Mock election

[RealGun]

How would you vote today?
Duration - one week
To be repeated monthly until the election or until John McCaine (Sen.-R-AZ) and company restrict it (Campaign Finance Reform Act).

 

[USMC_2674]

So what exactly does All Republican's mean if we are voting for a president?

I am voting for Bush.

 

[RealGun]

Clarification

"All" means straight ticket. "All Republican", for example, means you are voting for all the Republicans on the ballot, no matter what. That would include George Bush for President.

The poll does not address voting for a party or mixed party affiliation without voting for a Presidential candidate. "All" means a choice by default, based only on political party.

There is room for four more choices in a future iteration. Feel free to make suggestions.

Significant voting for third party can be broken out into specifics in a separate, third party-only poll. I do not intend to minimize third party interest. The poll is intended to be unbiased within the limits of 16 polling choices.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

As of right now, I am not going to vote for either Bush or Kerry. I am looking for a third party candidate that is worthy. As a last resort I'll write in Bill the Cat and Opus. Those of you that used to read the comics know what I'm referring to.

As far as the local and state elections, I vote for whatever candidate looks like he/she won't raise my taxes or mess with the gun laws. Usually that is Republican but not always.

When I vote for ballot measures I almost always vote down any measure that raises taxes or costs me money. The tax structure here in Monsoon Central is more "F***** up than a football bat". Even if the politicians in Salem actually come up with a good idea, there is no guarantee that the money will get to where it is supposed to go. They are always begging for money, predicting gloom and doom and by some miracle, state government goes on. What a bunch of thieves and liars.

ZM

 

[Shooter 2.5]

We might as well get used to calling kerry the president according to this. I can assure the people on this board the dems aren't going to vote for Nader.

All we had to do was elect Bush, keep the House and add a few pro-gun Senators and we could have rolled back any gun control law we chose.

But Nooooo. [Steve Martin voice]

 

[TaurusCIA]

But I still like Kerry Berry pie and Blue Kerry muffins.

 

[Unlucky]

I'm holding my nose and voting Bush. Kerry is putrid already and the election is 7 months away.

 

[RealGun]

It's time to quit yakkin' and start voting. This thread is not meant to continue the yada-yada. I think we've heard all the arguments on other threads. You'll comment as you wish, but it would be most appreciated to have comments about the poll itself or about any trends apparent in the ongoing results.

We'll examine the possible motives for the "stupid poll" votes when we're finished at the end of the week (7 day poll). At this point I take it as a count of those who are non-participants in the American political process, save heckling the pre-election debates.

This poll proves little conclusively and is only meant to be interesting. One does have to kind of put their money where their mouth is.

 

[Devonai]

I'll vote for Bush for President, and Libertarian for anything I else I see on the ballot. If there is no Libertarian candidate, I'll default to Republican.

 

[RealGun]

Shooter 2.5

"We might as well get used to calling kerry the president according to this."

[RealGun]

Uh, so far, that would be kind of a dyslexic view, wouldn't it? I don't follow you.

 

[Shooter 2.5]

Realgun,

Because 20 % of the gun owners are going to waste their votes on a third party candidate. The dems aren't going to do that and this is a gun web site where you would think the posters would do everything possible to vote out the anti-gun politicians.

Since they aren't doing that, welcome President Kerry as your new gun grabbing president.

 

[RealGun]

Shooter 2.5:

Because 20 % of the gun owners are going to waste their votes on a third party candidate. The dems aren't going to do that and this is a gun web site where you would think the posters would do everything possible to vote out the anti-gun politicians.

Since they aren't doing that, welcome President Kerry as your new gun grabbing president.

[RealGun]
That's a good observation. I suspected that was where you were headed and wanted to have it stated explicitly, which you did. However, some concentration of third party interest, particularly of the libertarian bent, is inevitable on a gun forum. I think they would be dreaming to imagine that evidence of their views here would be representative of the general electorate, voting primarily on personal wealth issues, directly or indirectly, whether Democrat or Republican. Votes for Bush or Kerry I believe measure how many are willing to deal with mainstream politics as an issue of pragmatism. I think the idealists keep the pragmatists honest, but they are no more than idealists, accomplishing nothing but being a conscience. For some, that is satisfying apparently. It is their choice.

There are probably some motives for rejecting the mainstream choices that are less admirable, more compulsive spoilers than idealists.

 

[Werewolf]

RealGun

As an exercise in activism you might consider sending the results of this poll weekly to the campaign manager of each presidential candidate. Explain the source of the vote, the demographics, the number of THR users etc.

The number of THR subscribers means we are a statistically valid representation of internet using gun owners (which means we are on average better educated and make more money than the non internet user). The information could be useful to both candidates in guaging where gun owners like us stand - especially GWB...

To establish a confidence interval of plus or minus 5 points you need to get at least 1200 of us to vote each week.

Might make a difference - couldn't hurt.

 

[12-34hom]

Out of the 75 votes cast so far, i see one simp would vote for Kerry.

God help the USA if; Kerry should become President, it could be the last free election held in the USA.

I also heard the the Governor of Iowa {Vilsack} is on the "short list" of possible running mates for V.P. This states economy has been decimated by his politics, but on the good side he promised not to run again as governor of this state.

12-34hom.

 

[Greg L]

Straight Meadow Party ticket .

 

[RealGun]

Taking this poll seriously

Werewolf wrote in part:

"As an exercise in activism you might consider sending the results of this poll weekly to the campaign manager of each presidential candidate."

[RealGun]

The poll could be taken that seriously if THR readers will register their votes.

The concept is to end the poll after a week and come back 3 weeks later, after current events have had some possible influence. A continuous poll would not offer anyone a chance to indicate a change of heart.

The sands do shift as the election date approaches. A major misstep in the interim by the incumbent administration could change sentiments considerably. Opponent support could erode also due to some campaigning gaffe or expose. Any position could improve or deteriorate. Expression of third party support has the potential to gain dramatically or could fall away pretty completely in percentage terms.

Hopefully the election will not be decided in the late going based upon superficial considerations, like who seemed the slickest in a debate, who had the better body language, or who wore the better looking tie. I think informed voting is to be preferred, but hey, that's politics.

 

[RealGun]

"Stupid poll" votes

They aren't commenting, so I will take it that, if you can't prevail, discredit the process.

 

[Devonai]

Next time don't allow an invalid choice. If people think it's a stupid poll they'll either abstain from voting or vote realistically and then complain down here.

 

[RealGun]

Good suggestion

Devonai: "Next time don't allow an invalid choice. If people think it's a stupid poll they'll either abstain from voting or vote realistically and then complain down here."

[RealGun]

If there is another poll, it will not provide visibility for overly cynical views of the whole process. Demonstrating their presence on THR will be a tired subject beyond the first poll.

 

[JohnBT]

"possible motives for the "stupid poll" votes"

1. All polls are stupid.
2. Some folks are in a bad mood.
3. Or have a hangover.
4. MYOB.
5. This poll is stupid (for whatever reason related to the choices)
6. The only vote that matters is in November.
7. And so forth.

Some people are soooooo touchy.

John...put me down for the President in November - I am registered and I do vote. Kerry's still flip-flopping like a beached fish. The last time I saw lips like his they had a hook through them.

 

[Triad]

All we had to do was elect Bush, keep the House and add a few pro-gun Senators and we could have rolled back any gun control law we chose.

Uh huh. That's why we've seen so much gun control repealed during Bush's first term right?

 

[murrie]

Because 20 % of the gun owners are going to waste their votes on a third party candidate.

I have to say this is a highly offensive statement. I am sure you didn't mean it that way but as someone who puts an extreme amount of thought into picking the candidate that most closely matches my political view points the very idea of a wasted vote is absolute nonsense. The only wasted vote is one that is not cast.

You sound just like the Democrat "Anyone but Bush" crowd.


I personally will have to think hard about voting for Bush since he only comes close to matching my political view in very generic ways, and as a gun owner am left wondering what Bush has done to earn my vote; though I do believe that that WW4 may very well be the trump card that plays my hand in his favor.
Kerry is a joke and would never get my vote.
Almost any Libertarian candidate would be a better match my philosophy than either of your "valid" candidates. .


I voted "other party" since I have not completely decided to vote for Bush, but since you think that any vote but a Bush vote would be 'throwing away my vote' id like to change my vote to "stupid poll"

 

[RealGun]

murrie wrote:

"I voted "other party" since I have not completely decided to vote for Bush, but since you think that any vote but a Bush vote would be 'throwing away my vote' id like to change my vote to "stupid poll""

[RealGun]

The poll does not sponsor the view that only a Bush vote is a valid vote. It is no more than an attempt at an interesting thread, taking advantage of the nice polling capabiity of THR.

In order to consider a topic of politics manageable one can simply say what they believe and not get too involved in responses based upon another's having had too much coffee. I think flaming, even of the milder kind, is counterproductive on any topic on any forum.

 

[USMC_2674]

At some point, the system will be ready for a 3rd party...

Get a 3rd party candidate who is worthy of trying... who has held an office before... who can show the rest of the uninformed people that he or she is right for the job.

Until that point, a 3rd party vote isn't wasted... it does have a SMALL effect of showing that someone out there isn't happy. You would need to have a LARGE effect to make it WORTH voting that way though.

Particularly in THIS election... a third party vote can make things a LOT worse.

While you may not want Bush in the Whitehouse when compared to your third party candidate (I agree by the way), you can't possibly want Kerry there instead of Bush. And at THIS time with THIS election, a vote for anybody except for Bush IS a vote for Kerry to win.

Believe me, Iwish it wasn't so, and I look forward to the day when either A) libertarians start running under Republican platform and we have some GOOD republicans or B) the nation is ready for 3rd party candidate in the primary elections.

Semper Fidelis

 

[Michigander]

I think the "Stupid Poll" choice is a good idea. But to be fair, there should also be "Wow! This Poll Rocks!" choice as well.