how do you choose a candidate?

[Flynn]

Annie has inspired me to really think about WHY I support a certain candidate -- or not.

What are YOUR big issues you look at when evaluating a candidate for the presidency? Does the candidate have to be completely in line with these "hot button" issues for you? Where do emotions come into play?

Could you vote for a pro-life/pro-abortion candidate if they were the best person for the job and they held the opposite view you personally hold -- yet were completely inline with all other values you hold? What about the death penalty? Stem cell research? Where does the economy fall in your evaluation?

Just curious.... (we need a stir the pot emotion )

[Rapunzel]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

What influences my vote:

1)Stand on issues which are personally important to me.

2)If he is trustworthy to those closest to him (his family). This second one automatically rules out most candidates. Interestingly enough, it does NOT rule out Hillary Clinton (but #1 does ).

3)How he/she conducts their campaign.

[Vanquisher]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

I vote for the person who comes closest to my personal beliefs on the most issues, with the ones that are the most important to me getting the most weight. Since no candidate comes even close to agreeing with me on everything, I have to go with the best match.

It would be pretty hard for me to vote for a candidate who was not pro-choice.

[spotty_dog]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

I narrowed my Democratic primary choice down to two, then went through their websites picking out the issues that matter most to me and comparing how I felt about their answers to those questions.

I ended up voting for the candidate with whom I agreed more, but now I actually regret it, because I don't think he/she is as electable as the other.

[houseelf]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

Wow, stir, stir, stir!

I'm a candidate's dream voter: I'm a swinger.

Back in the follies of my youth, I used to vote an almost straight Republican ticket. However, many of the former Republican tenets have all but left the building under the current so-called republican regime. (Think: smaller government, fiscal responsibility, good foreign diplomacy). Further, I'm pretty fired up about the increasing encroachment of religion in the Republican party. In good conscience, I no longer consider myself a member of this party. It has been hijacked.

Conversely, I hold some socially liberal ideals including allowing legalizing gay civil unions, upholding the privacy interests established in Roe v. Wade, and abolishing many aspects of the Patriot Act.

In short, I have to really think HARD about who I will vote for because the admittedly unusual "house elf" platform typically isn't best represented by anyone. Because you asked, I also have to admit that I'm kind of cynical about overly contemplating most politician's ethics as part of voting considerations. It seems like ANYONE will sell their soul for power and /or a campaign contribution. Who can you believe in?

For whatever it is worth, the two candidates I'm following most closely are McCain and Obama. We need a new, more centric approach to politics. Any republican candidate is going to have to convince me that he is not just another party man. Any democrat will have to convince me that s/he will not throw an already deteriorating economy further into the crapper.

How is that for baring my political soul? I'm going to have to quote Annie here and invite you all to "Release the Kraken". Go crazy with this one.

Kelly

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

If McCain gets the nomination it will be a one party election: a socialist dem VS a right leaning dem. There will be no republican running and for sure no conservative.

Kelly - I see no problem w/the way you described things.

[Rapunzel]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

Well, after this last debate I wish I had the option of a candidate with: Huckabee's speaking ability (the man is charming in public, you must admit), Ron Paul's ideologies (philosophically he's right on target and byfar the most trueblue conservative), Romney's brains (I think the guy's the smartest presidential candidate ever in my lifetime), and McCain's....Temper? Tenacity? Powerhunger? Honestly, not much there to like with McCain....

I agree with Tara's assessment of McCain - that (his liberal policies and attitudes) is a big reason so many people had a hard time choosing between Barack Obama (byfar the most socialist of all of the candidates presently running) and John McCain. The other reason (so many people have a hard time choosing between those two) is that they both have bases voting for them based on cults of personality rather than issues.

I think that cult of personality does play a big part in many people's choices for a presidential candidate and in a president. People want a rockstar for their leader.

[DCJenn]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

I don't want a rockstar but I do want someone I can respect. I have no respect for W. There are plenty of Republicans that I do respect but he's definitely not one of them.

I want a person that should I have to introduce foreign friends of mine to him/her, I wouldn't be freaking out about what he/she might say. or do.

Jenn

[Rapunzel]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

If McCain gets the nomination it will be a one party election: a socialist dem VS a right leaning dem. There will be no republican running and for sure no conservative.

That's why I will most likely vote for a third party candidate if McCain gets the nomination - if that candidate is a person who will be conservative with my money and conservative with the growth of government (ie Ron Paul). It won't matter if I am "throwing away my vote" because whichever of the other two candidates wins the presidency we won't have a conservative president - so it won't matter if McCain or the Democrat nominee wins.

I'm not right of Attila the Hun either - I'm straight down the middle on social issues and conservative on economic ones. I think that what we have seen is a profound shift in American government towards socialism and away from what America was originally intended to be. And, I most certainly do place the blame for that downward spiral squarely at the feet of the baby boomers.

[Rapunzel]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

I don't want a rockstar but I do want someone I can respect. I have no respect for W. There are plenty of Republicans that I do respect but he's definitely not one of them.

I want a person that should I have to introduce foreign friends of mine to him/her, I wouldn't be freaking out about what he/she might say. or do.

I think that is entirely within reason.

But, I really do think that a good chunk of Americans ARE more interested in electing a pop culture figure/potential icon than they are in selecting a figure based on their intellect/ideas.

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

But, I really do think that a good chunk of Americans ARE more interested in electing a pop culture figure/potential icon than they are in selecting a figure based on their intellect/ideas.

Then how do you explain W getting elected twice? Obviously people overlooked his intellect (or screaming lack-there-of), but he's no 'pop culture figure/potential icon'.

[DCJenn]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

on the opposite side of the coin- at least maybe it'll get people out of the house to actually VOTE.

I'd like to see us not have such a shameful percentage of eligible voters casting ballots this time.

Jenn

[Rapunzel]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

The Democratic party really made a terrible choice with Kerry as their nominee for 2004. Now, if Barack Obama had run against Bush we would have seen a much different outcome. Obama has that rockstar quality which Bush is just really lacking.

I think the 2004 vote was one so-so candidate beating out another so-so candidate.




I don't know that it is a good thing, though, for people to just run out and vote for whomever is the most charismatic. If you've ever seen the movie "Ideocracy" the president is a WWF wrestler. He's charismatic and he's the "rockstar" that people want. Ohhhh, that movie is definitely something everyone should watch.... <shudder> I think I'd rather people stay home than vote for a WWF wrestler for president....

[PrincessFiona]

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

I look a lot at the candidates issues...and I agree with Julie about the little details because they really aren't hammered about by the president.

After the policy stuff, I look at the candidates personal ethics/performance over the years. How did they vote on issues that I feel are important to the country? Do they say one thing and vote another way....and if so...is there a reason why (ie did people tack things onto the bill that made it unappealing...).

Then, honestly, there is the personal...do I find that person believable/genuine.....

Interesting thread.

Kris

Re: how do you choose a candidate?

Over the years abortion was a deal breaker for me. Now, seeing how little is done for almost any abortion reform, it is more important that the canidate is against and has voted against partial birth abortion. That is something to me that is tangable, that does get faught over in the courts, is something that has been made an issue. Abortion itself is not going away.

Other issues:

Economy
The War - pull them out folks
government programs (such as welfar, ect...)
health care
imigration
education

What is most important to vote on, I guess the ones that become the fore front of campaign issues that the canidate says they want to change as soon as they get in office. It seems some things really get changed at first, and others become just nice debates that were once had but are no longer relavent.