Thank you! This is very helpful. The stakes are too high in this election (Trump = unthinkable disaster) to simply ‘vote one’s conscience’ while pretending the two candidates are more or less similar evils. And this explains how these votes are more than just symbolic, they are building the groundwork for a viable party in the future. As the party gains profile, it will have to do more to defend its positions to a much wider audience and that will no doubt moderate some of the extremism.