What some fail to realize is this:

Suppose a Green or Libertarian or whatever wins. Suppose that happens. Exactly who in Congress is going to support their agenda? Presidents have a lot of power, sure, but they can't make laws happen or compel a Supreme Court, loaded with people appointed by one of the two big parties, to rule their way. They are lame ducks from day one and the world knows it.

The only ones who don't are those ignorant enough to vote for them.

If you want a viable third party, you have to build it up from the bottom. Do the work. Get candidates elected, build grass roots organizations, take a state legislature or a governorship and prove yourselves. Aiming at the top job in the country is a ridiculous publicity stunt and a guaranteed failure unless you have a lot of support built up beneath them.

And no third party has come within spitting distance of achieving that.

Biden on his WORST day is better than Trump on his best.  

This hand wringing over Biden’s age is f-ing nonsense.  

It really does sadden me that so many people fail to grasp the actual purpose of voting: to try to move public policy in your preferred direction.  Instead, people seem to think of voting as nothing more than a way to make a statement about themselves.  It blows my mind that there are people considering "punishing" Biden by not voting for him because of his Middle East policies.  In terms of their desired outcome, they are of course punishing themselves far more than anyone else.  I'm always annoyed when I hear someone saying a candidate "has to earn my vote."  No, it's your job to find the viable (as in, has a chance of winning) candidate whose policies most closely align with yours.  Voting is like taking a bus.  There may not be a bus that is going all the way to your desired destination, but you should at least get on one that's going in the right direction.  And one that actually has gas in the tank.

One would think the burgeoning theocracy of the Supreme Court (promoting their dual religions of God and Guns) would be more than enough to motivate people.  I'm certainly frightened by the prospect of Thomas and Alito retiring during a second Trump term, allowing Trump to appoint two more young partisan hacks who can cement the theocratic supermajority for the next several decades.

Double edged sword, that.

Makes a lot of people say stuff like: "You can't expect Biden to do anything about issue X, that's unfair, he's just the President!"

Well, if the position isn't that important it shouldn't be the end of days and a mortal blow to democracy if Trump wins. He'd be "just the President" too, after all.

Plus, he already tried a coup, the first time in my lifetime I can say that about a POTUS.

So no, Trump wouldn't "just be the President too".

What I was referring to was things like the cost of a gallon of gas or rising prices at the grocery store.

I only hope that there is the foresight, currently while both sides are bruised and unpopular, to start thinking ahead for when it is time to truly think of the next generation and what their needs are. If we're all holding our noses during this election, 2028 will be a blank slate, and the side best prepared to speak to what the nation really needs will win. It scares me that the only evidence we have of any such preparation is Project 2025 (2029 if Trump loses).