it reasonable to conclude then..

that when a person says "I completely trust Candidate X", they're not totally honest (or exaggerating)? Or is there an asterisk by that statement, as if to denote, "I trust him/her, but not on that."

If this is the case, does the Candidate's statement on the topic weigh anything at all in the upset voters' minds? I know I'm asking for a generalization (and that I'm guilty of oversimplifying the issue myself), but I'm trying to get this. There is a definite break in the logic there. Again, it's not an insult to anyone.. just an observation.

As an example, I was a big-time Deaniac. Gave money when I was eating Ramen daily and unemployed. Walked door-to-door. Bought and wore the hell outta that Dean For Texas t-shirt. Flyered.
I know and hang-out with others who were also big-time Deaniacs. The night of his dropping-out was a horrible night; we all watched the speech together at a friend's house. Here's how it went basically:

(Dean talking on TV)

Friend: This is a damn shame. Why?

{The other friends agree, making similar comments.}

(Dean moves-on to complement the person who would eventually become the nominee)

Another Friend: Wow.. see? He's a real class act! America's not worthy of such a good man!

(Again, general agreement and similar comments.)

(Dean then urges that his supporters vote for the Nominee in November.)

Friend: Umm.. no.

Me: But Dean is asking you to..

Friend: No can do.

*snip*

(I'm trying to get into the mind of the Nader voter. I thank you for the insight, BTW.)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. Because Dean and Nader (and I am NOT picking on them)

so inspire people by pointing out everything that is wrong with the other candidates, that it LEAVES people feeling that they are now NOT standing for ANYTHING if they don't continue with the mission. They CREATED the notion that it was all or nothing...and ALL and NOTHING are two sides of the same coin. Dean and Nader have no power over the paradigm they unleash when they do that.

Nobody ever handed you half a quarter, did they?

[tedoll78]

11. I think I get it a bit more now.

As an example again, the disappointment is with Dean himself? Which means that the voter's trust is broken, and Dean's pleading for Dem votes is weakened in effect?

That makes more sense. It wouldn't be cognitive dissonance if the supporter, as a result of their Candidate basically selling-out to the "ham sandwich," loses faith in that Candidate but is still wistful for the days of when he/she had faith in that Candidate.

I'm getting it more, I think. Sincere thanks; you've explained it quite well.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Actually the disappointment is with the lost dream

not with Dean. Dean created a vision for people and he can't now ask them to vote for exactly what he portrayed in his campaign as being COUNTER to people's vision.

It's like saying please vote to pierce your own eyes with needles...

(and I am not saying this is true for all people who supported him, simply for the ones that fit the profile you describe)

If I am in an ice cream shop and the guy tells me that ONLY strawberry is good, chocolate and vanilla suck ass and will kill me if I eat them...then I willingly order the strawberry and he comes back and says,"We're out!" DO I eat the chocolate and vanilla he said would conribute to my demise? Or do I pass on the ice cream?

[Guaranteed]

10. You've got it all wrong.

I don't TRUST Kerry. I can't RELY on Kerry. Kerry KNEW for three years what the Bush administration was doing, and refused to stand up to them. He's not a LEADER. It's not that he's "not far left enough," it's that he didn't do his frickin' JOB.

That being said, I'm voting for Kerry, most likely. I'm giving the Democrats one more shot. But that's not going to stop me from calling Kerry out when he screws up, which it looks like he's planning on doing quite a bit since he's going to try the "move to the center" routine instead of leading the country where it needs to go.

[tedoll78]

13. That sounds logical.

Calling him out on his B.S. (and he can definitely get into it pretty deep) would make much sense. Like Sharpton says.. to keep him honest. Hell, I had no intention of ever voting for Kucinich ever, but that's who I ended-up voting for (shocked the hell outta me).. just to send a signal to Kerry that progressives are vital to the heart, soul, and passion of the party. I hope many others do also; it can't hurt.

[Terry_M]

14. Some people aren't sheep.

I respect Candidate X's choice, but I do not follow blindly.