Why this New Hampshire independent voter is supporting a third party candidate — again

‘I would rather “waste my vote”, as many would say, than pretend I support someone else’

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Penguinpyro wouldn’t describe himself as an “avid” gamer. He says “obsessive” is a better description.

In this day and age where video gamers have built communities and developed major followings on livestreaming platforms, Penguinpyro is the “streamer” persona for Adam W, an independent voter in New Hampshire who spoke to The Independent about his top concerns and priorities ahead of the November election. 

(The Independent has verified the identity of this voter, who requested partial anonymity to discuss his political views candidly. We are withholding his last name.)

A small business owner, the 31-year-old operates a gaming sales company called gameigloo.com out of Henniker, a town of about 5,000 in southern New Hampshire’s Merrimack County, a region known for its skiing and snow-sloped mountains in the winter. 

As a voter, he says his top issues are civil rights, taxes and the position of the US on the world stage.

(Photo courtesy Adam W otherwise known as Penguinpyro)

He says he’s not a fan of Donald Trump — to say the least. 

“I didn’t support most of his plans while [he was] running, but he didn’t accomplish anything for the people anyway,” he says.

“Trump has made this country a laughing stock in the international community, divided minds here at home, and moved us backwards instead of forward.”

The independent voter says he cast a ballot for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson during the 2016 presidential elections, adding: “I would rather ‘waste my vote’, as many would say, than pretend I support someone else.”

He feels he’s now facing a similar situation in 2020: “I also don’t support either candidate from the two large parties this year, so I will be voting for Jo Jorgensen.”

Jorgensen is this year’s Libertarian candidate, a 63-year-old political activist from Libertyville, Illinois, who previously served as the third party’s nominee for vice president in 1996. 

This voter says he would like to see an investment in subsidies for renewable energy, restructuring police forces, reforming politics and restructuring taxes. Jorgensen does not support some of those key issues — in fact, her campaign website specifically states: “I will work with Congress to end all energy subsidies.”

However, she is dedicated to overhauling the political system in the US, offering a vision of a far smaller federal government with little involvement in domestic affairs — an appealing stance for many libertarians and supporters of the minority party.

Check out more of The Independent’s series, Polarized: Voices From Across America

Meanwhile, former vice president Joe Biden does support many of the policies this voter listed as his top concerns when considering the upcoming election. 

But he’s just “not a fan” of Biden, who he says “had some issues and is not great behind the mic” like former president Barack Obama.

He’s uninspired by the Democratic nominee, though he says he predicts him winning the upcoming election — even without his vote. 

Perhaps more concerning, he also says he does not believe Trump will accept his potential loss.

The 31-year-old thinks there will be a high percentage of third-party voters like him in the November election. 

I ask Penguinpyro if he has any affiliation with the “Boogaloo” movement, a largely disconnected community of people who share similar anti-establishment attitudes. Some factions of the movement and other similar online communities have burgeoned into far-right, xenophobic and racist groups that have staged real demonstrations offline.

“I don’t have any connection to the Boogaloo Bois or other organizations,” he says. “I do talk about my stance on political issues on stream occasionally,  but I feel like that’s different than a business (which shouldn’t be political).”

“Personally I am pro-rights, including the right to bear arms,” he adds. “I’m also a firm believer that safety training and mental health are important for gun owners.”

As for other gamers, it’s not immediately clear whether they may support Trump or Biden in large droves — though Penguinpyro says streamers like him tend to lean to the left in most cases.

“I think content creators as a whole are more progressive,” he says. “We're supported by our fans, and want to support them back. I don’t care who they may be, I support their rights to be themselves safely. Our world changes slower than electronics do, and I think that’s simply illogical.”