What will determine your voting decisions?

[Ivan Seeking]

Iraq, terrorism, scandal, economics, environmental issues, foreign policy... the party?

As for me, for the first time I'll be voting the party [which I never understood until now]. Until those in power are dead or gone, I will never vote for another Republican at any level. At this point, I wouldn't elect a Republican as dog catcher.

When the dems called yesterday asking for donations I could hardly give quickly enough. "YES YES I'LL DONATE! We've already donated but we'll gladly give more".

BTW, I'm basically a conservative.

 

[turbo]

Iraq, terrorism, scandal, economics, environmental issues, foreign policy... the party?

As for me, for the first time I'll be voting the party [which I never understood until now]. Until those in power are dead or gone, I will never vote for another Republican at any level. At this point, I wouldn't elect a Republican as dog catcher.

When the dems called yesterday asking for donations I could hardly give quickly enough. "YES YES I'LL DONATE! We've already donated but we'll gladly give more".

BTW, I'm basically a conservative.

I am an independent (fiscal conservative, social liberal), and only registered with party affiliations (sometimes D, sometimes R) in order to influence primary races. My wife and I already voted (absentee ballots) and we voted a straight Democratic ticket. We are not going to vote for even deserving Republican candidates again until there are some significant changes in the state and national governments. I want our elected officials - right down to the local level - to know that there is a price to pay for being affiliated with lying warmongers that give my taxes away in the form of huge tax breaks for the wealthy, while digging our children and grandchildren into a debt that they may never be able to repay.

 

[selfAdjoint]

Any party that's in too long gets rotten. Sadly that applies to the GOP now. I personally think that's why we have G. W. Bush; he was nobody but he knew people and wanted to be president and the party backed him to please its leaders, not because he was, even to them, a credible candidate.

It's time to put the Dems definitely in power for a few terms. I don't think they have enough rapport with the average voter to stay for long, but get the bad GOP fellows out of there and let the party regenerate itself in the wilderness.

 

[Skyhunter]

I am registered "decline to state", that way I can request the primary ballot of my choice. Just received my absentee ballot and will send it off next week.

For the national election I am voting for the Democrats. For the state I will vote for the individual. I would have voted for Schwarzenegger, he made mistakes, admitted them and has moved to address them. One mistake he made though, that I cannot overlook however is when he campaigned for Bush, that IMO is unforgivable.

I also intend to volunteer to make get out the vote calls for Democrats across the country. I would have supported the Dem's regardless of candidate, just to restore some balance get a little oversight. Fortunately the Dem's have for the most part, put forth some very good candidates, so I feel good about vounteering my support.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I am an independent (fiscal conservative, social liberal),

Same here except that I'm not even a social liberal in some respects.

We are not going to vote for even deserving Republican candidates again until there are some significant changes in the state and national governments. I want our elected officials - right down to the local level - to know that there is a price to pay for being affiliated with lying warmongers that give my taxes away in the form of huge tax breaks for the wealthy, while digging our children and grandchildren into a debt that they may never be able to repay.

1) For the declaration that you are either with us or against us.

2) For seeking to undermine the Constitution of the United States.

3). Invasion of Iraq based on poor or intentionally misleading evidence

4). Misrepresenting many issues of national security including the true identity of the enemy.

5). Failure to prosecute the war on terror [ports, borders, Bin Laden]

6). Misuse of the National Guard; leaving the US vulnerable [see Katrina]

7). Failure to protect the citizens of the United States during a crisis – Katrina - due to misuse of the National Guard.

8). Failure to honor commitments made to our fighting men and women.

9). Alienating our closest allies during a “time of war”.

10). Attempting to remove all of our State's national guard fighter jets – our last line of defense - during a “time of war”.

11). Failure to provide qualified leadership. Rummy, Chertoff, Michael Brown, Harriet Miers, and it seems a good percentage of Bush’s appointees are either an embarrassment and or disaster; usually both.

12). Failure to honor the Geneva Conventions

13). Secret prisons

14). The use of torture [I still can’t believe that this is even a discussion].

15). Failure to properly monitor and control prisons for POWs.

16) Failure to protect the borders of the US. [the Mexican border; a huge issue with the Dems as well for me]. This is the primary job of the federal government, and they have failed.

17). Failure to protect the sovereignty of the US by allowing and covertly supporting the use of illegal immigrant workers.

18). Failure to protect US jobs by Failing to enforce equitable trade practices.
……..For protecting corporate interests over the interests of US citizens.

19). For being the biggest spenders in history. Fiscal conservatives? What a joke - the joke to nowhere?

20). For Tom Delay and all that he brought to the table, and to a lesser degree, the rest of the scandals.

For staying the course in spite of the facts, for dividing my country as I have never seen before, for the playground bully tactics referred to as US foreign policy, and for everything above, anyone who still calls them self a Republican is by definition undeserving of my vote. Now would be a good time for a new party to represent sane conservatives who also support and defend the Constitution.

 

[Gokul43201]

If I could (and I can't), I'd vote for the minority candidate (unless s/he was a complete moron) because the way the ruling party has sacrificed truth and competence in the name of faith (read intellectual sloth) and loyalty (read "yesmanship") disgusts me. That, and the total erosion of individual rights that this supposedly conservative administration has administered...

 

[Cyrus]

I'm voting for the guy with the best hair and family photo, because isn't that what really matters?

 

[Rach3]

Ivan, your list is very good, but it has some odd surprises in it. You blatantly omitted some of the worst atrocities -

-the abuse of putting political nominees in charge of critical agencies (FEMA, CDC - see the recent article in Nature),

-the censoring and manipulation of scientific information (NOAA, NASA); putting ideological interests above scientific investigation

-the wasteful no-bids contracts awarded to political allies,

-pursuing a destructive agenda of fundamentalism (attack on biology on religious grounds, manipulation of FDA approvals on religious grounds, financial benefits for Christian organizations);

-other political attacks on constitutional protections (establishment clause, flag burning (Democrats are also guilty here), illegal searches, the "Patriot" Acts);

-lack of action on most critical national security issues - economic competitiveness, nuclear proliferation in former Soviet Bloc, the major foreign policy issue of Russia (internal instability, trade conflicts with EU and ex-Soviet bloc); FP towards North Korea; FP toward China and Taiwan; FP towards major Middle East powers (duh); disease control (HIV, influenza, drug-resistant TB...); or global climate change. Any one of these simply dwarfs the media-friendly issues (terrorism and terrorism.)

edit to add two more:

-oh yeah, and supporting the quarter-trillion dollar missile defense out of political interests. Is there no one in Congress brave enough to point out, that it doesn't actually do anything?

-extreme corruption at all levels (especially Abramoff-Rove, unscrutinized no-bids contracts, Richard Armitage-Valerie Plame...)

-unprecedented secretiveness beyond Nixon's imagination; hiding their misdeeds in the guise of "national security"edit one more time:

-Attacking important physics funding, largely to fund the next item:

-The politically-inspired plan of spending $10^N (where N will be between 11 and 13) to send a large monkey to Mars in a space suit.

So you see Ivan, there's a lot you left out.

 

[Cyrus]

HELLO, hair do?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I agree. I was just picking my top five, then ten, then twenty... had to stop somewhere.

 

[Echo 6 Sierra]

I'm voting for the guy with the best hair and family photo, because isn't that what really matters?

Rick Perry is running for Governor of Texas and can't be bothered with politics right now.

 

[Cyrus]

http://www.houstontech.org/attachments/files/617/rickperry-headshot-smaller%20(2).jpg

Damn,...that is good hair...

 

[BobG]

This is probably the first election that party has even figured into my decision - at least for the House race. Still, I vote for a lot, lot more Republicans than Democrats and register as a Republican. This election, I was looking for a chance to vote a Democrat into the House - the DeLay wing of the Republican party has to go.

Still, the individual candidate and what they can do for the area where I live takes priority.

It wouldn't have made sense to vote against Hefley since he's one of the Republicans that stood up against the DeLay faction - and it got him yanked off of the House Ethics Committee.

I don't think I could have voted against his hand-picked successor either (Hefley's retiring). Hefley had smoothed the way too well and this would be an almost seamless transition for our community.

There were a couple of candidates running for the Republican nomination that I would probably vote for in normal times, but would vote against just because of the problems with Repubican leadership in the House.

As things turned out, I wouldn't vote for the person that wound up winning the Republican nomination even in normal times, so party still doesn't really come into play.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We vote by mail here in Oregon so I voted today. I wondered if deep down I would be torn at the last minute. I have always voted for the person and according to the issues, and not by the party. But when I voted a straight Democratic ticket tonight, it felt like a celebration!

The Republicans are no longer the party of conservatives.

 

[Dooga Blackrazor]

I am not American, but I don't vote. I refuse to endorse the idea that my country should have a leader. I'm an anarchist.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

In the past, I simply voted for that candidate that I felt was going to lose the election. In this way I tried to prevent landslides. However, in this election I will vote issues. The main one is our policy in Iraq. The choices are "No plan" vs. "Bad plan". I could really get behind any candidate that suggested we bring regional powers (even ones we don't like) into the process and rapidly shift responsibility to them.

 

[matthew baird]

Although I do agree that the Government should have reacted faster to this horrible tragedy, the initial responsibility was in the individual. The citizens were told to evacuate because of the huge hurricane heading straight for em'. That means get the hell out! Why are we so dependent on the government for everything? Take care of yourself, c'mon people!

 

[Astronuc]

The citizens were told to evacuate because of the huge hurricane heading straight for em'. That means get the hell out! Why are we so dependent on the government for everything? Take care of yourself, c'mon people!

Many who did not evacuate, could not evacuate, because they had very little money, and certainly not enough to take a bus (assuming buses were running), nor afford a hotel room. During the evacuation, people found that their prior hotel reservations had been canceled and the rooms were being rented at much higher rates. I know people who had to go beyond Houston, some to San Antonio in order to get hotel rooms. Many of poor from the 9th Ward simply don't know anyone outside of that area of the country - that's what being poor is all about.

The federal government was supposed to ensure that the City of New Orleans would be safe. That's why the $billions spent on flood wall, dikes, etc. But clearly that was not enough. And there is certainly failure on the part of the City and State. The hurricane did not directly hit New Orleans, but passed to the east, hitting toward Biloxi, MS. However, the tidal surge in Lake Ponchatrain and into the various canals overwhelmed the structures, which were not properly constructed, and likely not properly designed.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Although I do agree that the Government should have reacted faster to this horrible tragedy, the initial responsibility was in the individual. The citizens were told to evacuate because of the huge hurricane heading straight for em'. That means get the hell out! Why are we so dependent on the government for everything? Take care of yourself, c'mon people!

Many people died horrible deaths because the equipment needed to rescue them was in Iraq. We have four branches of service to fight wars overseas, but as indicated by the name, the "National Guard" is supposed to protect us; not Iraqis.

During what is described by Bush as a time of great danger for the U.S., after we were hit on our own soil on 911, what sort of man would ship out our homeland defenses to fight overseas? And beyond that, Rummy wanted to take all of our guard jets away, here in Oregon. Only after the Governer [a Democrat] intervened was the relocation stopped.

If this situation is really so critical then why hasn't Bush called for a draft? Even with troops severly overburdened, even while we are unable to maintain control in Iraq, even though our southern border is wide open, even with Bin Ladin still on the loose, there is not even a mention of acting like this is really a war. It makes me wonder if he really intends or ever intended to fight the war on terror.

 

[matthew baird]

We have four branches of service to fight wars overseas, but as indicated by the name, the "National Guard" is supposed to protect us; not Iraqis.

Couldn't agree with you more, protecting the people here in the country should be our first priority.

The federal government was supposed to ensure that the City of New Orleans would be safe. That's why the $billions spent on flood wall, dikes, etc. But clearly that was not enough. And there is certainly failure on the part of the City and State. The hurricane did not directly hit New Orleans, but passed to the east, hitting toward Biloxi, MS. However, the tidal surge in Lake Ponchatrain and into the various canals overwhelmed the structures, which were not properly constructed, and likely not properly designed.

It really is sad what happened. I was actually born in Biloxi, haven't been back since I was under a year old. I watched a special on the history channel about the levvies in New Orleans. Not only did they use flood projection data from, I think, around the 50's, they did not properly take into consideration the status of the soil that the levvies structure was dependent upon.

 

[Astronuc]

It really is sad what happened. I was actually born in Biloxi, haven't been back since I was under a year old. I watched a special on the history channel about the levvies in New Orleans. Not only did they use flood projection data from, I think, around the 50's, they did not properly take into consideration the status of the soil that the levvies structure was dependent upon.

Well, back in the days of Reagan and subsequent administrations, i.e. in the days of 'tax cuts', they didn't want to spend the money to build proper levvies. So they saved ~$20 billion or so, but now have to spend ~$10's billions to salvage what's left, and thousands of people are still displaced. I know several people from New Orleans. One lost everything because his house was up near one of the breaches - 40+ years washed away. He and his wife have relocated with family near Dallas.

 

[Bystander]

(snip) but as indicated by the name, the "National Guard" is supposed to protect us; not Iraqis.(snip)

http://www.arng.army.mil/default.aspx for Guard mission statements.

 

[LURCH]

Here in Michigan we have a real pickle in the race for governer. The incumbant (Jennifer Granholme), is a liberal and wants to keep raising taxes in an economy that is already 2^nd to last in the nation. So far as I can tell, she has very little idea what to do about the local economy. But, I like her stand on illegal immegration.

Her opponent, Dick DeVoss, is a highly successful businessman, and the founder of a corperation that is now a huge global juggernaught. His business savvy makes him the candidate more likely to have a good plan for the economy, and he's a conservative (Dems have controlled the local government long enough; they got us where we are). Unfortunately, his "highly succesfull business" is Amway! I'm afraid he's going to try to cure the local economy by selling shares of Michigan to our neighboring states, who can then sell them to other states for a share...

 

[Astronuc]

Her opponent, Dick DeVoss, is a highly successful businessman, and the founder of a corperation that is now a huge global juggernaught. His business savvy makes him the candidate more likely to have a good plan for the economy, and he's a conservative (Dems have controlled the local government long enough; they got us where we are). Unfortunately, his "highly succesfull business" is Amway! I'm afraid he's going to try to cure the local economy by selling shares of Michigan to our neighboring states, who can then sell them to other states for a share...

I am all for business development, but I'd like to see something more substantial than Amway, Walmart, McDonalds, . . . .

The local business community/politicians were touting tourism several years ago. The average income for that segment of the economy was $16,000/yr (~$8.00/hr assuming full time, 2000 hrs/yr employment).

I'd prefer to develop jobs in the $50K-100K+ range, especially since the only kind of housing being built in our area seems to be $400K+ houses. There might be a few houses being market in $200-$300 K range, but those are well worn. Frankly, I don't know how we'll attract young people starting out. My company already lost a talented young engineer to a bigger company which offered a greater salary in an area of lower cost of living.

 

[Kerrie]

HELLO, hair do?

hair, of course! but after a few years in office it all turns gray anyway, then it doesn't matter ...can't figure out why though?

i'm a registered libertarian because imo the libertarian point of view seems to be based on freedom for americans, isn't that what our country was founded on? anything that promotes the freedom and liberty of americans gets my vote.

it's disheartening to see our country divided, especially when our official name is UNITED States of America.

 

[Daverz]

The hard part of voting in California are the state propositions. They are almost never what they seem to be from just reading the descriptions in the voter guide. The system was originally started in the Progressive era to inject some direct democracy into the process, but it's just been subverted by big money. Usually I read the party sites -- Democratic, Green, and Republican -- and sometimes the League of Women Voters for their analysis or to see what they are endorsing. The Greens often have the most useful analyses of the propositions (though I never vote Green).

The next hardest part are all the little local positions that even the party locals fails to give an endorsement for. Sometimes I'll just leave those blank.

 

[Gokul43201]

Michigan...an economy that is already 2^nd to last in the nation...

Just curious how this is quantified. Anyone?

 

[Astronuc]

The issues:

War in Iraq

National Security

Veterans (benefits and support) - they earned it!

Energy & Environment - need programs which are consistent with sustainability and less pollution

Social Security - I can forgo SS. I won't need it and I'll probably be overseas (roaming the world) by the time I qualify, that is until I find a quiet spot in a cabin (with my books) beside a stream with a garden and orchard.

Health Care & Prescription Drugs - someone has to pay for it. Members of the administration, congress and courts (i.e. federal officials and employees) all get access to relatively generous health care plans - so why some deny it to the general population?

Education - we really need to improved the system.

Labor - fair labor practices with liveable wages

Ethics & Lobbying Reform - is that even possible in Washington DC? Why can't they "Just say NO!" to influence peddlers.

 

[Astronuc]

Just curious how this is quantified. Anyone?

My guess would be on a per capita basis of some indicator such as income or production.

 

[BobG]

The issues:

War in Iraq

National Security

Veterans (benefits and support) - they earned it!

Energy & Environment - need programs which are consistent with sustainability and less pollution

Social Security - I can forgo SS. I won't need it and I'll probably be overseas (roaming the world) by the time I qualify, that is until I find a quiet spot in a cabin (with my books) beside a stream with a garden and orchard.

Health Care & Prescription Drugs - someone has to pay for it. Members of the administration, congress and courts (i.e. federal officials and employees) all get access to relatively generous health care plans - so why some deny it to the general population?

Education - we really need to improved the system.

Labor - fair labor practices with liveable wages

Ethics & Lobbying Reform - is that even possible in Washington DC? Why can't they "Just say NO!" to influence peddlers.

Your opinion about Social Security is very generous. Considering how well a lot of people manage their finances, Social Security is the only income they're likely to have in their old age. That doesn't mean the retirement age can't be raised, but it does mean the only way it can be abolished completely is to decide it's acceptable for old folks to starve to death - that's not going to happen even if some might feel that's a deserved result for the way they lived their younger years. Still, even if it's a rip-off if you take the 'promise' of SS literally, higher and middle income people are going to have to take a big hit on benefits - and that's not going to happen since the number of older voters is increasing, not decreasing.

Someone does pay for health care and prescription benefits. Right now, they pay via higher insurance rates. Either hospitals and medical facilities go bankrupt and cease to exist or somebody pays for the care given. The higher the number of medical bills that don't get paid, the higher the charges for all medical care to cover the loss. I think I could accept a solution that increased preventative care as opposed to having to pay for emergency room visits. Overall, it would be the cheaper option (technically, I have incredibly cheap medical insurance as a military retiree, but even the low rates I currently pay for the 'free lifetime medical benefits' advertised when I joined are going up).

Labor - I still think a person sells their services for what it's worth. If you artificially push their wages higher, you're really pushing their jobs overseas to someone else. Of course, that means improving education is even more important. Where I live, there's an interesting debate about current residents having to pay for improvements to infrastructure required by an expanding population. Some argue that the alternative to current residents paying for it is to price the children of current residents out of the housing market. That's a good argument. Yet, most overlook another important point. Colorado is near the top in the percentage of the population with college degrees - they're near the bottom in percentage of high school students that go on to college. In other words, Colorado schools provide the uneducated labor that serves the educated people that move here from out of state to enjoy a low cost of living. As one of the out-of-staters, that probably shouldn't bother me or at least it should seem kind of hypocritical to say the influx should suddenly stop now, but it does seem like a big disconnect in logic. Attracting higher paying jobs to an area doesn't help current residents if current residents aren't qualified to fill those jobs.

 

[Astronuc]

I still think a person sells their services for what it's worth. If you artificially push their wages higher, you're really pushing their jobs overseas to someone else. Of course, that means improving education is even more important.

I personally believe that most corporate managers, particularly upper management and CEO's are overly/excessively compensated. Most of what is accomplished in an organization is by virtue of the direct work of salary/wage earners, and not the work of management and CEO's.

I have no problem with a CEO, board member or manager who 'invests' his/her capital, which they put at risk, and if the company is successful, they are reasonably compensated. But I strongly object to the likes of Lay, Ebbers, and others who use (put at risk) other peoples' money (not their own) and then compensate themselves as though they used their own. I worked with two managers who made in excess of $100,000, and when the company had difficulty, they whined about how they 'had never asked to be' VP/Pres, and so on - yet they were quite satisfied to accept the significant compensation.

I expect and demand fairness in the workplace.

As for corporate taxes, one possible solution would be to tie corporate tax rates to the ratio of the highest salary to the lowest wage. The motivation would be to reduce CEO/management compensation and raise the lowest wages. I firmly believe in 'sweat equity'.

 

[McGyver]

Strategy for Voting

After many years of voting, I believe the best approach to voting in these contemporary times is to vote for thoughtful and accountable leadership. I believe the "Peter Principle" applies to politics too - and that Washington needs a wake up call - courtesy of a new JOB!

Because of the high degree of ambiguousness involving Iraq, terrorism, 911, privacy, health care, taxes, and the economy, plus a Congress apparently unwilling to challenge this White House, simply one House change in Democrat control I feel would improve federal oversight and decision-making. Competition is a good thing. Seems the Dems would prefer to control the Senate. I'll take either one.

As for states, my State of California has gone too far to the left, as was revealed when the assembly and LA mayor endorsed demonstrations (that shunt down freeways) for and by illegal immigrant amnesty. Additionally, the SF mayor too eagerly overstepped his bounds in granting marriage licenses to gay couples. As for state propositions, you really have to read through the language, but can get a sense also for who endores each.

My best to all on this special election day for a more united America.

 

[turbo]

My wife and I have already voted, and though both of us are fiercely independent, we both voted straight party-line tickets for Democrats. The do-nothing Congress has abysmally failed in its oversight of the Administration and has engaged in greasing lobbyists clients to a degree that they should be prosecuted for bribery. I don't pretend that the Democrats are a bit better. In this 2-party system, the major difference between them hinges on who they want to give all my tax money to. The reason that we voted the way we did is to help drive a wave of wake-up-call voting that shows both parties that the US public will turn them out if they don't clean up.

We need open elections with standardized paper ballots that can be scanned, and rescanned if the need for a recount arises. We also need strict limits to campaign donations, and I believe that ONLY individuals should be able to contribute, and only to a financial cap that will not disenfranchise the middle class. Obviously, most of us cannot afford to give $1000 each to our choice for Senator, House Representative, etc. Failing that, we should have publicly-funded elections at all levels. If a candidate can file petitions with enough signatures, they are on the ballot. This would somewhat dilute the power of the two political parties, that are in my opinion about as different as Coke vs Pepsi, Time vs Newsweek, or the choice between being hanged or shot.

Please vote tomorrow, and vote for effect. I don't appeal to you all to do what my wife and I did - you all have your own motivations and your own candidates - but PLEASE vote. Make your voice heard so that citizens can regain some sort of importance in the eyes of our "rulers" (they pretend to serve us, but serve K street and special interests for the most part.)

 

[LURCH]

I haven't decided yet, but I've got it narrowed down. Another day or two and I'll be ready.