Voting as a moderate

[graceandpeace]

As I'm sure many already know, midterm elections are coming up this fall. I consider myself a political moderate overall, though I probably swing to the left or the right more on certain issues. And so, I struggle with how to vote. I have voted for Democrats & Republicans over the years, but I'm rarely at peace with every candidate, no matter who I cast a vote for. This year, I think I have inched closer to the Democratic Party on some things, but I am far from committed to any party. I will probably always be an independent, barring any major political changes.

How do you decide who to vote for? Are you at peace with voting?

 

[hedrick]

I agree. I'd like to vote for someone who decides issues based on evidence, and doesn't act as a member of some bloc.

 

[graceandpeace]

Yes. It is difficult to even know what a candidate will do once elected.

 

[RainsInApril]

I often feel I'm choosing the least of many evils when I vote, and I hate that feeling. I vote based on issues rather than party affiliation, but it's always a tough choice - I, too, tend to swing right on some and left on others. I couldn't vote for either of the major candidates during the last presidential election with a clear conscience, so I didn't.

 

[JGGray6]

I am a democrat who is somewhat conservative which is strange but there are a lot of issues I am passionate about. I don't like how republicans cater to the rich and believe in the death penalty and other strict punishments. But, I'm not for gay marriage or abortion, so sometimes I am just like you, I'm not fully at peace with voting even for a democrat.

 

[Albion]

I don't vote for any Democrat because that party's positions are plainly immoral and, worse, the number of elected Democrats who don't just vote how the party leaders tell them to vote are as scarce as hen's teeth.. But then, who to vote for? The Republicans are all talk and the Libertarians, although right on most issues, have no chance of being elected. I understand, therefore, how other posters here who have replied before me are in a similar quandry, even if they see the issues differently.

 

[TheDag]

I think the best option is to try and find a candidate who you could support. You don't need to agree with everything but if they listen to arguments for example then that is good. Not sure what the system is like over there but here in Oz while a elected official may vote along party lines they do get to say whatever they like behind closed doors. That is where they can be a voice of reason where policy is decided and may be able to influence. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of background politics in the US could shed more light.

 

[graceandpeace]

In the US, we essentially have a two party system (though a third party has been gaining more attention in the last few years). Each party has a platform & it is generally expected that candidates will vote in line with the platform if they're elected. Of course, there are all sorts of agendas & money involved to try to sway votes. It's just...blah. Compromise is sometimes necessary & good, but I just get frustrated over the pandering.

Anyway, I don't know who I will be voting for just yet this year. I will need to research the candidates when it gets closer & do the best I can...

NOT voting to me is not an option - always, always vote, even if it's difficult.

 

[Knee V]

I loathe the establishment of both main political parties. As Albion mentioned, it is very difficult to find a Democrat (at least at the national level) who does not go along with their party's establishment the vast majority of the time. The Democratic Party's establishment is far too strong and wide-reaching for me to ever vote for a Democrat.

The Republican Party has a comparitively much weaker establishment, and as such there are times that I vote for Republicans, but not often.

I will vote in the Republican primaries to vote for someone who is a libertarian running as a Republican, and if they don't make it I vote for Libertarians in the general election.

 

[Albion]

Anyway, I don't know who I will be voting for just yet this year. I will need to research the candidates when it gets closer & do the best I can...

If you like the condition that the country and the world are in at present, keep the party of the President in power at all levels. If not, vote for one of the other parties. Frankly, I can't imagine who would like the way things are at present.

NOT voting to me is not an option - always, always vote, even if it's difficult.

I comment you for saying that. Until they take our right to vote away, we need to exercise it.

 

[graceandpeace]

Yea, Congress has been so deadlocked, I really wish there were term limits...

I agree with some of Obama's decisions, but not others.

And so here I am, not knowing just yet what I'll do. Hopefully I won't decide at the poll like I did last time I voted!

 

[RainsInApril]

NOT voting to me is not an option - always, always vote, even if it's difficult.

Just wanted to clarify - when I said upthread that I didn't vote for either the major candidates, I didn't mean that I didn't vote at all. I voted with my conscience, even though that meant that I chose a candidate that had no chance of winning.

 

[Knee V]

Just wanted to clarify - when I said upthread that I didn't vote for either the major candidates, I didn't mean that I didn't vote at all. I voted with my conscience, even though that meant that I chose a candidate that had no chance of winning.

The first two times I voted, I voted for the person I thought was simply the lesser of two evils, just to have a better chance of beating what I saw as the greater evil. But either way we end up with evil. Now I do the same as you; I vote my conscience whether that person appears to stand any chance of getting elected or not.

 

[Percivale]

I guess if we don't vote for anyone we think can't win, the political establishment of the two parties is more in control of where the country goes, if we all voted for the best candidate as we understand, it would be more how the country ought to operate. But we have primaries to vote conscience, and in final election there's really just two options, so unless they are equally bad, best vote for the better.

I lean libertarian because I like freedom, responsibility, and less government interference, but don't like the tea party's national selfishness, not caring anything about those in other countries. On immigration, I lean democrat, since I think one of the most important freedoms all humans should have is to choose where to be a citizen, and God commands kindness to strangers. On foreign policy I've come to lean republican, because if America does not act as the primary world power, some worse country will. I support a safety net, but not too large, and believe government is needed to keep powerful corporations from taking advantage of the needy too much. So i tend to vote republican, but would vote for a good candidate from any party.

 

[Albion]

As I'm sure many already know, midterm elections are coming up this fall. I consider myself a political moderate overall, though I probably swing to the left or the right more on certain issues. And so, I struggle with how to vote. I have voted for Democrats & Republicans over the years, but I'm rarely at peace with every candidate, no matter who I cast a vote for. This year, I think I have inched closer to the Democratic Party on some things, but I am far from committed to any party. I will probably always be an independent, barring any major political changes.

How do you decide who to vote for? Are you at peace with voting?

I tend towards those candidates who can be counted upon to uphold the Constitution. Most Democrats don't respect it, but a lot of Republicans are willing to compromise, too. A moderate, then, has to look at the candidates one by one. I might add that you should also take into account whether or not the candidates you vote for will "go along with" his party's leader on issues that didn't come up during the campaign. Many insist that they're independent thinkers but wind up supporting their party's position 95% of the time. They'll still point to the 5% and pretend to be unbossed.

 

[SeekerOfChrist94]

I try to go with a candidate that I mostly agree with. More often than not that vote ends up going to the Democratic party. I'm for gay marriage, but against abortion, and I'm really not liking the Republican candidates these days. So it's a tough decision sometimes.

 

[Albion]

I try to go with a candidate that I mostly agree with. More often than not that vote ends up going to the Democratic party. I'm for gay marriage, but against abortion.

Most of us wind up having to split our ballots if we're giving any real thought to what the individual candidates represent. In your case, I take it that protecting the legal right of gays to the word "marriage" is more pressing or important than defending the lives of the unborn. I couldn't see it that way, but that's why we have popular votes; if we all already agreed on everything, we wouldn't need any elections.

 

[SeekerOfChrist94]

Most of us wind up having to split our ballots if we're giving any real thought to what the individual candidates represent. In your case, I take it that protecting the legal right of gays to the word "marriage" is more pressing or important than defending the lives of the unborn. I couldn't see it that way, but that's why we have popular votes; if we all already agreed on everything, we wouldn't need any elections.

I'm more pro-life than I am pro-gay marriage, so I choose to vote more on who's against abortion than who's for gay marriage. Some other issues I'm passionate about come into play as well, so that's why it's difficult.

 

[Albion]

I'm more pro-life than I am pro-gay marriage, so I choose to vote more on who's against abortion than who's for gay marriage.

And you've found some DEMOCRATIC candidates who take that position, too? I'm frankly amazed.

 

[SeekerOfChrist94]

And you've found some DEMOCRATIC candidates who take that position, too? I'm frankly amazed.

Like I said, I have other causes I'm passionate about too and those determine who I vote for.