How do you vote?

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Thought it would be interesting to know now with the upcoming US election. I am not interested in what or who you vote for but how. Lately I have been surprised to see that there are many people out there who truly believes in politicians and buys their talk. I have mostly encountered this in right leaning Americans where many seems to be convinced that Mr. Bush II craps pure gold and is the best thing since sliced bread. I am sure there are many who for instance thought the same about Clinton and for any other big league politician. For me this bizarre.

To get to the top in politics you have to climb so many corpses and make so many compromises that no one of the people or parties you get to vote for is really a good, true entity out for your and yours best. If we go back to the Bush example, if anyone attacks him there are a ton of people willing to defend him, refusing to even ponder the attacks or the arguments against (I am using Bush as it is him and his followers I have the most experience with). I vote for the socialdemocratic party here in Sweden, if someone attacks them I tend to agree. I know they are bastards, I vote for them because in my opinion and in my perception they are the least bastardly of the bunch so to say.

One would think that, especially in the US with only two options to choose between, a vast majority of people would think that all canditates are lying, sneaky bungholes and vote for the one they think are the least bunghole or has the most to gain by giving you what you want. Well, most probably do think like that but there are still a bunch of people who devoutly believes in their candidate/party/something even though it would screw them over in a heartbeat if it would gain them

So how do you vote? Do you vote for the person/party who you truly can make a difference and you think will do their darnedest to turn earth into a paradise or do you vote so that atleast that other jerk wont get elected.

On a side note, I think my own attitude is tragic but it is impossible to be anything but extremely cynical when it comes to big league politics. Nice guys are eaten alive long before they reach that level. This is also one of the biggest problems which faces democracy, the politicians of course blame it on the people and claim to not be crooked at all and we the people blame it on the politicans for not fulfilling our trust.

 

All politicians tell some sort of lies or twist the truth in their campaigns and I assume everybody is aware of this. I tend to choose the one whose thoughts are most similar to my thoughts. I usually ignore the promises they make and am more interested in HOW they are going to furfill these promises, if those methods fit my views then the person is quite near at getting my vote.

 

Why Beren! - you're nothing but a...a...a dirty rotten stinkin' commie!

Me, if the current government hasn't screwed up too badly, I tend to stick with them; better to be with the devil you know than take a chance with one you don't.

 

To be honest, I can't really answer honestly because this year is only my second time to vote.

I will try to vote for the candidate that most closely resembles myself in behavior, the candidate's view on the issues, how he has performed in the past as a politician, and how he says he says he plans to tackle the problems he will be faced with.

 

@ Splunge - Beren is a commie for supporting the Liberals I would have said the exact opposite. Why would any self respecting Canadian commie vote for anyone other than the NDP.

Personally I support the Liberals. Sure they have their fair share of silly little kickback scandals but they have done a decent job of governing. It seems to me that in the Left-Right political equation that they have parked themselves pretty well in the middle which suits me just fine. Also, who else is there that you would trust to govern the country? I would sooner see the Rhino party elected than the PC/Alliance/CCRAP/Reform/NDP/Whatever other combination they will think of forming next .

 

If an Aussie can butt in...
I don't vote any particular party, I vote for who seems the most suited to the job, whoever slings the least mud, basically whoever comes across as the least crooked and the most knowledgable.

I mean some years back when Little Johnny was making his first run at the job of PM here, I wanted Dr Hewson in because of his Doctorate in Economics which seemed to me to suggest that if nothing else, he would handle our Economic Policies better than anyone. But NO! The rest of Australia voted in Bonsai John Howard (Bonsai because he's a little Bush).

 

Politics in New Zealand is very different from what you know in larger countries. In the USA, you pretty much have to be a multi-millionaire to even begin to become president. In New Zealand, any old schmoe could become Prime Minister. I would tend to vote for the party that has a leader that I would be embarrassed to have as my country's representative. Our Prime Minister is the one who goes around meeting other world leaders and attending important events. I want someone who isn't going to say or do anything silly in those events. Otherwise, the rest of the party does mots of the real governing work and is likely to govern a more or less similar way to the other parties so I put less emphasis on this aspect when voting.

 

Heh, basically in New Zealand I'll vote with the majority if it means denying the Greens another seat.

About nice, honest people never making it? How about you try explaining and justifiing how one of your policies is going to screw over some minority group and being honest about the expected effects it will have on same-said group. People would vote for you if you were honest, but the majority wouldn't.

 

I used to be a staunt Republican. I voted Republican no matter who it was. I even worked on the Bush I campaign in my home town when I was just out of college.
But you know what? Lately politics has started pissing me off. So now, I vote on issues. I try to do as much research as I possibly can so I know where each candidate stands on each issue and how it relates to me. I also try not to reward those politicians who sling mud. I know that's almost impossible to do. I don't care about whether someone served in a past war, I don't care who someone kissed or gropped 30 years ago or if he smoked pot in college and drank big time. Hell who hasn't? I used to care big time.
I look at their character now and where they stand on the issues that are important to me.

 

DMC - There were three in 2000, but the third one was not a moron. But he's pushing it this time.

 

See, that's the thing. I like Nader, I like his stance on many issues, and I like what he's trying to tell people. The base of the subject is that democrats are not really liberals. Democrats are liberal *Republicans*. (I am of course basing my opinion on the Democratic/Republican politicians, and not necessarily the voters themselves.) So when you go to the polls to vote Democratic because you know in your heart that the issues you believe in or the opinions you express are on the liberal side of things....My friend, look at the history, look at the history, look at the history. If your democratic candidate voted for bills in a manner that seems to you rather *conservative* time and time again...if they seem to say one thing and act another... then they are not democratic. They are liberal republicans.
That said, I'm torn in this particular election. It's not like I'm all a-fire about Kerry, but he does tend to lean toward a more liberal outlook than, for instance, Al Gore... But in my heart I'd vote for Nader. No, he's not perfect either, but he cares a lot more, and I feel like I'd trust him to have *less* in an interest of the big business side of things than most politicians wealthy/influential enough to run for the presidency.

 

Wow, I gotta say I'm a little unnerved by the fact that all the Canadians in this thread vote Liberal, but not so surprised...personally, I'm much farther right (more Alliance than Conservative), so I'm very intrigued by the new Conservative party...
Oh, and I think that answers my question; I vote ideologically: I vote for the party that shares more of my views/opinions/beliefs than any other. I try to base this on a party's actions rather than its promises/stated ideology, but since my favoured party has yet to form a federal government (sort of, depends how you look at the newly formed party I guess) this is easier said than done.

 

To be quite honest I think both canidites are kinda full of themselves. Thus I will most likely throw my vote away and not vote

 

I generally try to vote on issues. Actually, that ends up meaning I vote to keep people out of office rather than voting people I like in. This time around, that means Anyone But Bush. Pretty sad state of affairs, actually.

 

What Neriana said is what I really was after, it seems that most people actually have more hope than I thought. I find myself voting for the party I dislike the least, not the one I like the most cause there just isnt one to like of (of what little I know of British, French, German and American politics the same is true there, for me that is, if I had been allowed to vote elsewhere, one more comma!). Apparently most of you guys still have faith in our political system and the people who represent it.

 

Same here. Can't recall the last time I got to vote anyone I liked in.

Edit: @Joacqin - Actually, I've been losing faith in our political system, but it doesn't mean I'll stop trying.

 

My trend in voting is this: The closer the politician gets to me personally, the more democratic I become.

I am a fan of small government, fiscal responsibility, and societal progress. With that said, I generally vote Republican for Presidential and Federal positions (like Senator and House Reps), Governor I can go either way, and the local state reps I tend to vote based on their position on raising/lowering local taxes, what their spending agenda is, and their overall political philosphy.

And if you are a potential electee standing outside my grocery store during election time, look out! I have questions and I'm not afraid to ask them loudly!

P.S. NOT VOTING IS ONE OF THE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE THINGS AN ADULT CAN DO!

 

@Beren, Splunge, JSBB and other Canadians

If you guys are like me and live anywhere outside of Quebec and Ontario, do you really think that our votes matter?

I mean, they say that after the votes are counted there, the decision is practically made already.

Then again, I have just reached the voting age so I am just working off of what I have heard. When I do get the chance to vote, I have no idea who I will vote for. It seems a contest of who has screwed up less.