I’ve only voted for one presidential candidate in my life who won (Jimmy Carter, and I’d like that vote back), and most of my political life has been out of step with the country. You know those (misleading) “right track/wrong track” polls? I’ve never thought that the country was on the right track. At best, there have been times that the train on the wrong track was slowing down a little, but in the past couple years it’s been speeding up to the point that the boiler is about to blow (not sure how far to stretch this metaphor…).
Anyway, I’m gratified to be among the majority of likely voters (note, not “adults,” or “registered voters,” which are useless for determining election outcomes) whose views are closer to Sarah Palin’s than Barack Obama’s. Note also the disparity between the views of the political class, which still loves The One, and the serfs.
If it makes you feel any better, Debbie Schussel bashes Palin in a post I link to.
I’ve only voted for one presidential candidate in my life who won
I’m surprised to hear that. I’d have thought you would have voted for Reagan. What didn’t you like about him?
Yes, Reagan was a great candidate and it was a honor to vote for him. Also I guess you never voted for either President Bush?
I’ve voted for every GOP POTUS candidate since 1980, even though I had to hold my nose a bit in 2008.
But had I known what a wonderful job that Obama would do in destroying the democrat party I possibly would have voted for him in 08!
Cecil Trotter,
Our voting records are identical for President. Basically I have also voted straight Republican for members of the House and Senate, with one exception, Bill Richardson in 1982, since I recall he struck me as more supportive of space then his opponent. His support for the spaceport in New Mexico since then has borne that out. BTW, I had the honor voting for Dr. Jack Schmitt in 1982 as well, although he lost.
Of course this year is the exception and I will vote for Senator Reid thanks to the Tea Party express although the rest of my votes will be for normal Republicans. If being rational makes me a enemy of the radical right that is fine as I was always thought to think for myself. And rational thought, not angry passion, is what is going to restore Republicans to power.
As a side note, I think I will give this poll to my graduate Marketing Research class as a discussion item as there are a number of issues with it that will be educational in how bias is built unintentionally into a poll and why pollsters need to be neutral in their feelings.
Wait a tic – was that because you didn’t vote every opportunity?
Or did you vote Kerry, Gore, Dole, Perot, (can’t remember who ran against first GW), Dukkakis…?
That would be an interesting progression reflecting your evolution of political thought.
My first opportunity to vote in a presidental election was in the 1999 primaries. At least I picked the winner. The only elections in which I’ve been able to vote for someone I actually like have been state primaries. Voting privileges, while widely sanctified, aren’t very glorious in practice. Just better than the alternative (at least in a republic).
Ryan Olcott,
Don’t forget Carter in 1980 and Mondale in 1984.
The Gipper stumped them both 🙂
I also often find myself rooting (rather than voting since I’m not a US citizen or even a resident) for candidates who lose in the primaries: Paul Tsongas, Wesley Clark, Hillary Clinton.
The only Republican presidential nominee I’ve ever voted for was Bob Dole (and I held my nose tightly while doing so). That’s how odious I thought Bill Clinton was. The rest of the time I voted libertarian, except for 2000, when I voted for Nader to try to give him enough popular vote to get him funding for future campaigns, and 2008, when I didn’t bother. As a Wyoming voter most of that time, my vote didn’t affect the outcome, so I could use it to make a statement.
That’s how odious I thought Bill Clinton was.
Do you still feel that way? Many Republicans (I know you aren’t a Republican) have started to dislike him much less than they used to. The same goes for Hillary.
Interesting Rand. As a Washington voter, it feels like my vote doesn’t count. (boxes of ballots will turn up in someone’s trunk just in time for a 3rd recount) But something strange has happened.
The state legislature passed a law saying that Washington’s electoral votes will go to whomever wins the national popular vote, similar to what happened in Massachusetts. I can’t wait for Washington’s electoral votes to go to Sarah Palin or whichever ant-Obama candidate in 2012.
The strange thing, you ask anyone about this new law and no one knows about it. Drama incoming.
Do you still feel that way?
Yes. I don’t know what’s happened in the interim that would cause a change in it. As George Will said, he might not have been the worst president, but he was probably the worst man, and most corrupt, ever to be president. That was the point at which I became not a Republican, but a strong anti-Democrat.
The state legislature passed a law saying that Washington’s electoral votes will go to whomever wins the national popular vote, similar to what happened in Massachusetts.
Isn’t it contingent on a sufficient critical mass of other states doing the same thing?
Wow. The Washington legislature disenfranchised the voters? Bizarre. It’s been a while since I moved out, but I hadn’t realized the wet side had gone that mental.
OK. Google seems to say it doesn’t take effect until at least half of the other states (measured by electoral vote count) pass similar measures. So right now all it does is expose the clown noses on the legislators.
Well in fairness, Carter was the Obama of his day. He seemed like a breath of Hope ‘n’ Change after the twistiness of the Nixon and Johnson Administrations, and the seeming woodenness of the Ford Administration.
If there’s one electoral mistake Americans make over and over again, it’s falling for the morals messiah. Vote for me an’ we shall SMITE the unrighteous, and return to the pristine values that made us strong… The name of the religion and details of its dogma change over the decades, but the essential framework stays the same.
As George Will said, he might not have been the worst president, but he was probably the worst man, and most corrupt, ever to be president.
Clinton was and is corrupt but I think the title of “most corrupt” goes to LBJ. JSC didn’t end up in Houston by accident. Also, a man I know spent 8 years in SE Asia during the 1960s as a mercenary/contract pilot. He told me a lot of stories about how certain companies ended up with all of the big money construction contracts over there and SURPRISE! LBJ and his wife were big stockholders in those companies. As he told me, “No one wanted the war in Vietnam to end because they were making too much money.” LBJ went to DC as a poor man and came home in 1969 worth over $40 million. You can’t do that on congressional/presidental pay unless you’re corrupt as hell.
Indeed, and even after seeing it close-up for myself two years ago, I still don’t understand it. If I did, I’d probably be a voter.
Of course this year is the exception and I will vote for Senator Reid
Well that is just stupid.
From powerlineblog.com:
“Fresh off of referring to Chris Coons, the Democratic candidate for the Senate in Delaware, as his “pet,” Harry Reid has now called Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) “the hottest member” of the Senate. The comment about Gillibrand came at a fundraiser. The junior Senator from New York reportedly turned red.
Not long ago, of course, Reid said of then-Senator Barack Obama, that he’s “light skinned” and “with no Negro dialect.”
Yessiree Tom! An otherwise straight-ticket voting Republican shouldn’t vote for that kooky Angel lady.
That’s it, Harry — keep flapping that jawbone of yours. Demonstrate to the world how reasonable you are…
Cecil Trotter,
[[[Of course this year is the exception and I will vote for Senator Reid
Well that is just stupid.]]]
Well I suppose I could vote for the actual Tea Party candidate for Senate, the one that Sarah Palin and the out-of-state Tea Party Express ran over.
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/24624547/detail.html
Tea Party Candidate Rejoins Nevada Senate Race
Ashjian Running As ‘Real Tea Party Candidate’
POSTED: 1:24 pm PDT August 13, 2010
[[[LAS VEGAS — Will the real tea party candidate please stand up?
Scott Ashjian, the Nevada Senate hopeful who was famously told to ”Get Lost”” by the Tea Party Express, is set to relaunch his campaign Monday as the “real tea party candidate.”]]]
[[[A campaign spokesman indicated that much of Ashjian’s platform will be based on job creation and he blasted both Angle and Reid for offering no solutions to put unemployed Nevadans back to work.]]]
But I expect the Tea Party machine at Fox News will flatten him as a favor to Sarah Palin.
Thomas Matula,
Voting for Harry Reid is still stupid.
Cecil Trotter,
Voting for the nut cases Sarah Palin is selecting as her puppets is even dumber.
Thomas Matula,
Harry Reid is the very definition of a nut case.
By the way, WTF is it with you and typing my full name?
@ Daver and Rand
Aww you guys rained on my parade, now I have nothing to look forward to in 2012.
Cecil,
[[[By the way, WTF is it with you and typing my full name?]]]
I was just being polite, but if you prefer to be called Cecil fine with me.
At least Senator Reid is smart enough to know you should campaign in Nevada when you are running in Nevada. But then Angle may be recruiting among the Utah John Birch Society for her rebellion when she loses….
Again, something you won’t see on Fox News. From the Salt Lake Tribune.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50311476-76/angle-reid-utah-conference.html.csp
[[[By JUDY FAHYS
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Sep 20, 2010 06:29PM]]
[[[Sharron Angle, the tea party conservative from Nevada, urged Utahns of all stripes to help her “take out” the most powerful man in the U.S. Senate: Majority Leader Harry Reid.]]]
[[[ Angle was the closing speaker at a daylong conference at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City hosted by a new coalition of conservatives called Utah United. Billed as “Utah’s Freedom Conference: Reclaiming Our Constitutional Heritage,” it featured workshops on topics that ranged from making use of social media to protecting state sovereignty.
Sponsors included the John Birch Society, the Eagle Forum,]]]
Yep, gotta get those nice mainstream Utah voters to vote for you when you are running in Nevada…