Jesse Legg at Idea Critic doesn’t appreciate my efforts to get Christy Mihos voters to consider Kerry Healey. Jesse challenges the notion that a vote for Mihos is a vote for Deval and appeals for positive marketing in political campaigns, which he illustrates with an automotive analogy.

But there is an important missing ingredient in Jesse’s analogy. If Jesse buys a Honda on Monday, does that affect my car buying decision on Tuesday? No, it has no effect at all. I can select a Honda, Porsche, or Toyota, and both of us can be very happy about our individual decisions.

However, in politics, we can only select one candidate. Everyone gets Patrick after the election even if a majority of us didn’t pick him. And worst of all, everyone lives with his decisions. You can vote for Mihos, but the reality is you are getting Deval. So, although a conscientiously cast vote is never wasted, you do have to consider the other outcomes when your candidate is a distant 3rd.

What some might see as fear mongering is a reality check. Do Mihos supporters really want further Democratic dominance of the state? What I’m suggesting is a more pragmatic vote given that Mihos really isn’t a viable candidate.