Do your vote strickly by party?

LuAnnH

I hope this doesn't turn into a debate, because that isn't what I'm wondering.  I am just curious if you vote based on issues or simply because someone is a democrat or republican?  In all honesty if I don't know much about the people or their issues then that is my ignorance and in that case I will vote based on party.  When it comes to higher offices in the federal or state gov't I tend to listen to what they say am not strictly party lines.  What about others? (just an FYI you don't even have to say what party you are registered under)

RIV54

I usually vote along party lines, unless there is someone who I feel will do a better job. That hasn't happended too much lately. I'm pretty much disillusioned with both sides. I try to choose someone who will do the least damage. I think that may be considered damage control.

shokk

LuAnn it's so cute that you don't want this to turn into a debate..........with that said I Do vote by party.........in all honesty..............Shokk

lvtwoqlt

Most of the time I vote for the person not the party but if I am not happy with either, I vote along party lines.

ADK

I vote by party.  If I am really unhappy with my party's candidate, I don't vote.  I can not vote for the other party.

saluki

I've been a split ticket voter for more years than I can remember.

NoH8

I've never voted strictly along party lines, although I mostly vote for democrats. One republican I only voted against once is PA's Arlen Specter when I really, really liked his opponent. I most always vote for social issues first.

roseg

I'm a ticket splitter.

I grew up in a state with a definite "party" bend, and then moved to another state where the opposite party is pretty much "the" party. I switched my registration so I could vote in the primaries because that's where all the decisions are made. But I'm to the far end of the party I'm currently registered to.

Once beyond the primaries I vote for the candidate I like the best. The problem I run into is the one I like the best is often in bed with interest groups that I don't like. That makes it hard for me to decide because I think in the end they vote with the interest groups that support them.  

mke

No, I didn't when in the US and I don't support by party in Canada.  I donate money, but refuse to be a party member.

Anonymous

I used to vote for the person.  Now I'm fed up.  I'm voting strickly by the party this year.  I'll be in and out of there in no time. 

newter

In all honesty I think I do even though I like to think of myself as open minded.  I was a total tree hugging liberal until 911 and have now since swiched sides.  911 completely affected me in many ways.

LorenaB

I am registered to one party and rarely vote for anyone in the other one.  However, I don't like voting by party line and usually won't cast a vote at all if I don't know something about the person.  Of course, this should mean that I always do the research and have a preferred candidate for every single office in question at every election, but in reality this is not the case.  So I usually vote for the big elections (pres, congress, governor) and for a few local candidates who I know personally, and leave all the other ones blank.

abbadoodles

I'm one of the highly courted independents, although in my state, MA, it is called unenrolled.  Independent is another party here for some crazy reason.

Of course, in MA, if you don't vote Democratic in the presidential election, your vote really doesn't count anyway (most of the time).  That's the frustration with the electoral college.

iodine

Proud Independent

Anonymous

Yep, Independent here too. 

Nicki

Analemma

I almost always vote Democratic, but if Colin Powell had  run, I would have voted for him, I do believe, especially if the democratic party didn't have a better choice than we do now.  He is an honorable man and I have always admired him. 

About a year ago there was a "quiz" going around on the web where you answered questions and it told you how close you were to party lines.  I was a mix of democratic and libertarian.

roseg

I thought Colin Powell was born outside the U.S?

David Palmer, the President in the early episodes of "24" always seemed like he'd been patterned on Colin Powell.

Analemma

Rose, I guess you're right.  Maybe that's why I liked him?

roseg

Hopefully Powell's wife isn't as devious as Palmer's!

LuAnnH

I liked David Palmer, you think he would run for office?  If Fred Thompson can try why not a guy that played the role of the president.  He obviously was able to handle terrorists, he just has to call on Jack and Iraq and Afghanistan will be solved!  That is of course if Keifer is not in jail for a DUI....LOL

Anonymous

I tend to vote by party, because like others have said.... the other party is so far away from my belief system. There have been times when I chose not to vote at all.

Miss S

roseg

I always liked Fred Thompson on L&O, but he seemed to fizzle in the race.

One thing that I liked about Colin Powell was that he'd been in the military. I think you get a lot of understanding about how to mobilize big organizations by serving in the military.

It's good to have been a community organizer, but the military is much more government-like and I think you learn how to deal with folks who are there, but aren't necessarily motivated to do what you want them to do when you've dealt with the military. 

I have a situation I may not vote on this year. Maryland wants to put slot machines in. Supposedly they'll spend the money on education -- the teacher's unions are for it. I don't want to sound like a prude, but I am not for gambling. If I vote for the slots then I'm voting for something that I think will bring social harm.  If I vote against them I'm pretty much voting to raise my own taxes -- and Maryland already did that this year.  I will vote, but I may skip that issue!  

yellowrose

My party lines are very blurry.  I vote for the best candidate for the particular job/issue.  I have voted Democrat, Republican and Independent. (My DH still hassles me about voting for Ross Perot years back.) I do think that politics should have a good mix of all parties in order to be a fair government for the people of the nation, state or locale. 

When the lottery first was proposed in Texas, it was heavily sold that the proceeds would go to education.  "Some" of it goes there but the vast majority goes into the general fund that can be funneled many other places.  Still steams a lot of people here. 

I like and respect Colin Powell also.  I would vote for him in a flash. 

ibcspouse

The main reason I have started voting along party lines is I am in the south.  Democrats run as if they are right of David Dukes,  but when they get to DC they have a 100% voting record with Pelosivich (I know)  or with "the war is lost" Reed.