Unfortunately, the insane are very loud, and to the marginally engaged, loud insanity can sound like informed and passionate sanity.

People in this country are taught voting is a moral duty, but not taught why it's a moral duty. So the lunatic position of "Don't vote for anyone you disagree with!" dovetails nicely into our broken fucking civic culture. In reality, voting is, as you said, strategic - it's a moral duty insofar as we are morally obligated, as citizens, to examine the power we have, to exercise it in the most effective way we can, in service to the moral aims we have.

Too many people in this country view voting spiritually. We aren't Christian martyrs preparing to be fed to the lions in the Colosseum. We're closer to congresscritters when we vote, than canonized saints. Take a look at your choices. Decide which one is closer to your goals. Vote accordingly. And be prepared to answer for it.