Do You Vote FOR a Candidate or AGAINST a Candidate

[Waitone]

Another thread got me thinking about how we vote for president.

I've been eligible to vote since 1972. I made a deliberate, premeditated political decision to not vote. Why? Because chosing between Nixon and McGovern (IIRC) was like chosing between the electric chair and gas chamber. Both were bad news for entirely separate reasons.

Since then I find myself voting against a candidate more often than voting for a candidate. Matter of fact the only candidate I voted for was Reagan in his first term.

Anyone else vote AGAINST a candidate more than voting FOR a candidate?

 

[LoneStranger]

First, One should never waste their vote by failing to excercise the privilege and this is the only way a vote can be wasted.

Second, One should always vote FOR something. Whether you look at the candidates or issues and choose one to support or you choose to vote for a candidate or issue cause it will bring about the failure of a system always vote FOR something.

For years I voted the Prohibition ticket so I could go home and have a drink or four to celebrate my unwasted vote.

 

[Mauserlady]

Usually for me it's been a vote against someone with the exception of the recall... A vote for all the way...

 

[BerettaNut92]

Most Republicans I know in Cali were voting against Davis and Bustamante more than they were voting Republican. We got Mr Schwarzenegger.

 

[Jeeper]

I vote for the least bad candidate.

 

[hksw]

If I knew the candidate that I agree with 100% had no chance at all of being elected and a candidate that is thoroughly anti had a good chance of getting in, I would vote to get in someone else less anti (not my candidate) who might have an equal chance of getting in.

For instance :

Candidate A : 100% Anti - All bills limiting/eliminating guns/rights on his desk will be signed.
Candidate B : 50% Anti/Pro - Some bills limiting/eliminating will be signed.
Candidate C : 100% Pro - No Bills limiting/eliminating signed. [My candidate]

Possibility of A getting into office : 45%
Possibility of B getting into office : 45%
Possibility of C getting into office : 10%

I would vote B.

Unfortunate, but that's the way things are going nowadays as I see it.

 

[Frohickey]

I always vote FOR a candidate.

I voted FOR Harry Browne...(2000 Presidential)
I voted FOR Tom McClintock...(2002 State Controller and 2003 Recall Governor)
I voted FOR Gail Lightfoot...(2000 US Senate)

 

[Smoke]

Been voting 20 years.

Very few I voted for with exception of some local elections. I usually vote against.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Anyone else vote AGAINST a candidate more than voting FOR a candidate?

Yep. I usually end up voting for the lesser of two evils.

 

[MeekandMild]

Usually the Democratic primary has at least one candidate who is not a totall nutball. So I vote for them.

Then I vote Republican or Libertarian in the general election.

It gives me two shots against the nutballs.

 

[bedlamite]

Yep. I usually end up voting for the lesser of two evils.

Why vote for a lesser evil?
Cthulhu for President

 

[4570Rick]

I always vote my conscience.

I voted for Tom McClintock. No apologies.

I voted for Bush 43. No apologies.

To vote for one candidate to avoid another I think would be a disaster is no less honorable than voting for a candidate I support.

To put it another way;
When you come to a fork in the road, you may choose one or the other. Otherwise you just go home and do nothing.

 

[Monkeyleg]

If, as is so often the case in Wisconsin, there's no good candidate, I'll vote for a candidate who will drain resources from the campaign of the most anti-gun frontrunner. Every so often, though, I actually get to vote for a candidate I believe in.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

It's all about the taxes baby.
Whatever candidate looks like he/she will either cut taxes or at least not raise them gets my vote. 2nd Amendment supporters also get my vote

ZM

 

[whoami]

Always for a candidate. Last local election probably sixty percent of the people I voted for were third party...simply because their positions were most in line with my own.

And I'll be one of the few to say I respect you for not voting, if that is your choice. The right to vote is also the right not to vote.

 

[Seeker]

Always FOR.
If I feel I have to vote for the lesser of 2 evils, I abstain.
I may have offered an opinion at tfl.

 

[TheeBadOne]

Sad but true, sometimes it's against...

 

[Orthonym]

Same answer to this as to all other really important questions:

It depends.

F'r instance: I voted for W in 2000 not because I wanted him for Prez, but because:
A. I know how the Electoral College works;


B. W was the smaller curculio (lesser of two weevils) and




C. I knew it was going to be close in Fl, and if the state went for Gore by one vote because I voted for Harry Browne I would probably have had to hide out in the sewers for the rest of my life.


That said, I'm theoretically in favor of doing what I was taught in school and church: Vote your conscience; vote as if you're the only one voting in the election.


Well, as I said, it depends.

 

[foghornl]

I look at each candidate, and try to figure out what said weasel is all about. But, too many times it turns out to be voting for the least evil of those on the ballot

 

[Dorrin79]

depends on the candidates



I voted more "against Gore" in 2000 than "for Bush"

 

[twoblink]

Frohickey,

I'll better you one..

I voted for the same people, but I don't vote for people, I vote for philosphy..