NationStates Jolt Archive

I am actually looking for feedback from both Americans and Europeans...

whoever they are told to

They vote for who they think has the best agenda according to their opinion (which has been manipulated by the media and advertising campaigns of the candidates- much like anywhere else on the world). Bottomline is that our democracies are not really democratic.

the guy with the most charisma.

I am actually looking for feedback from both Americans and Europeans...

Depends....

Which candidate does one feel best represents their interests?

I usually vote straight Libertarian, but thats just me.

One thing is for sure, for those of us who do NOT vote, we should not complain. Afterall, if you are not going to participate in the process you cannot complain when the process does not go your way.

From what I can see, they vote based on "image" and who they'd like to go have a beer with, but will never get the chance to.. *LOL* :D

The lesser of two evils.

Or in some cases, the evil of two lessers.

From what I can see, they vote based on "image" and who they'd like to go have a beer with, but will never get the chance to.. *LOL* :D

That must be how Clinton kept getting elected. He is the LAST person I would ever want to have a beer with. ;)

well for the most part,

Republicans vote Bush- He's their canidate, many arent smart enough to vote otherwise.

Democrats vote Kerry, or Nader- Most hate Bush but many dont like Kerry.

Independants vote Nader or Kerry- Nader is their Candidate, but many just vote for who they think can beat Bush.

One thing is for sure, for those of us who do NOT vote, we should not complain. Afterall, if you are not going to participate in the process you cannot complain when the process does not go your way.Would you apply that to other areas? Would those who don't actively campaign against padeophilia have no right to claim to be against it?

People vote in three ways that I have heard of:

Unthinkingly-These voters go to the poles and vote straight party ticket, don't know who the canidates are, don't even know what the party stands for, but their pappy liked 'em, and that's who they were taught to vote for, and that's what lever they are gonna pull.

Humorously-These people don't care, and don't take voting seriously, believing their vote doesn't matter. They vote because they like the guy's tie, they think their wife is hot, because they are Mickey Mouse, etc.

Thinking- These people take time and effort to get to know all canidates running, consider their policies, look to the outlook of the future on all their plans, check their track record in other campaign promises and see if the personal morals of the canidates match their own, or are more similar in one case or another.

Sadly, possibly up to 95% of all voters are in the first two brackets. 50% of America doesn't vote at all. *shrug*

Hey, at least we don't have a dictatorship. Yet.

-R. S. of UC

Would you apply that to other areas? Would those who don't actively campaign against padeophilia have no right to claim to be against it?

No, because there is a LAW against that. If you do not vote, you cannot complain about what is being done because you had a chance to influence it and did not.

If you KNOW your house is going to catch fire and you have that knowledge but you take no steps to influence the outcome, then you cannot complain when the flames break out.

I am a libertarian, socially liberal and fiscally conservative political person.
I would like the foreign relations to improve dramatically.
I really dislike members of Bush' cabinet, namely Rove, Wolfowitz, and Rumsfeld and Cheney, who i feel got us in this Iraq mess. We have by far the most elite military ever seen, we took out two countries in an unprecedented amount of time, and in Iraq, it was like, once we overthrew Hussein, sort of a lost, "now what?" sort of performance.
We cannot afford the present entitlements the US has in 10-15 years as it is, yet Bush rolled out another one, in the Medicare drug benefit, 600 billion or more over ten years we cannot afford. ENTITLEMENT REFORM MUST BE D0NE, AND DONE YESTERDAY.
though i voted for him in 2000, Bush has been somewhat embarrassing. I like his get after 'em attitude on the radical isalmists, but how do you offend the whole world in doing so? that takes effort.
and so on and so forth.....but the alternative?
Kerry. a northeastern elitist lawyer who has never held a real job outside of politics. NEVER get entitlement spending reform with him. Has no clear agenda. NO ONE seems to get a great way of getting the Arab opinion back on our side is to resolve, forcibly, if necessary, the Palestinian issue. We forgot that most of our European friends do not want to bring us down or weaken us, but do want us to refrain from really messing things up, as our hyperpower status allows us to do. (France excluded) I see nothing to make me think Kerry is a viable alternative, due to his party's knee jerk love of more social spending, when we have no flexibility to have more, it needs to be reined in....what's a thinking american to do when given two bad choices? Choosing between bad or worse is horrible....Can i move to England or Australia? Well educated hard worker, here, lol, I will be a good citizen.......what should an American with no real choice do here? hope for a split between congress and the presidency? Move out of the country, lol?

No, because there is a LAW against that. If you do not vote, you cannot complain about what is being done because you had a chance to influence it and did not.

If you KNOW your house is going to catch fire and you have that knowledge but you take no steps to influence the outcome, then you cannot complain when the flames break out.But surely you're still refusing to take part in that process? (I thought libertarians were supposed to be about personal responsibility instead of relying on the 'nanny state'?:D)

But surely you're still refusing to take part in that process? (I thought libertarians were supposed to be about personal responsibility instead of relying on the 'nanny state'?:D)

Well, even with personal responsibility you still have to have laws, because there are those who refuse to act responsibly. ;)

Shouldn't the question by 'why' or 'what' Americans vote for?

Looking at the results of the last election, perhaps most of the voters would have been better advised to stay home...or should it be the vote counters who would have been better staying home and not miscounting chads??