--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that it is preferable sometimes…" description: "\"I believe that it is preferable sometimes to have one candidate rather another candidate, while you understand that that is not the solution. Sometimes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/howard-zinn-576_believe_i-believe-that-it-is-preferable-sometime_2837245.jpg" --- # I believe that it is preferable sometimes to have one… ![“I believe that it is preferable sometimes to have one candidate rather another candidate, while you understand that that is not the solution. Sometimes the lesser evil is not so lesser, so you want to ignore that, and you either do not vote or vote for third party as a protest against the party…” quote by Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/howard-zinn-576_believe_i-believe-that-it-is-preferable-sometime_2837245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/howard-zinn-576_believe_i-believe-that-it-is-preferable-sometime_2837245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/howard-zinn-576_believe_i-believe-that-it-is-preferable-sometime_2837245.jpg) > “I believe that it is preferable sometimes to have one candidate rather another candidate, while you understand that that is not the solution. Sometimes the lesser evil is not so lesser, so you want to ignore that, and you either do not vote or vote for third party as a protest against the party system.” [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing a lesser evil may not be truly lesser; protest voting can be a response to systemic flaws, though it risks political disengagement. **In simple terms:** Choosing the lesser evil is complex. Key Takeaway Consider alternatives beyond binary choices. Themes politics choice protest ethics Mood critical concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - activism - civic education - party reform Key Concepts democratic theory moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to vote? - How can third parties influence change? A Different Perspective Voting may feel futile. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/) [Candidate Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-understand-3699288/) [Candidates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidates/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Lesser evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesser-evil/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Preferable Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preferable-candidate-3699286/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Solution Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solution-lesser-3699287/) [Solutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solutions/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Third parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-parties/) [Third party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-party/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Vote Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote-party-280649/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Richard Nixon was not the lesser evil, he was the greater evil, but in his administration the war was finally brought to an end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/richard-nixon-was-not-the-lesser-evil-he-was-the-greater-evil-but-in/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [If you work through the existing structures you are going to be corrupted. By working through political system that poisons the atmosphere, even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/if-you-work-through-the-existing-structures-you-are-going-to-be/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [A decision as a backbencher to vote against one's party ought not to be taken lightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/a-decision-as-a-backbencher-to-vote-against-one-s-party-ought-not-to/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [We know from past history that when young people vote for one party a couple of times, they tend to vote for that party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gergen/we-know-from-past-history-that-when-young-people-vote-for-one-party-a/) [David Gergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gergen/) > [Well, I'm like most Americans, we don't vote by party, we both by the person because a person is bigger than the party, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/well-i-m-like-most-americans-we-don-t-vote-by-party-we-both-by-the/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [People tend to vote for one party consistently over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/people-tend-to-vote-for-one-party-consistently-over-time/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [I don't vote party lines. Never have. I vote for the best candidate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-schilling/i-don-t-vote-party-lines-never-have-i-vote-for-the-best-candidate/) [Curt Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-schilling/) > [We must ensure that the men in our homes vote for a party that will work for the development of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kovai-sarala/we-must-ensure-that-the-men-in-our-homes-vote-for-a-party-that-will/) [Kovai Sarala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kovai-sarala/) > [But just because I hate the Conservatives doesn't mean I'm gonna tell people to vote for the party I want. Inform yourself on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-tracey/but-just-because-i-hate-the-conservatives-doesn-t-mean-i-m-gonna-tell/) [AJ Tracey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-tracey/) > [If we would leave parties to the politicians, and would vote not for the party, not even for men, but for the city, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-steffens/if-we-would-leave-parties-to-the-politicians-and-would-vote-not-for/) [Lincoln Steffens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-steffens/) > [I knew how to influence the people, but it's really just one vote. But the party is being handled in a very good way .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/i-knew-how-to-influence-the-people-but-it-s-really-just-one-vote-but/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [You can't just trot out a brown face or a Spanish surname and expect people are going to vote for your party or your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-villaraigosa/you-can-t-just-trot-out-a-brown-face-or-a-spanish-surname-and-expect/) [Antonio Villaraigosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-villaraigosa/) > [It's never easy to vote against some of your own party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-malliotakis/it-s-never-easy-to-vote-against-some-of-your-own-party/) [Nicole Malliotakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-malliotakis/) > [If one in four Dutch people saying they will vote for my party, it's ridiculous to say we're divisive or extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-wilders/if-one-in-four-dutch-people-saying-they-will-vote-for-my-party-it-s/) [Geert Wilders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-wilders/) > [Telling or encouraging people to vote for a party would be an insult to peoples' intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fethullah-gulen/telling-or-encouraging-people-to-vote-for-a-party-would-be-an-insult/) [Fethullah Gulen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fethullah-gulen/) ## More by Howard Zinn > [“A black man, Benjamin Banneker, who taught himself mathematics and astronomy, predicted accurately a solar eclipse, and was appointed to plan the new city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/a-black-man-benjamin-banneker-who-taught-himself-mathematics-and/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/there-is-no-flag-large-enough-to-cover-the-shame-of-killing-innocent/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“a good education is a synthesis of book learning and involvement in social action, because each enrich the other. 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Not overwhelming evidence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-can-understand-pessimism-but-i-don-t-believe-in-it-it-s-not-simply/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it. It is a corrective to the sluggishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/protest-beyond-the-law-is-not-a-departure-from-democracy-it-is/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Now I have been studying very closely what happens every day in the courts in Boston, Massachusetts. You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [They were not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, they were absent in the Constitution and they were invisible in the new political democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/they-were-not-mentioned-in-the-declaration-of-independence-they-were/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Sexual purity was to be the special virtue of a woman. It was assumed that men, as a matter of biological nature, would sin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/sexual-purity-was-to-be-the-special-virtue-of-a-woman-it-was-assumed/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Middle-class Americans might be invited to join a new elite by attacks against the corruption of the established rich. The New Yorker Cadwallader Colden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/middle-class-americans-might-be-invited-to-join-a-new-elite-by/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/if-those-in-charge-of-our-society-politicians-corporate-executives/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [We were not born critical of existing society. 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So when the British military commander in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/george-washington-had-turned-down-the-requests-of-blacks-seeking/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) [Explore all 461 Howard Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe that it is preferable sometimes to have one candidate rather another candidate, while you understand that that is not the solution. 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