In a democracy, are minority party candidates "bad"? Is Stein-Baraka "bad"? Is Johnson-Weld "bad"?

[JCanete]

44. Or W or anybody worse than the going candidate, which means, people will always have a reason

to decry people who run as third party or vote for it, and to blame them when we get a republican in the white house. No doubt our system of government is broken. it doesn't allow 3rd parties to play any role but spoiler, and between our two-party establishment that owns congress and the Whitehouse, this is not likely to ever change. But I myself respect votes that are done on principle, even at the times when I think the strategy is wrong.

It seems like civil discussion of issues and consequences, and listening and finding common ground with these people and maybe even saying "I will help fight for that within the party" would go a lot further than bludgeoning with fear and shame. I would like to continue to enjoy an obvious contrast between the methodology and rhetoric of those of us at DU and the GOP, although that may be asking a lot.