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Have you ever voted against your own self-interest?

Have you ever voted against your own self-interest?


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What no one wants to admit thought we all know it is true is that even if interest rates stay at the unsustainable and deeply destructive historically very low rate of the recent past a lot of these UNI loans will never get repaid, though many will live greatly diminished lives trying to pay them back.

And there is no chance that they will stay low.

Compounding the problem logarithmically.

The Taxpayer will get the bill eventually.
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Too much truth telling right there!
 
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do you do 2255 petitions in federal court?

When I was with a firm, yes, and 2254 if necessary (and damn, ADEPA is a nightmare; and, if I might add, a virtually complete failure when it comes to 2254 petitions. The win rate was virtually nil before ADEPA, but its selling point was supposed to be respecting comity and cutting down on the number of petitions. But since you still can at least file the petition, of course all the prisoners do that. All ADEPA did on that front was (1) shift the win rate back another decimal point, and (2) cause petitions to consume an even greater amount of everyone's time by way of introducing a cluster**** of inconsistent procedural rules).

But since going solo, I'm holding off. CJA stuff is problematic because unless you get the judge to grant interim billing, you don't get paid until things are over. At least if the state agency authorizes you to pursue a 2254, you can bill monthly. While solo, I can't really afford to effectively loan the government my time until the end of a case, which can easily be a couple of years later (and even then, they've picked up a habit of slashing bills in more complicated cases in the apparent belief that every case should take precisely the same amount of time).
 
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I've voted Libertarian a couple times despite probably having more chance to lose then gain in their platform (in fact, I pretty gain nothing from a Libertarian platform imo). But think their social platform is one of the best of all the parties so when I don't like the other options, usually go Libertarian unless their candidate also sucks.
 
No. Unless you define "self-interest" as something ridiculously short-term, as in "Oh, gee, I have to vote for Congressman Quimby, he promised subsidies for my industry, maybe I'll get a juicy bone, even if it means hurting everyone and everything in the long run".
 
People who aren't overly boring or simplistic have interests that won't align perfectly with any candidate. If i'm looking for someone who represents me perfectly, i'll run for office myself. In addition, not everything has to revolve around my interests. I'm willing to pay a bit more in taxes so that kids aren't homeless, for example

I'm sure i have voted against my interests also in the sense that certain scenarios are very unlikely to occur, and the unforeseen can happen. How can we know based on bland hamster statements at the debates which candidate would most capably manage an unlikely crisis like cuban missiles? You're just making an educated guess really
Sometimes I like to joke, "If I want the perfect candidate I'll vote for myself... and even then I'm not so sure."
 
Sometimes I like to joke, "If I want the perfect candidate I'll vote for myself... and even then I'm not so sure."

i figure i couldn't make the senate or most state legislatures any worse, or the rowan county clerk's office, but like local office where everyone would come to me with their "my new neighbor has a cow in their backyard for their kid's 4H project, do something!", hell no. Someone else can have that headache
 
i figure i couldn't make the senate or most state legislatures any worse, or the rowan county clerk's office, but like local office where everyone would come to me with their "my new neighbor has a cow in their backyard for their kid's 4H project, do something!", hell no. Someone else can have that headache
I'm with ya on that.
 
I vote for candidates whom I believe will best serve the jurisdiction they wish to serve.

Why would I vote otherwise?
 
Have you ever voted against your own self-interest?

IOW, have you ever voted in such a way that was better for the overall good, but for which you personally might come out on the short end?

Intentionally voted, I mean.

I want to say I do so frequently. But, sometimes that's a rather grey matter.

I'm a straight, white male who earns pretty solid cash, but I have and do vote for representatives who defend the rights of women, gays, blacks, and other minorities while promoting social programs for poor people, even if it means I lose some privileges and have to pay out a few bucks more in taxes. There are probably plenty of other examples of this.

Back in the day, back when I smoked a lot of pot and did other recreational drugs, I voted for Reagan even though he promoted a supposed war on drugs. I also had no desire to join the military, but I voted for him even though I had a better chance of being drafted as a result of his proposed more aggressive military policies. But, maybe I did all that because I was high :)
 
Have you ever voted against your own self-interest?

IOW, have you ever voted in such a way that was better for the overall good, but for which you personally might come out on the short end?

Intentionally voted, I mean.

I don't know. Federally, if I vote it's for the Liberal Party- if I don't like their leader or their platform I don't vote but to be honest it's all just schoolyard posing because my life isn't affected if it's Conservatives or Liberals in power. The local municipal government is more important, has more power, than the federal government.
 
Have you ever voted against your own self-interest?

IOW, have you ever voted in such a way that was better for the overall good, but for which you personally might come out on the short end?

Intentionally voted, I mean.

I think anyone who voted yes doesn't understand that when you vote for a candidate because that candidate supports issues X,Y and Z and opposes issues A,B, and C then you are indeed voting for your own interests. Just because that candidate is not promising free money, free college or free housing doesn't mean that candidate is not catering to your self interests.Everything a candidate campaigns on is to cater to your self interests. Its why some people vote republican and some vote democrat,Its why people vote for one candidate over the other. Someone who votes for a candidate because that candidate promised to secure the border is voting for their own self interests just as much as someone who is voting for a candidate because that candidate promised them food stamps or corporate welfare.
 
I think anyone who voted yes doesn't understand that when you vote for a candidate because that candidate supports issues X,Y and Z and opposes issues A,B, and C then you are indeed voting for your own interests. Just because that candidate is not promising free money, free college or free housing doesn't mean that candidate is not catering to your self interests.Everything a candidate campaigns on is to cater to your self interests. Its why some people vote republican and some vote democrat,Its why people vote for one candidate over the other. Someone who votes for a candidate because that candidate promised to secure the border is voting for their own self interests just as much as someone who is voting for a candidate because that candidate promised them food stamps or corporate welfare.

It is possible to vote for and against your own interests simultaneously, varied as they are.
 
If everyone voted their self interest or what is important to them then we would have the government which we truly want. The government would reflect the true desires of the people. I will not cut my own nose off to spite my face. A fool votes for the opposite of what they want.
 
If everyone voted their self interest or what is important to them then we would have the government which we truly want. The government would reflect the true desires of the people. I will not cut my own nose off to spite my face. A fool votes for the opposite of what they want.
One could say that we DO have the government we want. In fact, I think we do, regardless how much we bitch and moan to the contrary. But, "want" does not necessarily equate to what is in our best interests.
 
It is possible to vote for and against your own interests simultaneously, varied as they are.

But you are still mostly voting for your self interests unless you are a single issue voter.
 
Republicans often vote against their self interests. They often do not support expansion of hand outs that they themselves could be a part of. Democrats as well will vote against tax increases if they are wealthy. I would say the biggest voting block that votes selfishly are on the Democratic side however.
 
No. I don't see myself as an idealist. Voting is a very personal issue to me.
 
Republicans often vote against their self interests. They often do not support expansion of hand outs that they themselves could be a part of. Democrats as well will vote against tax increases if they are wealthy. I would say the biggest voting block that votes selfishly are on the Democratic side however.

I'd say both sides have their share of idealists who vote against their own self-interests. The left generally votes for environmental protection policies and candidates even though such policies often result in them paying higher prices for energy because of excessive regulation. They also generally vote for higher wages for labor which often drives up costs and translates into higher inflation.....affecting wage-and-hour employees the most.
 
Yes, all the time. I am so LUCKY. I have a surplus of IQ points. Got a recession proof degree and career that pays top dollar in the Health Care field. Never had to look for a job. Still, getting calls from recruiters 5 years retired and no longer licensed. Married a Girl with the same degree and career. Managed to stay married for 47 years.
We have $1000 a month in discretionary income each month and two homes. No debt. Pay cash for everything.
I am SOoooo glad I am in a financial position where I have to PAY TAXES. So glad I can pay for the best reimbursing Supplement Medicare offers. Hospitalized for some minor surgery. ZERO deductible or Co Pay.

I should be a Republican. "I've got mine. Screw you!" "Cut those welfare and medicare programs and my taxes too!"

But I have done hands on work with every race, color, handicap, affliction, disease, socio economic status in America. Worked in Appalachia in the county where they filmed Deliverance. Finding handicapped kids to get them enrolled in the public schools. Kids that were born at home and didn't EXIST on paper anywhere. No birth certificate, nothing. Worked in Ladue, Mo where the median home is 5 million plus. Money was no object. Seen hundreds of diabetics on Medicaid. Living in poverty and guess what? They cannot afford to buy food that will allow them to comply with their diet restrictions. All they can afford is cheap calories aka starch. Fruit and vegetables are expensive and a luxury item if you are on Medicaid.

I have seen multitude of people who God has not been kind to. I spent my career trying to improve the quality of their lives with some success. Some are/were on self destruct. Brain damaged from drug overdoses. Special needs kids in schools who parents were druggies and alcoholics. Lives ruined by a drunk driver. The idiot that was hit the third time by an Amtrack train going 80 mph trying to beat it across the track over his DRIVEWAY. How bad do you have to pee NOT to wait that 25 seconds for the train to pass? The rich Arab kid with a custom van that set the cruise control going down I-35 and went back to get himself a drink. The kid that fell down with a pencil in his mouth and blew out his right carotid artery along with half his brain. The 5 year old kid that fell off a parked pickup, hit his back on the curb and wound up being a paraplegic?. And on and on and on. One sad story after another for 45 years. The attrition rate in my profession is extremely high. HALF are no longer practicing 7 years after graduation. Just long enough to pay off the student loan. Somehow my wife and I survived. I just say I lost count of how many times I "burned out" Just changed jobs for a new set of challenges. But actually, it is like gambling. Random reinforcement. Put a dollar in the slot and pull the handle. Go to work and get a new patient referral. Sometimes you win a small pot and make a difference in someone's life, Next one has so many things medically, economically, emotionally, that you couldn't help them but I get paid to try your best. Once in a great while, you hit the JACKPOT and perform a small miracle. That makes you want to go to work the next day and put some more dollars in the slot and try it again and again, and again. I got 'addicted' as did my wife.

I have no problem with supporting programs for those less fortunate for me. Sure, I would like a little more bang for my buck but to say these programs are wasteful is a misnomer.

If you live in America your should have a right to health care, food, housing, and a good education. It is shameful that 1/3 of the kids in America live in poverty. That our schools are failing or unaffordable. It HAS to change for the better.

So I vote against my own best interests regularly. I vote for the common good and for those who God as not been kind to.
 
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Have you ever voted against your own self-interest?

Pretty much every year post 2007, when I voted for those who would generally shrink the federal government, reduce government employee retirement plans, cut budgets, etc.
 
yes, i voted for obama, twice. as a heterosexual white male with a job, voting for a democrat is against my self interest.
 
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