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candidate or party?

Do you vote for the candidate or the party?

  • I vote for the candidate!

    Votes: 29 87.9%
  • I vote for the party!

    Votes: 4 12.1%

  • Total voters
    33

comedy4all

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georgia
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Do you vote for a candidate or do you vote for a party?

With the divide that is plain to see between the parties; are you motivated to vote for a politician based on the stance that he/she takes on the issues or do you vote based on the ideals of one of the political parties?
 
In an ideal world, I'd vote for a candidate. Party affiliation means absolutely nothing to me. I would vote for anyone from any party whose views matched my own.

Unfortunately, there isn't a candidate anywhere whose views match my own, therefore I spend most of my time voting *AGAINST* candidates, people I feel would cause nothing but trouble if they get into power so I try to block their election.

Seriously, if I could only vote for people I actually supported, I'd probably never vote again.
 
Do you vote for a candidate or do you vote for a party?

With the divide that is plain to see between the parties; are you motivated to vote for a politician based on the stance that he/she takes on the issues or do you vote based on the ideals of one of the political parties?

Mostly the candidate.
Had the Republicans nominated Perry, Bachmann, Cain, or one of their like, I'd have voted for Obama just to vote against them. As it is, I'm registering a protest vote for Gary Johnson because of the Libertarian platform, knowing that he has no chance to win. Actually, no one but Obama has a prayer of winning California, so my vote is pretty much irrelevant except as a protest vote.

Between Romney and Obama, I think Romney is the better candidate, but don't share the doom and gloom predictions of the Republican partisans that another four years of Obama (read Democrat) rule will send the country down the porcelain throne.
 
I will vote for any candidate I feel is the best person now...for too many years I voted straight republican...
 
Strictly candidate.


As odd as it may sound I don't necessarily always vote for the candidate that best match my views. I have strong feelings when it comes to honesty and integrity. I refuse to vote for a slimeball even if their ideas match mine perfectly. I prefer to vote for a candidate that I feel is very honest and truly wants what they believe is best for the people even if those views conflict with my views. (Un?)fortunately this conflict of interest rarely happens as I feel most candidates are dishonest self serving hypocrites and would never receive my vote.
 
In theory, the candidate. In practice, there are almost no Republican candidates with whom I have much in common, so it usually ends up being the Democrat by default.
 
I would vote for the party because that how things work here.
 
Do you vote for a candidate or do you vote for a party?

With the divide that is plain to see between the parties; are you motivated to vote for a politician based on the stance that he/she takes on the issues or do you vote based on the ideals of one of the political parties?

I vote for the candidate, whether I think they'll win or not. I hold no loyalty to any party.
 
I would vote for the party because that how things work here.

This. Unless the candidate is an independent then he'll be adopting the platform of his party, so I'll be voting more for the party platform than the candidate.

And since the only two parties capable of winning a major race are Republicans and Democrats, then those are the only two worth focusing on.

And since each party will have to cater to their base in order to be elected, that counts out Republicans for me.

Of course, there could be exceptions, like if Satan, Prince of Lies, were to run as a Democrat. But no presidential race would ever be that awesome.
 
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The reason people only vote the party is is because that's what your going to get the party not the candidate I would personally love to see that change but it won't happen. You can't do anything in parliament without everyone in the party voting for the same thing.
 
This. Unless the candidate is an independent then he'll be adopting the platform of his party, so I'll be voting more for the party platform than the candidate.

And since the only two parties capable of winning a major race are Republicans and Democrats, then those are the only two worth focusing on.

And since each party will have to cater to their base in order to be elected, that counts out Republicans for me.

Of course, there could be exceptions, like if Satan, Prinice of Lies, were to run as a Democrat. But no presidential race would ever be that awesome.

These days, I think I'd rather vote for Satan.
 
The reason people only vote the party is is because that's what your going to get the party not the candidate I would personally love to see that change but it won't happen. You can't do anything in parliament without everyone in the party voting for the same thing.

So long as people with similar philosophies continue to discover that by banding together they stand more of a chance of getting their legislation enacted, there'll always be political parties.
 
Honestly it depends on if you are talking about the Presidential race or the if we are talking congressman/woman. Presidential elections i vote for the candidate. When voting for Congress i usually vote for the party of the president, just for the sake of progress.
 
Like others, in a perfect world I'd vote for the candidate, but since they are all invariably douchebags or turd sandwiches, I tend to vote against the two major parties rather than with one of them.
 
In local elections it's a lot easier to vote for the candidate... there is less of a monolithic force behind them and they are more likely to be thinking for themselves. That's how it seems to me at least. There's just so little money in it most of the time.
As offices get higher in power it's harder and harder to separate the party and other organized groups out of the decision.
 
Everybody says they vote for the candidate, but like 80% of Americans clearly just vote for the party in reality.

It's like how everybody says advertising doesn't work on them, but nonetheless, advertising causes huge spikes in sales.

Also, everybody is thinking about the presidential race. When you vote for county comptroller, who amongst us can really say that they're voting based on anything other than the letter next to their name? Like you've even heard of them before...
 
I tend to vote for the candidate, but in cases like the national election, there's a very fuzzy line. I rarely see a candidate straying a significant distance from the views of their party.
 
I usually vote for individual candidates. However, there are exceptions. For example, the California legislature is dominated by democrats that have over-taxed and economically gutted our state. Therefore, I vote a straight republican ticket for the state legislature. Nationally, the GOP dominated congress has been nothing but in-fighting obstructionists, with stated hopes of implementing what I believe will be draconian social measures on a national level and plan to give corporations and the country's wealthiest individuals even more power while paying less taxes. I vote a straight democratic ticket for congress now, whereas in the past when the democrats held too much power in congress, I voted a straight GOP ticket.

Both political parties suck. Both will, if given unfettered power, ruin this country. As long as politicians are bought and paid for under our current campaign contribution laws, nothing will change for the better.
 
I vote for both or am influenced by both and weigh the consequences. I had drifted sufficiently away from the Democratic Party as a whole to warrant looking at the Republican Party offerings. Now, my disposition is rather in the center (or if you ask your nearest NE progressive, I am a right-winger), albeit my positions are slightly Right or Left depending on the issue, so I am more swayed by candidates that would likely have more of an approach to the center. I am in no way suggesting that once they get into office they will not be pulled to the center in at least some to many areas (because they will be inevitably), but the disposition one way or another to the Left or the Right impacts my decision. As such, I am still in many regards attached to the Democratic Party platform and like some things Obama has done, however, I believe in curbing the perceived excesses in addition to siding with someone who is more on my level in political ideology.

I embrace whole-heartily voting for the "lesser of two evils" and have no ill-feelings about it.
 
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I am loyal to the Democratic Party and vote straight ticket more often than not. I only check the individual Democratic Party canidates' names when I'm interested in the local bond measures.
 
Do you vote for a candidate or do you vote for a party?

With the divide that is plain to see between the parties; are you motivated to vote for a politician based on the stance that he/she takes on the issues or do you vote based on the ideals of one of the political parties?
Of course, I'm pro-life, so that probably translates into at least a 90% straight party vote, but I still read up on candidates.
 
I said "I vote for the party!" because in reality that's what we're all doing for most elections. Trying to separate a candidate from their party is impossible.

However, I do read up on the candidates and I usually do not vote a straight ticket.
 
I vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidate based on which of them I dislike the least based on my research of their positions and character. I don't vote strictly party line, though due to my views I have voted democrat more than republican in the past. I refuse to vote for 3rd party candidates because if I'm going to waste my vote, I might as well have stayed home. If I can't find any information on the people running for a position, I don't vote for that position.
 
Do you vote for a candidate or do you vote for a party?

With the divide that is plain to see between the parties; are you motivated to vote for a politician based on the stance that he/she takes on the issues or do you vote based on the ideals of one of the political parties?


It's good to have good people to vote for, but if they are going to DC, you really need to vote for the party.

Nancy and Harry are ample proof that party affiliation is a real and important reason to vote by party line.

The Democrat party is the most unAmerican organization on the planet.

If a foreign power had done to the US what the Democrat party has done, it would be considered an act of war.

Our students can't read, our population is waiting for the next handout, the debt is beyond comprehension and the President thinks all of this indicates that his programs are working.
 
In theory, the candidate. In practice, there are almost no Republican candidates with whom I have much in common, so it usually ends up being the Democrat by default.


What is it about the Democrat Party that attracts you? There is nothing in government that is not driven by expenditure of tax dollars and generally the Democrat party approach is one if irresponsibility and lack of planning.

The Democrat approach to social issues, social goals and social problems is to exert central government control. The philosophy of the Democrat party is that the system of work for reward is flawed and needs to be amended to the Communist ideal.

I don't understand the commitment of some to this approach. Why are you so committed?
 
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