NationStates Jolt Archive

Lately I have been hearing that Obama and Clinton supporters would be willing to support the Democratic primary winner even if it wasn't their candidate. I was just wondering if this was true.

Lately I have been hearing that Obama and Clinton supporters would be willing to support the Democratic primary winner even if it wasn't their candidate. I was just wondering if this was true.

There is a difference between saying that one will support the Democratic nominee regardless of which one that is and saying that it doesn't matter which one is the nominee.

For example, I believe Obama should be the nominee, but I will strongly support Clinton if she were to win the nomination.

Lately I have been hearing that Obama and Clinton supporters would be willing to support the Democratic primary winner even if it wasn't their candidate. I was just wondering if this was true.

It is true. However, Obama is probably much more capable of attracting independents and uncertain republicans.

I am a Huckabee suporter

I am a Huckabee suporter

*backs away slowly so as not to scare endangered species*

:D

There is a difference between saying that one will support the Democratic nominee regardless of which one that is and saying that it doesn't matter which one is the nominee.

True I should have been more clear about that.

Obama/Clinton doesn't matter
Aww... for a second there, I was hoping this was going to be a tirade about how the political infighting of the Democratic candidates is acting as a spectacle to shield the public from any real analysis of the need for change in the way the US is run.

Well... I suppose it could still be!

I am a Huckabee suporter



Making you made of fail;)

*backs away slowly so as not to scare endangered species*

:D

Relax, he's fair game. I mean, it's not like he's a Ron Paul supporter ;)

Relax, he's fair game. I mean, it's not like he's a Ron Paul supporter
Please! They never existed, like the unicorn, they were all just myths and half-truths!:p

Anyone who supports Obama, but would support McRambo over Billary is...weird.


Considering everything Hillary and Obama want to do, McCain doesnt want to do.

Um. Did you mean that first sentence or is it a typo?

Typo. Fixed.

Anyone who supports Obama, but would support McRambo over Billary is...weird.


Considering everything Hillary and Obama want to do, McCain doesnt want to do.

Yea but Mc. Cain is more of a moderate than Hillary is. Obama and Mc. Cain are both moderates in their party, so that's the attraction there.

Who goes to elections anyway? There's more important stuff in life.

To be honest I'm a McCain supporter but for a while I was torn between him and Obama. I guess I see both of them as being willing to work across party lines.

Yea but Mc. Cain is more of a moderate than Hillary is. Obama and Mc. Cain are both moderates in their party, so that's the attraction there.

:confused:

Despite his problems with the Republican base on a few issues, McCain is a hard-core conservative.

Obama (who I support) is slighlty more liberal than Clinton.

How one can support Obama over Clinton on the issues and then support McCain over Clinton is beyond me. I guess I can understand but am disappointed by those for whom the issue is personality.

i am an obama supporter but i would be proud to have hillary clinton as the democratic nominee. i would not hesitate to vote for her.

My option isn't there.

I'm an Obama supporter who doesn't know who she'll vote for in the general if Obama doesn't get the nomination.

I'm an Obama supporter. If it came down to John McCain and Hillary Clinton, I would probably vote third-party.
Hey, I'm in a state that's so red the last time it voted blue, we were putting FDR in the White House for the first time. It's not like my vote really counts.

Technically, since (apart from on a few key issues, like war) Hillary is a good deal ideologically closer to Obama than is McCain, I don't see why so many Democrats are flat-out unwilling to vote for her if they do prefer Obama. So maybe you wouldn't have a beer with her, maybe she's not as "electable", but she's a lot closer on the issues than is McCain.

If you believe she'll go to war with Iran or maintain authoritarian social policies, well, it's not like McCain would do anything all too different; if you believe she lies or does frequent 180s, I doubt there's a politician who doesn't; etc.

*shrugs and goes back to armchair activism*

Lately I have been hearing that Obama and Clinton supporters would be willing to support the Democratic primary winner even if it wasn't their candidate. I was just wondering if this was true.

Of course. Whoever wins, once the general election comes I'll be voting for the guy that never hugged Jerry Falwell.

This was a hard poll to answer. I support Obama but would vote Clinton. The reason it's hard for me is because I do like McCain. I use to like him a lot more before he sold his principles to secure the nomination. I also am afraid he will lead us into war with Iran. I always respected McCain for his honesty, service and fiscal responsibilty. If it wasn't for Iraq & Iran, I would probably still support him despite our differences on a few social issues.

How one can support Obama over Clinton on the issues and then support McCain over Clinton is beyond me.

It all depends on which issues you place importance. The issues that are key indicators of "Liberal/Conservative" are frequently what I consider "B.S. issues".

Let me explain - abortion is probably a key defining issue and I could care less about it. Why? Because it's a B.S. issue that will never be resolved. It is nothing but a political wedge issue that will forever be used to mobilize the base on both sides. Neither party wants to resolve the issue. There will never be much headway on either side. If there is, you can be assured the next election will sway it back the other way.

So many issues are like this for me - that I concentrate my focus on the ones I know are going to actually be important. For me, fiscal responsibility is pretty high on my list. McCain's courage in opposing the Bush tax cuts earned him a huge reservoir of respect in me that only subsided recently when he flipped on the issue.

So for me the choice is hard. I could care less about liberal and conservative labels that ultimately mean very little to me and focus on things I care about. Right now my biggest issues are the war, our crippling budget deficit and a long term energy policy. When I weigh the candidates, Clinton seems better than McCain. - Liberal/Conservative issues had very little to do with that decision.

Yea but Mc. Cain is more of a moderate than Hillary is. Obama and Mc. Cain are both moderates in their party, so that's the attraction there.

I like agreeing with you. The only person I would not vote for in this election is Hillary. I have a %66.66 chance of being happy.

I'm hoping for Obama but if it is Clinton, I'm voting either McCain or simply not cast my balot for President.

Obama supporter. If left to choose between Clinton and McCain, I will:

1) not vote

2) slip across the border into Canada as quickly as possible.

I would never, ever vote for Hillary Clinton.

I'm an Obama supporter, but I'm not sure what I would do if he didn't get the nomination. I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary, but Obama has half a chance of winning Alaska, while Hillary doesn't have a chance in hell. Given that, it would probably make the most sense to vote third party to get more folks on ballots next election cycle.

I'm a Clinton supporter, but I may not vote for either Obama or McCain if that turns out to be the general.

Yea but Mc. Cain is more of a moderate than Hillary is. Obama and Mc. Cain are both moderates in their party, so that's the attraction there.

According to the National Journal, Clinton's average Conservative Composite Score is 20.4. Obama's is 14.
Their respective average Liberal Composite Scores are 79.73 and 84.5. Interestingly, Clinton is almost always more socially liberal than Obama.
For McCain:
Average Conservative Composite Score: 59.35
Average Liberal Composite Score: 40.67

So out of the three, McCain is the most moderate, followed by Clinton, followed by Obama.

Source (http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53270&type=category&category=45&go.x=23&go.y=6) (It's only for one number, but the rest are easy to find on the site.)
As for calculating the average: I only took into account composite scores. The National Journal also has Liberal on Social, Foreign, and Economic Policy.

EDIT: I just realized the liberal and conservative scores for each candidate add up to 100. That would have made things easier.

Here is my breakdown of who I'd vote for:

1. Obama

If Obama isn't the nominee: McCain

If McCain isn't either... probably a third party

If there is no third party I like: myself, Obama as a write in in conjuction with a movement to signal the Democratic party that we Obama supporters feel very upset at Clinton swindling the nomination:

If thats not possible (hypothetically here)... then I wouldn't vote

Failing that, if I'm drunk. Like REAL drunk. I;d vote Clinton

I like Obama cause he pursues what he believes is best for the country. Clinton pursues what is best for her political career. Which is why she changes her stance on the issues (Iraq, anyone?) I do not want someone like Clinton in the White House.

McCain used to pursue based in his principles, but has diminished somewhat. I'd like to think that its only in the effort to win the presidency, and he'd switch back once in, but thats why Obama is my first pick. McCain is still better than Hillary.

And in reference to Iran/Iraq... Hillary would go no different than McCain, but I'd rather have someone who was in the military in charge of a war.

I claim racism- there's a ninja option but no pirates? LAME.

I'll be voting Obama, but I may vote McCain. No one has a satisfactory stance on my big issue-that-is-never-solved (gay marriage), but honestly, between the three? I can't say I'll be sorely disappointed any way it goes. So long as Huckabee isn't up, I'm good.

Man, I know a couple people that said that Huckabee was their second choice after Obama- and they weren't kidding. How does that work?

I claim racism- there's a ninja option but no pirates? LAME.


That's not racism, that's cool professionism...I'm sure there were Japanese Pirates and an American Ninja (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088708/)...

That's not racism, that's cool professionism...I'm sure there were Japanese Pirates and an American Ninja (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088708/)...

Mmm, B movies. I guess I should have just said discriminatory instead of racism.