Which issues really decide your vote?

Four years ago, I voted for change. I believed Barack Obama when he campaigned on Hope and changing the lack of integrity, and honor in the white house. I even still maintain the belief that he meant to achieve those things. However, here we are, four years later and Obama has become exactly that which he promised to get rid of. Its get re-elected or die at this point, and he is willing to go to any length and I feel that his following is too foolish to use logic. That isn't to say that Romney doesnt have a devoted foolish following as well.
I'll be voting for change as well this year, I'll be voting for Mitt Romney because I believe we need a CEO not a politician.
However, I do not agree with Romney on every issue. Not even close..
I firmly disagree with him on issues such as gay marriage, and abortion, I even disagree with his Mormon religion. But do these issues really matter in the big scheme of things?
Too often votes are swayed because they are emotionally charged. Do I plan on ever getting an abortion? No. Do I have a problem with it? No. Am I gay? No, but I have no problem with gay people and their marriage. It is days like today where romney is being slashed because of his 47% comments, and his stance on emotionally charged issues that may win or lose him this election, while the really important issues go unnoticed.

What are the issues that decide your vote and what is your stance on them?

P.S. my political views are not meant to sway your opinion. Id really like to hear whether or not the minuscule issues really do decide your vote.

Here's the way I break it down:

1. Gender - I will not vote for female candidates
2. Biography - I look at the candidate's personal history for signs of Liberalism and/or Hypocricy
3. Voting Record - I look at the candidate's voting record for signs of Liberalism and/or Hypocricy
4. Policy Platform - I look at the candidate's policy platform for signs of Liberalism and/or Hypocricy

If any candidate is left after those four things, I will consider voting for them. In many cases there is no candidate left after those four reviews. If more than one candidate still remains (it's never happened to date, but you never know) then I start comparing their voting records on: gun owner rights, traditional societal issues, and nationaist issues. The better candidate wins my vote.

1. Abortion. As a pro-liver, I cannot morally justify to myself voting for someone who would enable what I see as the killing of innocent children, no matter how much I like the rest of his program or loathe his opponents.

2. Limiting Government at home

3. A forward-leaning defense posture abroad.

cpwill said:

3. A forward-leaning defense posture abroad.

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What's a "forward-leaning defense posture"?

And if I want to bring everybody home, close all foreign military bases, and open bases on the homeland so that we become truly defensive, and about 10,000 times less offensive, what would you call that?

rileyarntz said:

Four years ago, I voted for change. I believed Barack Obama when he campaigned on Hope and changing the lack of integrity, and honor in the white house. I even still maintain the belief that he meant to achieve those things. However, here we are, four years later and Obama has become exactly that which he promised to get rid of. Its get re-elected or die at this point, and he is willing to go to any length and I feel that his following is too foolish to use logic. That isn't to say that Romney doesnt have a devoted foolish following as well.
I'll be voting for change as well this year, I'll be voting for Mitt Romney because I believe we need a CEO not a politician.
However, I do not agree with Romney on every issue. Not even close..
I firmly disagree with him on issues such as gay marriage, and abortion, I even disagree with his Mormon religion. But do these issues really matter in the big scheme of things?
Too often votes are swayed because they are emotionally charged. Do I plan on ever getting an abortion? No. Do I have a problem with it? No. Am I gay? No, but I have no problem with gay people and their marriage. It is days like today where romney is being slashed because of his 47% comments, and his stance on emotionally charged issues that may win or lose him this election, while the really important issues go unnoticed.

What are the issues that decide your vote and what is your stance on them?

P.S. my political views are not meant to sway your opinion. Id really like to hear whether or not the minuscule issues really do decide your vote.

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Firstly, I'm being honest when I say that I totally disagreed with everything Obama ran on in 2008. That year, my older son turned 18 and was considering how to spend his newly achieved vote. My only comment to him was that if Obama won, he should hang on to his wallet. I'm sorry to have to say that my warning to him has been vindicated by Obama's actions.

Secondly, I wasn't all that charged up about McCain either, given his and the Republican Party's record during the early part of the Bush Presidency. But what I saw from them during the run up to the 2010 election gave me hope that they had learned their lesson and were, once again, committed to reducing the size, scope and power of the government. Everything they've done since shellacking the Democrats have upheld that hope...unfortunately, they don't have enough power to enact their government-reducing policies.

Which leads to:

Thirdly, I believe we need a Republican President, a continued Republican House and at least a slim Republican majority in the Senate. Then...and only then...will there be any hope for a reduced government. To that end, I don't really care who is running for President as long as there is an "R" after his name.

So, for me the issue that decides my vote is who will help reduce the size, scope and power of the government...and that person most definitely is not Obama.

Personally, I will vote for the candidate who works to reduce the government, promotes social freedom and has fiscally conservative values. Sadly, there is not a main stream candidate who has these qualities.

Political abilities and history, economic know-how, understanding of the US work sector, Foreign affairs and how they handle and respond to them, Their reasoning for various decisions and activities.



Moral concerns and social freedoms aren't decided by the president - they're decided by Congress and the Supreme Court. . . all the pres can do is give his opinion. . . so I could care less if he's pro-choice or a supporter of gay marriage.

Sometimes I've been quite disgusted by people when it comes to these views - sure - but usually I don't approve of countless other aforementioned things so I wouldn't have supported them anyway.

I didn't pay much attention to politics until the beginning of 2011 when I saw the huge push on social issues coming from the right. Each election cycle I'd listen to debates, see the TV ads, and pretty much thought either way didn't much matter. Same shoveling of BS from both sides. Occasionally I'd see a candidate that was slightly better than the other, or on the other side of the coin weaker than the other.

This election cycle has me fired up. The right has overstepped it's bounds so far it's scary. I feel the need to add my voice to the election as loud as I can possibly be heard. I didn't vote for Obama the last time, but I will this time. I'm educating friends and family as much as I can, for most of them are the way I was, pretty much deaf to the whole process.

I see people of this country stepping all over the rights of others while they yell about the rights they have. I see people of this country trying to control the lives of strangers based on what they feel is the correct way to live. That's not what this country is about, nor is it what the country started as.

Those who want to opress us the most use "founding fathers" as their pulpit. Honestly, I don't think this is what the "founding fathers" had in mind.

Economic issues will always be there, we have our ups and downs. Personally, I think a President has minimal amount of play in that.

What sets us apart as a country is how we treat it's citizens, and the laws being passed (and attempting to pass) recently are shameful. It's gotta come to an end.

EyesWideOpen said:

I didn't pay much attention to politics until the beginning of 2011 when I saw the huge push on social issues coming from the right. Each election cycle I'd listen to debates, see the TV ads, and pretty much thought either way didn't much matter. Same shoveling of BS from both sides. Occasionally I'd see a candidate that was slightly better than the other, or on the other side of the coin weaker than the other.

This election cycle has me fired up. The right has overstepped it's bounds so far it's scary. I feel the need to add my voice to the election as loud as I can possibly be heard. I didn't vote for Obama the last time, but I will this time. I'm educating friends and family as much as I can, for most of them are the way I was, pretty much deaf to the whole process.

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Good luck with that. Just realize that there are many people like ME out there who will not have our viewpoints changed by you or anyone else.

economics : it's my opinion that supply side has not delivered for the American middle class, so i vote for the candidate who advocates policies that lean towards trickle-up theory.

foreign policy : i don't vote for hawkish candidates who might be more likely to get us involved in a crisis or war with a foreign power.

social : i don't vote for candidates who promote anti-homosexual policies.

Tigger said:

Good luck with that. Just realize that there are many people like ME out there who will not have our viewpoints changed by you or anyone else.

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And I get the feeling your view points are the exact ones that woke me to the political theatre.

You'll find there are a lot of us paying much more attention now.

1. Personal accountability measures, leading into...
2. Legitimate economic growth principles and ideologies, followed by....
3. Un-intrusive government policy that seeks to avoid the limitation of individual rights, followed by....
4. A likelihood of limiting government growth and respecting private-sector development first and foremost (i.e. not using new government organizations or processes to take care of things that private sector COULD do if limitations or restrictions were modified).

On a state level, I want a candidate who will respect limited government while simultaneously supporting civil rights and general equality (gay marriage, abortion legislation, social issues).

EyesWideOpen said:

And I get the feeling your view points are the exact ones that woke me to the political theatre. You'll find there are a lot of us paying much more attention now.

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That's fine. I think a lot more people should be paying attention to what goes on in the world around them, and that we'd be a lot better off if this were the case. Of course, in my opinion that doesn't include women, but I believe you already realize that.

As a transgender person, LGBT rights trump just about everything else to be honest about things. For that, this election is clear who I need to vote for.

1. Economics, it is necessary for everything else in government or society to function
2. Support of strong defense, a Nation that cannot defend itself will not long remain a nation, a nation that cannot protect it's interests outside of it's borders will not have economic success, a nation that does not fight evil where ever and when ever it springs up will find evil in it's own borders very quickly
3. Education, real and useful education reform, not just throwing more money at an already failed system. Good education is critical and key to everything in society, however a society must first fund and protect itself as higher priorities, without those first two, there is no others.
4. Support of personal and organizational responsibility, every person should have the freedom to make their own choices and live (or die) with the choices they made and actions they took, same with companies and any other organization. There is no "to big to fail". Social welfare issues fall under this heading.
5. Limiting government to its actual responsibilities to the whole and not just supporting particular groups wants. Equality of opportunity, falls with this realm, recognizing that everything is a competition at some level and making sure all players have equal opportunity to succeed. This to me also means getting rid of things like Affirmative Action and reducing lawsuits based upon discrimination claims to those that actually are discrimination and not just accusations because a minority wasn't hired or promoted. Support of Environmentalist agenda, also is under this heading, anyone outright supporting the stupidity of the environmentalist of today is automatically a no vote for me.
6. Support of traditional family Values
7. Recognizing that Atheism is also a religious choice and Atheist agendas towards other religions falls under the same protections and treatment of any other religion.

I would add integrity, but we all know that most politicians only know the word exist in the English language but demonstrate absolutely no familiarity with the concept.

hikari said:

As a transgender person, LGBT rights trump just about everything else to be honest about things. For that, this election is clear who I need to vote for.

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Nice that you have a clear-cut decision to make. For people like me, a Traditionalist, Isolationist, Nationalist, and Ultra-Conservative the options are nowhere near as clear-cut and obvious. In most cases this means I end up not voting for anyone.

rileyarntz said:

Four years ago, I voted for change. I believed Barack Obama when he campaigned on Hope and changing the lack of integrity, and honor in the white house. I even still maintain the belief that he meant to achieve those things. However, here we are, four years later and Obama has become exactly that which he promised to get rid of. Its get re-elected or die at this point, and he is willing to go to any length and I feel that his following is too foolish to use logic. That isn't to say that Romney doesnt have a devoted foolish following as well.
I'll be voting for change as well this year, I'll be voting for Mitt Romney because I believe we need a CEO not a politician.
However, I do not agree with Romney on every issue. Not even close..
I firmly disagree with him on issues such as gay marriage, and abortion, I even disagree with his Mormon religion. But do these issues really matter in the big scheme of things?
Too often votes are swayed because they are emotionally charged. Do I plan on ever getting an abortion? No. Do I have a problem with it? No. Am I gay? No, but I have no problem with gay people and their marriage. It is days like today where romney is being slashed because of his 47% comments, and his stance on emotionally charged issues that may win or lose him this election, while the really important issues go unnoticed.

What are the issues that decide your vote and what is your stance on them?

P.S. my political views are not meant to sway your opinion. Id really like to hear whether or not the minuscule issues really do decide your vote.

Click to expand...

So if we reduce your current voting priorities to their essence, you don't really care if the rights of others are denied as long as: A) It doesn't effect you personally. B) You bank account grows as a result. I stopped being a one issue voter after Gore's anti gun stance caused me to vote for Bush II in 2000. I feel somewhat absolved as it didn't really matter since PA ended up in the Gore column anyway. That was the last time I've voted Republican and ended a twenty year span of loyalty to the GOP. What I am mostly concerned with is the growing economic disparity in this country as well as infringement of personal rights. While neither party offers a real solution to an increasingly two class system, at least the Democrats don't act like it is desirable state of affairs and somehow indicates the affluent are a "master race". I also find that while the Republicans pay lip service to the concept of personal freedom, what that really boils down to is freedom from taxes. A party that truly supported liberty would not pander to those who wish to impose their religious views on the legal system which governs all of America's citizens. Another disturbing trend I see in Republican dogma is there zeal to replace the imagined chains of government with the very real ones of corporate rule. As long as I don't commit or incite others to a crime, I am free from government coercion regarding what I choose to express as a viewpoint. That cannot be said of corporations who now feel their employees have reached such a state if indentured servitude that they can be disciplined for what the post on FB while off the clock. It was CEOs and their greed driven quest for short term profits without any ethical consideration that were a primary factor in causing the current economic mess. There is no way in hell I wish to turn even more power over to such inept and unscrupulous individuals. That doesn't mean there aren't issues I strongly disagree with the Democrats on. I do not support their lax stance on illegal immigration or their continued desire for gun restrictions. The simple fact is that given the current SCOTUS, it is unlikely any major abatement of gun rights would withstand a challenge and the Republicans have no real intention of doing anything about illegal immigration as long as it furnishes a supply of cheap and exploitable labor.

hikari said:

As a transgender person, LGBT rights trump just about everything else to be honest about things. For that, this election is clear who I need to vote for.

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Lady Ga Ga?

1. Economics: the growth of income inequality over the last 30 years is a real and growing problem for this country. A strong middle class is necessary for the long term strength of our economy. The only real answer to low-wage competition from abroad is to foster higher value occupations at home, which means high tech and high-level service insudustries (see IBM). This, in turn, requires a stronger commitment to education and a real solution to our immigration problem, which forces too many brilliant students to leave the country after taking advantage of our world-leading higher education system.

We need to invest in infrastructure now to provide for future growth and help get us out of the current malaise. Obama's JOBS program fits the bill, but it is being blocked by Republicans and would certainly die if Romney was elected. Even conservative outfits like Goldman Sachs estimate that the JOBS bill would boost GDP by 1.5%, even without any multiplier effect. Mark Zandi of Moody's says that it would boost GDP by 2%. Economists say that the plan would cut unemployment by a full percentage point. Of course the cons will claim that Zandi is in the bag for Obama ... and will not recall that he was John McCain's lead economic advisor in the '08 campaign....

In the mid and long term we need to cut spending AND raise taxes. Talk of cutting taxes in this situation is absolutely crazy and, IMO, should preclude any sane person from voting for Romney.

2. Foreign policy: Obama made the right call in winding down the Iraq war and now (belatedly) the war in Afghanistan. The military budget has to come down to help reduce deficits. Engaging Iran militarily would be a an economic disaster as it would cause oil prices to skyrocket. That would send us and many other countries back into recession. I'm afraid that Romney would go down that road, though I would put the odds at under 50%. With Obama I would put the odds at under 10%.

3. Social issues: I have a libertarian mindset when it comes to social issues. Who people marry, what they do with their bodies, and what they put into their bodies, is none of the government's business. There is no place for gender, race, religious, nationality, or sexual preference discrimination in this country. I think that Obama is stronger than Romney on all of these issues.

Lutherf said:

Lady Ga Ga?

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I would vote for her over Schwarzenegger but neither is running for POTUS

hikari said:

I would vote for her over Schwarzenegger but neither is running for POTUS

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Schwarzenegger:lol: That would be something!

Seriously though, you mentioned one issue which you considered above all others. That just strikes me as being rather shortsighted and, frankly, I usually find that when I question people about such things it turns out that there really are other issues which tend to be equally if not more important to them.

For me the social issues are really secondary when it comes to government. I certainly understand how people can get emotional about stuff such as gay marriage and abortion but, ultimately, I don't see it as being the job of government to resolve those issues.

I figure that the role of government at the federal level needs to be to provide for some significant level of national security, provide a fair and impartial judiciary and maintain an even playing field between the states. Beyond that the federal government tends to screw things up quite a bit as it can never be all things to all people no matter how big it gets.

In this election the issues that will decide my vote are:
1. Which candidate is most likely to do things with a mind on restraint of government
2. Which candidate is most likely to encourage strong international relationships which put the interests of THIS nation first
3. Which candidate is most likely to refrain from getting bogged down in special interest issues

LGBT rights are a big one for me, I can't in good conscience vote for someone who thinks of me as a second class citizen.

Economics- I want someone who is serious about getting us through this recession, someone who wants to improve our infrastructure, invest in education, and have the country leading the way in new forms of energy. And is willing to cut the deficit without decimating the middle class.

NASA- I want someone who is willing to increase spending for NASA, we need to be the leaders in space exploration, not piggybacking off other countries.

Your Star said:

LGBT rights are a big one for me, I can't in good conscience vote for someone who thinks of me as a second class citizen.

Economics- I want someone who is serious about getting us through this recession, someone who wants to improve our infrastructure, invest in education, and have the country leading the way in new forms of energy. And is willing to cut the deficit without decimating the middle class.

NASA- I want someone who is willing to increase spending for NASA, we need to be the leaders in space exploration, not piggybacking off other countries.

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So for a selfish reason, you would vote for a candidate the screws up everything else. I have to hand it to you, at least your honest about it.

DVSentinel said:

So for a selfish reason, you would vote for a candidate the screws up everything else. I have to hand it to you, at least your honest about it.

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I'm sorry I'm not going to stand for being treated like a second class citizen. :roll:

Hmm....it doesn't seem to take a thread any longer to turn into a "gays are oppressed" party around here than it does anywhere else....