The theme of this year's election used to be that every vote counts. I remember hearing this idea put forth during the Democratic National Convention, but oddly enough, that type of talk has quieted recently.

This is a good and helpful thing for the Democrats — who must have come to realize the fraud of such statements on their behalf — especially considering their actions in this state and numerous others towards independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader. The actions on the part of the Democrats are shameful.

What is worse, such actions — attempting to keep Nader off the ballot through judicial force — actually serve to outline deficiencies in Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) positions, rather than rallying Nader supporters to the Democratic candidate. Why can't Kerry answer Nader? Quite obviously, it is because Kerry is a poor politician that — despite his "skilled courtroom demeanor" — is afraid of a good debate. I imagine the Democrats' railroading of Nader occurred due to their candidate's inept and poorly-developed policy positions.

Such positions point out to Nader supporters the conservative that is John Kerry. When a leftist is given a candidate that voted for NAFTA, voted for the Patriot Act, voted for military action in the war on terror and voted for the sanction of war in Iraq, the choice is easy.

Any leftist will tell you that this voting record is a terrible voting record, and will also point out that three of those four votes are actually in favor of the major platform of the Republican president who is currently sitting in office.

What Democrats don't understand is — contrary to popular election year rhetoric — President Bush isn't the greater of two evils. Bush and Kerry are simply insufficient presidential candidates for a portion of American society. Further, the two simply look too much alike.

It just so happens that in a country that allows freedom of speech, two choices are not enough for some people. Voting for candidates such as Nader is participation in an act that says, "I, as a voting citizen, reject the two major parties, their platforms and the candidates that put forth those platforms. I want something else!"

I want to vote for a candidate who has political views similar to my own and who presents a platform that portrays issues that I believe are salient. I want to vote for a candidate on the grounds of positive political positions, not negative statements and the aforementioned rhetoric of "lesser of two evils."

I will not cast a ballot for Kerry because he is the lesser of two evils. In reality, I find the Democrats' actions more deplorable than anything Bush has put forth because what the Democrats have attempted embodies a greater lie.

The Democrats and their presidential candidate lied when they told us every vote counts this year. To anyone who asserts this statement is true, I ask one question to that person and to the Democratic party in general: Why doesn't my vote count?

Zettel is a junior political science and philosophy major.

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