photo credit: Daniel Fardin

Individuals who cast their vote based on some predefined strategy weigh their options based on which candidate they think is the best option. This relative analysis compares the candidate not with any principle, but with their opponent. The ultimate deciding factor in this situation becomes which person is better than the other.

A common manifestation of this “strategic voting” is the oft-heard line that one candidate is the “lesser of two evils”. While at times people phrase this statement in a more positive manner, such as “candidate A is better than candidate B”, the widespread dissatisfaction of most people in the political process results in the far more common “candidate A isn’t as bad as candidate B”.

Not only is this method of casting one’s vote ineffective and chaotic, it’s also antithetical to divine command. After the Lord discusses the importance of Constitutional law and the negative impact an evil politician can have, He says the following:

Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil. (Doctrine and Covenants 98:10; emphasis added)

In this verse we note three qualifications the Lord gives for political office: individuals must be honest, wise, and good. The obvious lesson here is that in no way does the Lord sanction strategic voting. Rather, we are specifically instructed to support leaders whose actions demonstrate a proven commitment to basic principles: honesty, wisdom, and morality. Further, we are told that anything less that these traits is evil.

A common critique against the “lesser of two evils” mantra is that the lesser of two evils is still evil itself. The Lord appears to agree. This is nothing to be trifled with, as the Lord continues in the following verse by explicitly commanding us to shun all evil (including the “lesser”):

And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. (Doctrine and Covenants 98:11; emphasis added)

Imagine if the Saints collectively upheld this rule, did their homework, and proactively supported the campaigns of those candidates that applied (after all, the Lord says to diligently seek for such people, not wait until the primaries and caucuses have decided the candidates for you). We alone would be a great force to be reckoned with, as would the worthy individuals we support.

But instead, the good candidates are largely passed over with an excuse that if a person voted for them, they’d basically be voting for “the other party” whose candidate would win. Herein lies the basic strategy: Saints cling tightly to the two-party system and fear that should they not vote for whoever the Republican candidate is, we’d be in for a tough time with a winning Democrat.

But imagine if everybody did proactively and enthusiastically support whichever person (whether in a “third party” or one of the main two parties) was right for the job. If all those who voted out of fear instead decided to pool their support behind the good, honest, and moral individual running for office, the “lesser of two evils” would fade from the spotlight and not have ascended so easily through the primaries.

It is to the Saints’ condemnation that we do not participate in the political process from its inception through its conclusion. Instead of seeking for the right people diligently, we sit by idly while the decisions are made for us, and then work ourselves into a frenzy as we approach the final election, throwing our support behind the lesser of two evils.

The Lord continues in verse 12:

For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. (Doctrine and Covenants 98:12)

We are being tried and tested to see if we can shun all evil and refuse to support those who do not meet the basic standards the Lord has set. Sadly, we are horribly failing this test, as evidenced by the propensity of the “lesser of two evils” ideology and the caliber of candidates currently in and running for office.

Connor Boyack is a blogger , husband, web designer, Latter-day Saint, constitutionalist, paleocon, classical liberal, preparedness practitioner, budding philanthropist, and master's student of political economy. He's from Poway, CA but lives in Happy Valley.

Comments (6)

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Jeremy Ashton said:

	Connor, As always your analysis into the lessor of two evils is right on. In this election though I am not convinced that the Republican (McCain) is the lessor of two evils. If only the Latter-day Saints would support men like Ron Paul then we could truly get our country and society back on track.
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October 18, 2008
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rdp said:

Both McCain and Obama have expressed a commitment to a continuation of the preemptive oil war policy put in place by the current administration in spite of Article 1 Section 8. Religious texts including the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain dire warnings when countries stray from "just war" doctrine and cease to place their faith in the Lord for his protection. Obama may be a great scholar of Constitutional law, but in my opinion he has no credibility as a practitioner. In another example, Democrats are the self-proclaimed champions of our civil liberties, but it was Obama who recently violated Article 1 Section 9 Clause 3 and voted to give retroactive immunity to companies caught in the act of warrantless wiretapping. Let's find a chief executive who doesn't support an above-the-law executive branch, murder-and-get-gain foreign policies, and dig-a-pit-for-your-neighbor domestic policies. You can only cash-out-refinance civil liberties, max out the army credit card, and prop up the housing bubble for so long. The Constitution was created to LIMIT the power of government and keep freedom in the hands of the people. It has been said that "by their fruits ye shall know them." With all due respect, I have yet to fruits from either major party that they understand this basic Constitutional principle. They are embarrassed to talk about it, because they have been voting against the Constitution for so long. We are making slow and steady progress towards the tipping point where the majority will be voting third party or write-in. Unfortunately, enemies of the US Constitution are making rapid progress towards instituting a different set of rules. I hope we can all wake up and do something more.

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October 22, 2008
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Kenneth Noel said:

The name "Barak" means blessing in Arabic. Hussein and Obama have no particular meanings I was able to discover. The democrat candidate is a Marxist, and therefore disqualified in my view from holding any elective office. He openly supports "redistribution of wealth," a plainly Marxist opinion. He has chosen evil and I can never suport him. John McCain has made a lot of wrong choices and is, admittedly, the lesser of two weevils. In the mess we've gotten ourselves into he is the less bad choice. I think right now we need to vote against Obama, whom I call Naan Husain Obama. (Naan is a crude transliteration of the Arabic word for "accursed" which is how I feel about him. I agree that choosing the lesser of two weevils is still chosing evil. Right now, we have no other choice with any chance of winning. I really think we need to set up a new political party, the Independent America Party.

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October 22, 2008 | url
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Arlene said:

	We don't need to form a new party. Check out the Constitution Party. They stand for all we should hold dear in America and in the church.
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October 24, 2008
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Felix Rockwell said:

Regarding Jen's comments from 10/21, Obama may be a Constitutional law scholar, but the fact that he votes for legislation and promotes policies that in plain contradiction to the Constitution strongly implies that he knows exactly what he is doing to undermine the document he took an oath to uphold. Do a serious comparison of the statements from Superior Court of New Jersey Judge Andrew Napolitano (author of Nation of Sheep), the votes and statements of Congressman Ron Paul of Texas to the statements and votes of Senator Obama, and you will seee that Mr. Obama has very little regard, if any, for the Constitution. The claim that Obama is a Constitutional law scholar is a talking point that in reality only condemns him. Read or listen to the MP3 book "Awakening to Our Awful Situation" to understand that Obama and McCain are really both on the same team, and a vote for either man is a vote against the Constitution. If anyone wants to cast their vote for the Constitution, choose Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party.

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November 03, 2008
Votes: +1

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