Difference between idealist and a realist.
Realist: Understand that BHO will likely get the opportunity to appoint another supreme court justice within the next 4 1/2 years, completely reversing the balance of the court for - likely forever.
You don't recover from that.
Idealist: If we vote for a 3rd party candidate, next time around he will get more funding, and if we keep doing that, then maybe after 85 years of electing staunch liberals who re-regulate the education system to further indoctrinate the vast horde of our youth to become staunch liberals, they will get elected!

