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pig · 01-08-2008, 03:29 PM

shani: my take on this is that you have to think about what else you're voting for, or potentially might be voting for, aside from the actual candidate. let's say that some like huckabee appeals to you, but you think that mitt or mccain is going to win the nomination, and you can't support either.

fast forward.

mccain gets the nomination, and you can't really support mccain. now, do you vote republican or not?

i think that's a personality decision, to some extent, and a question of your level of engagement in party politics. i don't think your party affiliation is that strong, or you wouldn't be asking the question. so you would have to ask yourself, i think...what else would i be voting for, by voting for this candidate. who are this person's handlers, and what will this mean in terms of supreme court justice nominations, earmark funding, national resonance with that party being in "power" ?

maybe nothing, if you agree with roach and think that it's all more or less rigged to keep the powers that be in power. but you might ask yourself if the party's policies, in general, more accurately represent you.

either way, i wouldn't vote for or against because of fear of alienating yourself from a party base, or from simple groupthink appeals...which i think your co-worker's position seems to suggest...but because you think it's more important for a particular party have more control of the system.

if you don't feel that way, and that not much is gained by voting for a particular party, i would personally vote the strongest 3rd party candidate. not because i would support 100%, or even 50%, of their platform. i would vote strong 3rd party for the reasons jazz alluded to above. i would like for american politics to be opened up to more viewpoints in the debates, if you want to call them debates instead of soundbite trading competitions, and i'd love to see the major party candidates have to wrestle with positions that point to the fundamental seat of political and social power in the united states.

i don't know if that's an informed position, or if it's of any use. basically, in the end, vote (or don't vote) based on what you feel comfortable with.

01-08-2008, 03:29 PM	#32 (permalink)
pig pigglet pigglet Location: Locash	shani: my take on this is that you have to think about what else you're voting for, or potentially might be voting for, aside from the actual candidate. let's say that some like huckabee appeals to you, but you think that mitt or mccain is going to win the nomination, and you can't support either. fast forward. mccain gets the nomination, and you can't really support mccain. now, do you vote republican or not? i think that's a personality decision, to some extent, and a question of your level of engagement in party politics. i don't think your party affiliation is that strong, or you wouldn't be asking the question. so you would have to ask yourself, i think...what else would i be voting for, by voting for this candidate. who are this person's handlers, and what will this mean in terms of supreme court justice nominations, earmark funding, national resonance with that party being in "power" ? maybe nothing, if you agree with roach and think that it's all more or less rigged to keep the powers that be in power. but you might ask yourself if the party's policies, in general, more accurately represent you. either way, i wouldn't vote for or against because of fear of alienating yourself from a party base, or from simple groupthink appeals...which i think your co-worker's position seems to suggest...but because you think it's more important for a particular party have more control of the system. if you don't feel that way, and that not much is gained by voting for a particular party, i would personally vote the strongest 3rd party candidate. not because i would support 100%, or even 50%, of their platform. i would vote strong 3rd party for the reasons jazz alluded to above. i would like for american politics to be opened up to more viewpoints in the debates, if you want to call them debates instead of soundbite trading competitions, and i'd love to see the major party candidates have to wrestle with positions that point to the fundamental seat of political and social power in the united states. i don't know if that's an informed position, or if it's of any use. basically, in the end, vote (or don't vote) based on what you feel comfortable with. __________________ You don't love me, you just love my piggy style