I’ve heard this excuse from a lot of people, some of them very close to me. They won’t vote for someone who they think won’t win because it’s “wasting the vote”. I say, “HOGWASH!”
When you vote, you send a message. Even if that message is “I don’t like any of these choices” it is still a message.
Don’t play the old dirty politics game with your vote. Vote for someone you WANT to be in that position. This is YOUR choice of who leads you, not a beauty pageant. Find out about your candidates and take responsibility for your life and the world around you.