Here is another reason: because I would rather try for long-term improvements than to accept gradual worsening.

Voting for conservative Democrats will not improve anything. They do not want increased accountability for the rich. They do not want universal healthcare. They do not want to get away from fossil fuels (in the time frame required). They do not want to fix our car-centric infrastructure. They do not want to stop genocide. They do not want affordable housing. They do not want affordable education. They actively fight against those who do.

Voting for conservative Democrats is not about making things better, it is about stopping things from getting worse. The Democratic Party is not a big tent, it is a hostage situation: the liberals are told “stay with us and vote for us, or the fascists will kill you.”

Long term, will voting 3rd party force the Democrats left? If the Democrats shift further right instead, will there be enough time for a liberal party to emerge and challenge before the county fails? I do not know.

I am not mad at anybody for voting for the lesser of two evils. It is a reasonable, defensible choice. I understand that many of the people making that choice are victims of our system, not the perpetrators. If their strategy works, and we keep getting the lesser evil, I cannot fault them for it.

But I would rather try for a long-term improvement than to accept gradual worsening.