Michael, a 51% electoral majority does not necessarily reflect that 51% of the American people have endorsed the candidate. Two factors contribute to this reality: there have been historic disconnects between electoral and popular majorities; and there is so much “opting out” among the voting populace, partly because of disillusionment with the two-party system, that in reality 51% of the ~35% of the poplulation that actually votes places the presidential candidate into power.

I agree that everyone that can vote, should vote, regardless of any disillusionment they may feel, or whether or not it’s a choosing of “the lessor of two evils”; our country is founded on the power of compromise and balance. One of my heroes is Teddy Roosevelt, who though a very committed Republican, did at one time choose to accept the candidacy of another party. The effects of that choice are of course mixed and debatable, but one effect was that compromise was necessary to reunite the Bull Moose Party with the Republican party. Yes, they lost an election to the Democratic party, but that election made the Republican party alter it’s course, through compromise.

Compromise is not a four-letter-word.