Why Are You Voting That Way?
 

This poll made me curious as to the specific reason that you are backing either Bush or Kerry. In other words, why are you planning to vote the way that you are? Are you Pro-Bush or are you Anti-Bush? Are you Pro-Kerry or are you Anti-Kerry? Or, do not give a crap either way?

I can only imagine what this country would be like after another four years of constitutional degradation. These guys gotta go, if only to protect the civil liberty of the American people.

I have enough problems with Bush so that I think it'd be misleading to call myself pro-Bush. So I picked anti-Kerry.

I love the fact that I can be anti-bush without saying i'm pro-kerry.

I'm tired of voting "lesser of two evils" here.

Hallelujah, brother!

Kerry is alright, but I really just don't like Bush. I don't look forward to the idea of another 4 years with him in office. In fact it makes me shudder. I can't really think of pretty much anyone (who would actually be running for office) who if running would cause me to vote for Bush.

I am Pro-Kerry and have been since I knew he was running. He is socially liberal, fiscally conservative (for a Democrat), stong on the military (despite how he is being painted), well versed in international affairs and knows how to get things done in Washington.

I suppose you could say I am both anti bush and anti kerry, because if I wasn't I wouldn't have even bothered looking for alternatives. That's how it started out, but now that i've looked at his issues, it isn't that Nader is the least bad, I think he might do some good. So I voted I'm 3rd party and that's how I'm voting. Idealism aside, though, I am more antibush than antikerry, so considering a main party candidate will likely win, I would prefer Kerry. But I am voting Nader anyway because I want to help dispel the myth that voting 3rd party is a waste. It is only like that because people believe that. And don't say I am taking votes away from Kerry, because I am not. I am a registered republican. So if I am taking votes away from anyone, its bush,

For all the anti-Bush voters out there, here is something to think about. It is a sad state of affairs when you are willing to vote for someone who is not a very strong candidate just because there is a perceived notion that he may be able to beat the guy you hate more. I think that is where, during the primaries, democratic voters went wrong. They picked the guy they THOUGHT could beat Bush, not the guy who was really the best candidate. The best candidate in my humble opinion was John Edwards. I, being a republican would have voted for him because he really would have been better than Bush. I will not be voting for John Kerry because I believe he is not a good candidate. I guess what I am trying to say is that the democrats probably lost a lot of republican votes because most of us would not vote for John Kerry if we were paid to and now you risk loosing the whole enchilada. I think I will start a thread to take gentlemen’s wagers on the election.

Some of us haven't even had our primaries yet. You can see how much effect we have on the candidate.

That is true but the Kerry stream roller took off after Iowa and there was no slowing it from there. The media who tends to lean left (MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and please note that I did not include FNC and AM radio) took that as the sign that he would be the nominee and then forced it down everyone’s throat. All the pundits, at least made your choice for you. I'm not trying to flame here by the way, just thinking out loud.

The man reads my mind.

Thank you. No one has a right to say they are tired of voting for the lesser of 2 evils. The only reason there is a perception of 3rd party votes being a waste is because too many people are too scared to actually vote their mind. The more votes a 3rd party gets, at least, the more the big parties pay attention to their message, and at best the more funding those parties get towards a better chance the next time. Change happens slowly, but only if you work towards it.

http://www.nota.org/
None of the Above

Oo! I like that idea. Still, in this campaign I'd vote Nader.

Also, anyone getting Brewster's Millions flashbacks?

George Bush is the best thing to happen to this country in decades. I'm happy that he is the current President of the United States and I'm enthusiastic about voting to reelect him.

I'm with Art on this one.

Geo Bush is a man who has a vision, a solid idea of what he wants to accomplish. Kerry strikes me as a guy who merely wants to be *not Bush*! His campaign is being run as the anti-Bush 2004.
I mean seriously, in a country with so much familiarity, are the beliefs of our combined population easily assembled in Bush v/s NOT Bush?

It is unbelievable to me how many people are simply voting anti-Bush. Using your vote in such a negative way will cause you to be dissatisfied with whoever wins. Instead, I suggest voting for who you want to see as President, even if they're not on the ballot.

While I am Pro-Kerry, I am also anti-Bush. Often, when you have few options and you have strong, even philisophical differences with a politician, you must vote for the opponent, even if that person is not your ideal. For many, myself included, it is not Bush's Iraq policy or even fiscal policy that drives their fever to remove him from office. Many are cocerned about his tragically short-sighted environmental policies, the possibility of his appointing a Supreme Court justice, his limiting of stem-cell research and many other issues. While the individual is important, the direction which the individual would like to see our nation move is just as important. So those who may not be incredibly excited about Kerry but who are fed up or down right opposed to Bush have little other choice, and I would never fault them for that.

Then there is the......dare I say it again.
"Bush scares the Hell out of me", crowd.

Most re-elections are by nature a referendum about the President, and has less to do with his replacement. Carter's loss in '80 was more about a dissatisfaction with his leadership and the poor economy, while Reagan and Clinton steamed through easy re-elections because of the strength of their first terms. I think the Democrats could have put Jesus up as their candidate in '84 and still have gotten trounced.

I think, were we to do a little time-travelling back to 2000 and run a similar poll, we'd have seen a lot more pro-Gore than anti-Bush votes.

In case someone would like a few more reasons on why we should not like Bush, here are a thousand or so...

http://www.thousandreasons.org/listB.html

While none of the choices are perfect, Bush has a better grasp on the world situation than Kerry does IMO. So, I guess that makes me Pro Bush. I am slightly Anti Kerry because of his style and some glaring inconsistencies in his statements.

Based on the poll results, it seems like there is a lot of Bush bashing going on. All I can say is that this was the right guy at the right time. This is the guy I want to standing on the wall. Based on the poll, I will probably take shit for that comment but that is why I love America, we can agree to DIS-agree without whipping out our AK-47's and shooting each other. No matter how you vote, just make sure and vote, you will get my respect for doing so.

I'm voting Anti-Bush, but not Pro-Kerry. It's not like i'm not Democrat, i totally am, but there's just something about Kerry i don't like, though i can never quite put my finger on it...oh well.

Just to let you all know... if you are anti-Bush and not voting for Kerry you might as well not vote at all.

I am so glad we live in a country where we can debate this stuff so freely. I wish campain finance reform hadn't passed, so we would be even more free.

Damnit, now I have to buy a new monitor as you just made me spew my breakfast all over it. ARTelevision wins the award for most baffling statement of the day.

Hi me meet me. I agree totally.

I'm pro John McCain, but will vote for Bush because for the first time in my life I'm a single issue voter. That issue is national security and the GOP offers the best option IMO.

I couldn't agree more Stare At The Sun, analog.

Same shit, different day / president / lies. It is all the same to me.

Poly Sci 101 teaches that a "winner takes all system" generates two strong parties, with third parties simply taking votes from those parties. That concept along with the "winners win and losers lose" idea means that third parties are not able to gain a foothold in a "winner takes all" system. Voting for a third party might influence a major party in the future but at the known cost of a vote in the present.

Being scared has nothing to do with the lack of third party votes, simple democratic theory is the cause.

I'm tired of voting for the lesser of two canidates because both parties are fielding poor canidates. If the Repubs fielded Mccain and the Dems fielded Nancy Pelosi (who I'm betting will be a pres canidate in 2008), I'm willing to bet that everyone would be pretty happy.

I would have to say I'm more anti-bush than pro-kerry...I think that Edwards would have been the best choice for the democratic nomination. Either way, I don't think that even with someone new in office, we have anyway out of this situation that we find ourselves in.

I have to go with Derwood...I can't comprehend what people are seeing when they say that President Bush has been the greatest thing for this country. Even if you are republican, do you have to be that far right wing that it clouds your vision about what we have going on right now? Come on, this administration has been very dishonest about this whole Iraq thing and there is a cloud of secrecy surrounding all this war on terror. In four years, we have gone from a surplus budget to a record deficit (which can't all be attributed to Pres. bush), but the amount of deficit spending can be attributed to this administration. The economy is turning around somewhat and there is evidence that jobs are being created, but the earning factor in the jobs that are being created are not necessarily equal to that of the jobs that were lost during the first 3 years.

analog hit the nail on the head here. I am Democratic but I can not see myself voting for Kerry as I think he will not be a good president.

That was Peter.

Um, yeah. So I'm still anti-Kerry.

I'm voting for Kerry because thinking of more rights, money and freedoms being squashed and squandered by a bible-thumping, fact-hiding administration.

Do I love the thought of Kerry being president? not really. But until we finally break free from thee two-party system in this country I'll play by the rules and vote for the better man for the job.

The question is this:

Do you want to live without freedom & cheap oil.

or

Do you want to live with freedoms, but have no money to exercise them with?

I feel like your avatar after reading this. Does Bush = no freedom or oil, and then Kerry being freedom and no money huh?

Right now I'm anti-Bush, he is weak as a leader. Kerry will decide for himself in the next few months whether he can step up and be a good candidate thereby earning my support. If Kerry can make a few firm statements differentiating himself from Bush then he will be the clear choice. As it is now Kerry has yet to define himself.

I have not decided yet, and I can't decide to vote one way or another until I have as many facts as I can. I am not an automatic-party voter. I vote for whoever I feel will do the job.

I completely don't like the politics of one of the candidates, and I agree with most of the other. I won't divuldge though.

Bush a weak leader? Not in my eyes, but hey, you're entitled to your own opinion.

Once Kerry's handlers tell him what to be, then he'll be able to define himself. He can't seem to figure it out on his own.

I'll vote for Bush because he says what he believes (and I agree with those beliefs) and he sticks to his convictions.

If you find a perfect world, please send us all directions and a map.

Until then, remember that cliches are borne of universal truths - isn't the lesser evil better than the greater evil?

I understand your frustration, though - this will be my ninth presidential election, and so far, 6 of the eight have been "against" the other candidate. This one will be (ABB), also.