Jacob Levy has posted on the Volokh Conspiracy about why he intends to vote for John Kerry, rather than following his former custom of voting Libertarian.

Levy is a sharp guy and I respect his opinions very much. I also agree with him about the shortcomings of Bush and the looniness of Badnarik (the Libertarian candidate).

However, I think he’s overreacting to his distate for Bush’s failings by imagining that a Kerry administration would do better on either domestic or foreign issues. I’m incredibly skeptical of that.

I also don’t accept his rationale for not voting Libertarian. As I’ve said before, we shouldn’t vote because we expect to decide the election. We should vote to express what we’re for. And, despite Badnarik’s confusion about the war (and many other things), I think that it’s generally the case that Levy would prefer that policies move more toward the libertarian position; and that’s what I think a Libertarian vote expresses more than anything else.

The Kantian position that he expresses about willing the universalization of his vote just doesn’t make sense to me. But, if he enjoys expressing that idea, then I suppose it makes sense for him to vote that way.

I’m still voting Libertarian.