What will make you choose on November 2nd?
I ask this question because I think picking a candidate is going to be damn hard this fall–especially for independent voters.
The economy isn’t better. So how can you vote for the Democrat?
Republicans flushed the economy down the toilet. How do you vote for them?
And both parties seem intent on giving corporations every advantage over the little guy. So how do you choose?
In his post-primary prediction, Brian Mann aggregated some polling data to support his contention that Democrats would hold on to their majority in the House.
I think Republicans will take the majority, for two reasons:
– The Right will vote, in big numbers. They already proved their enthusiasm in primaries–including New York’s.
– The people vital to maintaining Democrats’ majority in the House are independent voters who lean left. And these people are less likely to vote.
Why would they?
I think this question is crucial–much more important than the responses “likely voters” give pollsters.
These are the two questions I think should be asked. And I’m hoping you In Box readers and contributors will respond:
1) What will make you go vote? What will make you drive or walk to your polling place on what could be a rainy/snowy November day and actually cast a ballot?
2) Once you’re in the voting booth, what will make you choose a candidate?
Click the comment link below and have at it.
Tags: election10
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I’m an independent and unless I drop dead before election day I WILL VOTE! Who I vote for is a dilemma for me but not for the reasons you suggest. I generally vote for the candidate based on his/her positions in relation to issues that are important to me. This year, after the Republicans got us into the mess in Iraq & Afghanistan, then nearly brought down the entire economy, I find myself fighting a strong urge to just pull the Democratic lever without even investigating the other candidates. No, the economy isn’t booming but it is on an upward trend. No rational person should expect a total turnaround in 19 months time. No, the Democrats haven’t done things 100% the way I’d have liked. The thought of going back to the Bush era however scares the living #*!! out of me.
It’s the summer of recovery. I vote for whomever has a D next to their name.
Don’t see any grassroots uprising in the Dem party. Guess they like everything obama does. The conservative, smaller gov, prolife people are trying to restore the constitution and are doing so in the republican party. Doug Hoffman is one of these people. He has my vote. Matt Doheny was handpicked by the party establishment if we let Doheny in he’ll be entrenched for a long time.No one right now who is picked by them is a true constitutionist. Doug Hoffman supporters please don’t give up the fight
I will vote because I vote in every election, whether or not I like the candidates. The ability to vote is both a gift and a responsibility that come with being one of the fortunate few to be a citizen of this country.
I am a registered Democrat, and will not have any problem with marking the box for any of the Democratic candidates. I do not blame the Democrats for the state of the economy – as James Bullard says above, there is no way the current administration could make big changes in our economic circumstances after such a short time in power. I also do not think that the government is our enemy. Our government is US, it’s a human invention and institution, and our civilization is built upon the contributions of government to developing systems and organizations that serve our interests as much as it is upon technological advances and economic institutions.
I will be voting for at least one Republican as well, a candidate who I think is very competent and who will do a good job for St. Lawrence County. It would be inaccurate to say “I vote for the person without considering party”, but I do vote for Republicans, independents, and WFP candidates when I think they are the better choice.
The 2 years ago the economy was plummeting; the economy has improved under the Demsnd I am willing to give them more time. TYhe word bailout doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling, but every economist I have heard or read says it probably saved us from far worse. The healthcare bill get a bad rap but I think its the right direction considering the issues I have had with my health insurance con-artists.
I crack up when I hear tea party types talk about protecting the constitution. The only politicians I hear talk about repealing parts of the constitution are the tea partiers themselves.
I consider myself independent, and have typically voted for both moderate Dems and moderate GOP candidates. The Dems seem to recruit moderates while the GOP is slowly getting more extreme.
Considering the low turnout in the hot Doheny/HOffman primary, I would have to question Jonanthan assumption that the “right has proven their enthusiam in the primaries” at least here in the NY23rd.
But as to what will bring me to the polls, well, I always vote but already miss the satisfying “ka-chunk” when you pulled the level to close out the old machine.
Well I DO blame the Democrats just as much as the Republicans for the state of the economy. Those of you who think that people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd had absolutely nothing to do with the Freddy/Fannie debacle, who think the Dems including our present Sec State had no voice in the decision to go to Afghanistan and Iraq, who think the healthcare bill will somehow magically lower costs while absorbing millions of people who can’t afford to pay for their own insurance or who’s employers realized the fines were far less than the cost of insurance are just blind. The days of Camelot and JFK are long gone my Democrat friends, even the days of compassionate (though bumbling) men like Jimmy Carter are gone. Most of todays Democrat politicians are nothing but corporate stooges, just like most of the Republicans out there, and all of them would gladly sell all of us down the river without a thought.
I’ll stick with the few people I see who seem to realize unsustainable debt at the State and Federal level is just wrong, that demonstrate some sort of conservative ideals and that I feel are honest, or at least as honest as a politician can be. I refuse to vote the party line and am hoping the Republican party as we know it soon becomes a distant memory, replaced by some common sense conservatives who aren’t just puppets to one industry or lobbyist or another.
I am an Independent. If Doheny is the candidate for the NY 23 I am struggling with him or Owens I have not decided yet. I do want a divided government in Washington. Most of the good things that happened under Clinton were the result of his brilliance and ability to compromise with a conservative Congress for most of his two terms. Checks and balances are a good thing it produces better legislation. When we have the House, the Executive Branch and the Senate all one Part we do stupid things like start wars or buy Car companies.
At the state level, I will be with Aubertine all the way.
Scroll down the NCPR News Blog for the story on the curiously low turnout for the primary.
Yes, a small percentage of the electorate, mostly on the right, are highly motivated to vote. On the other hand, as we get closer to election day most of the rest of us are going to be very afraid of what we might end up with if we don’t get out to vote for anyone but the Tea types.
“Republicans flushed the economy down the toilet. How do you vote for them?”
Democrats flushed the economy down the toilet. How do you vote for them.
Hmmm. Maybe vote for someone who is not closely aligned with either.
This year I’m voting Republican all the way. I believe Reagan proved tax cuts pay for themselves. We need much lower tax rates, especially for the rich. The rich provide jobs and can only do that if they get enough money to invest. I’m all for making huge budget cuts also. We need to cut foreign aid first, that should save us at least a couple trillion dollars over ten years. Next, we have to pass a law making it illegal for anyone to sue anyone over anything – it just enriches trial lawyers. Next, we need to get homeland security involved in watching liberals. Beck is telling us violence from the left is coming and I believe him. Lastly, we need a serious investigation into those human-mouse brain hybrids that Christine O’Donnell has exposed. I’ll bet anything those brainy mice will take jobs away from real people. This needs to be nipped in the bud!
Yes, watch out for leftist violence! I’m pumping my pellet gun up to 10.
I could easily put an eye out!
Well violence may very well come and it won’t have anything to do with being left or right. It will have to do with desperation and a cultural and social breakdown. If someone can figure out how to fix or at least alleviate our current situation they should be in office, the current bunch as a whole have failed so far. Their solutions have not worked. Hopefully Republicans can at least take one house of Congress. The Party of NO is exactly what is needed right now.
I tend to vote dem, and probably will for everything except Governor. Paladino may be a racist nut sack but he might actually do what he says. Its funny that we live in a supposedly conservative district but when it came time to make sensible budget decision like close prisons that aren’t needed, all of our “conservative” lawmakers threw a hissy fit
I plan on splitting my votes. Generally speaking, I usually vote for Democrats for federal office but often support Republicans running for state and local offices.
That is interesting scratchy I am exactly the inverse!
For those of you who still want to blame Obama for the economic trouble ordinary families are having see this link to a Wall Street Journal story showing that average family income has declined (repeat, declined) in the decade since 2000. Even as the rich grew very rich the rising tide swamped most boats.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440604575495670714069694.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
It seems that, when we say things like “The Republicans flushed the economy down the toilet,” we forget that Democrats held majorities in both houses for the last two years of the Bush Administration. Dodd and Frank (Democrats) were in charge of financial committees — giving free passes to favored federal loan institutions which were essentially insolvent.
Democrats passed housing reforms years ago that required banks to loan money to people they KNEW would be unable to maintain payments. I don’t hold Republicans blameless here, but I don’t see any REAL recovery, and the policies enacted by Democrats — against the will of a vocal majority — will not aid that recovery.
I will be voting AGAINST every incumbent who is running for reelection. this is my way of imposing term limits and attempting to get rid of the politicians who are bankrupting this country
It’s difficult to have an economic policy argument with someone who believes Reagan proved taxcuts pay for themselves.
“[Bret4207 is] hoping the Republican party as we know it soon becomes a distant memory, replaced by some common sense conservatives who aren’t just puppets to one industry or lobbyist or another.”
Common sense conservatives??? Look at the Tea Party choices and try to say “common sense” with a straight face.
Yeah Mayflower, I guess Andy Cuomo is a much better choice. Tax and spend and borrow and borrow some more. Yeah, there’s some common sense.
I saw where Aubertine is opposing the large raises the SUNY politburo are granting themselves down in Albany. http://northcountrynow.com/news/aubertine-balks-top-suny-administrator-raises-wake-rank-and-file-furloughs-09486
They are laying off people on local campuses and then giving themselves raises, government servants who are making 250-500k per year running the SUNY system. This is what corruption is about. How can people not have a sense of doom about New York when we see how entrenched that sort of corruption is? Certainly I don’t see Prince Andrew changing any of that, but maybe I am wrong?
The U.S.A. Constitution has been acclaimed the greatest in our world. When I vote I look for men first then women who have read it and understand the original, not the twisted version taught in law schools today. If their moral character lines up with the other document ( The Holy Bible) that all of our leaders should be required to read daily as our founding fathers did then he or she will get my vote.
I will no longer go to vote against the worst of the worst that both GOP and Dems put on the ballet. I want to vote FOR someone who is true American. BB
Mervel, Aubertine is the kind of Democrat I can stomach. I only wish he’d get a lot more vocal about this stuff. People are all for considering screwing over retirees but they ignore stuff like this. Makes me wonder just where their heads are….