“To me,” said Ventura, “a wasted vote is not voting your heart and conscience.” In theory, this is true. In practice, Ventura was wrong. The 2.9 million people who voted for Nader from a “heart and conscience” perspective not only wasted their vote but actively crushed their own desires: During his eight years as president, Bush moved the country to the right and didn’t confront (or even recognize) most of Nader’s central concerns (campaign finance reform, the minimum wage, or the environment).
