Author Topic: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...  (Read 5752 times)

charby

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When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« on: October 22, 2007, 10:32:28 AM »
In a election for a state or national office? (not voting for the lesser of two evils or voting straight ticket)

I was pondering this question the other day when I asked my neighbor if she wanted to place a sign in her yard similar to the one I had in mine.

She asked if that person was a democrat or republican?

I told her he was a good person running for re-election for an at large city council seat.

She again asked, which party.

I told her democrat I think.

She said that there will never be a democrat's sign in her yard.

I told that's too bad because most local offices here in Iowa it really doesn't matter which party the person belongs to, its what they will do when they are elected.

She told me she didn't care.

I told her that is too bad and she needs to become informed about all the candidates for all offices.

I started to think about how many times I go into the voting booth and just select the vote all republican oval or used to flip the lever on the older machines. I also thought about when I actually voted for a candidate and not a party.

In 1998 I voted for Tom Vilsack for governor of Iowa because I thought Jim Lightfoot (Republican) was an asshat. I have come to regret that decision because 8 years of Vilsack was not great for Iowa and he wasn't the same person who I used to lobby when he was a State Senator.

This isn't a state or national office but I voted split ticket in 2004 because I liked the incumbent democrat sheriff candidate over the republican candidate.

These are the only two times I can think of where I just didn't walk in an hit the party option since my first time voting in 1992, where I just selected each candidate in the same party because it was my first time in a booth and I wanted to select as many levers as I could.

On local elections for school board and city council I vote for candidates on how I think they would be in office.

-C
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Tuco

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2007, 01:01:13 PM »
I vote issues, generally.  Surprisingly, issues are pretty consistent along party lines, at a national or state level.

Sometime ideology will trump issues at a state or national level; eg foreign economic policy issues may be less important than character and message.  I've never voted a straight ticket. There may have been times when all my votes were cast for the same party, but never by a "party" vote. 

Locally, I don't think I've ever bothered to pay attention to party affiliation. 

A straight ticket vote seems, well, rather sheepish.
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Ben

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2007, 01:37:04 PM »
I voted for Tom McClintock for CA governor. Though I voted based on issues, the fact that the person running pretty much positively covered all my issues, and that he was an underdog, probably counts for me voting for someone.

Generally though, I've been voting the lesser of two evils. Sad
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Perd Hapley

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2007, 01:56:03 PM »
I actual vote FOR some of our state folks.  Catherine Hanaway, Jim Talent, some others.  I like Kenny Hulshoff, too. 
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Waitone

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2007, 02:17:10 PM »
The only politician I voted for was Reagan first term only.  Every other state and federal vote has been against the opposition.

Sad but reality.
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Standing Wolf

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2007, 04:37:14 PM »
Quote
She said that there will never be a democrat's sign in her yard.

Not in my yard, not after Snopes Clinton.

I've voted for Libertarians; otherwise, I end up voting against Republicrats and Democans.
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HankB

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2007, 05:08:12 PM »
I could just about echo Waitone, in that I cast a positive ballot for Reagan when he won his first term . . .

But I also voted for Ron Paul before redistricting in TX put me in a different district. (Got Lamar Smith for a while and he was generally OK, but now I ended up with Lloyd Dogget, a piece of worthless, odiferous excrement if there ever was one.)

BTW, as much as I approved of most of Ron Paul's stances in congress, I do not want today's Ron Paul anywhere near the Oval Office . . .
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charby

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2007, 05:51:25 PM »
Quote
She said that there will never be a democrat's sign in her yard.

Not in my yard, not after Snopes Clinton.

I've voted for Libertarians; otherwise, I end up voting against Republicrats and Democans.

Not all democrats or republicans are the make up of the tools that seem to make it to higher level offices, seems like once they breech governor or higher they forget where they came from and f**k it all up.

I'll normally don't place signs in my yard for anything higher than State Senate or State House. For me to put a sign up the person has to at least has to have some one on one time with me. I want to know that they are people and not some fool running for office.


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K Frame

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2007, 06:33:21 PM »
Every election since 1983.
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HankB

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2007, 03:57:24 AM »
Every election since 1983. 
Wow . . . you've actually been able to find people you genuinely liked on the ballot for over 20 years? You must have better politicians in your district than most of us do . . . we're normally reduced to voting against the greater evil . . .  (Or are you a perennial candidate?  grin )
Trump won in 2016. Democrats haven't been so offended since Republicans came along and freed their slaves.
Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it. - Mark Twain
Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction in stolen goods. - H.L. Mencken
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. - Mark Twain

MillCreek

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2007, 04:07:18 AM »
I have not missed voting in any election since 1978, when I turned 18.  I vote for whomever I think is the best person for the job, regardless of party affiliation.  Generally speaking, I try to avoid voting based on a single issue.
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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2007, 04:21:40 AM »
Last year, I voted for Mark Sanford for Governor of SC (he was up for reelection). I like him because he ruffles feathers everywhere- he is actually trying to change the system for the better, instead of gaining power and profit like the other politicians. A lot of politicians hate him, but he is truly the taxpayer's advocate.

I registered to vote in 2005 when I turned 18 and haven't missed an election since, but Sanford is someone I can truly feel proud of voting for.



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K Frame

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Re: When is the last time you actually voted for someone...
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2007, 05:34:29 AM »
Every election since 1983. 
Wow . . . you've actually been able to find people you genuinely liked on the ballot for over 20 years? You must have better politicians in your district than most of us do . . . we're normally reduced to voting against the greater evil . . .  (Or are you a perennial candidate?  grin )

I never said anything about LIKING the people for whom I've voted. In some cases, yes, I've truly liked the individual for whom I've cast the vote.

But more often I've voted for them because they have either a position or a platform that with which I can identify.

There have been a couple of years where it's been close, where there's been only a single race where I've voted for an individual out of maybe 4 or 5, and I have cast more than my fair share of "lesser of two evils" votes.

This year, oddly enough, could be the one that breaks that streak.

At the state level my district is represented by Republican Jeanne Marie Devolites Davis. The challenger is Democrat Chapman Petersen.

Davis (married to Virginia Congressman Tom Davis) is a Republican in name only. NRA rates her a SOLID F on the subject of protecting gun rights, and she's not very solid on other Republican issues; Petersen gets a C. Davis has even had the audacity to run a number of adds attacking Petersen's stand on gun rights in Virginia. Not to mention that she's liberaling up her campaign more and more as we get closer to

She was stumping outside a Giant store last week in Northern Virginia and made the mistake of asking for my vote. She didn't like what I had to say, especially when I told her that her opponent was more of a Republican than she could ever hope to be, and Petersen isn't much of a Republican at all (LOVES the concept of increasing the gasoline tax by 40 cents a gallon).

I sincerely doubt if I'll cast a Senate vote vote this year, because there's no greater or lesser evil in this particular race, they both suck.

For the house race we have David Bulova. I know his Mom (a county supervisor) and I know his wife (I serve on a county commission with her). At least he's honest in his Democratic party platform. Plus, he's running unopposed (that REALLY pisses me off that the county Republican party couldn't find a single candidate to oppose this chump), so that means another lever I skip.

I'm hoping for a bond issue I can get behind...
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