Listening to the 24/7 news stations and all the attendant information, it amazes me how people decide who to vote for. So how do you pick a candidate for the presidential (or out of country - your own national elections)race this fall?
I try to ID the person whose vews are as close to mine as possible first. But then I also consider their ability to lead, persuade, and deliver a coherent message.
In most elections I vote for whomever I hate the least. It sounds trite but its true. This time through is different because I actually really like someone running for president, liked him long before he ran, and the minute he said he was running I knew he was my choice unless something drastic happened.
Otherwise I try to soak up as much as I can about the people, and decide who I want running things. To me that's as or more important than their beliefs. Last election I found myself voting for multiple people I disagreed with simply because I thought they were more competent and less corrupt.
But mostly, it comes down to the lesser of evils. I tend towards one party unless something happens that makes me go the other way, as has happened before and could happen again this election cycle.
I usually look for the candidates' position on the 4 or 5 topics I feel most strongly about. These vary from election to election but usually include fiscal policy as one of them. From there, I'll listen to see if these topics are stressed by the candidate in their speeches and then judge if he/she seems trustworthy. The "trustworthy" part is the most difficult since (obviously) that isn't really an inherent trait of most politicians.
Originally posted by spfThis time through is different because I actually really like someone running for president, liked him long before he ran, and the minute he said he was running I knew he was my choice unless something drastic happened.
Hmmmm. Who could that be? The clues are so plentiful.
I generally vote for someone who lives near me. I mean, I found it hilarious that during one election, one of the candidates running for our local provincial representation didn't actually live in the area. Huh.
Keep in mind that that's not THE deciding factor, but it helps to know that they live where they're hoping to represent.
(edited by Oliver on 31.1.08 1718) I still haven't found what I'm looking for...
I pride myself on not letting party affiliation playing too big a factor. I'm most likely to vote Democrat, but in the last election I also voted for Republican, Libertarian, and Green Party candidates.
President-wise, I still haven't decided. If the candidates aren't decided by the time we have our primary on February 19th, then I'll have to figure out which primary I want to vote in, and which candidate I want to support.
For other elections, I'll figure them out maybe a week or so before the general election.
And I thought I was the only one that happened to. During my whole working lifetime I don't recall ever receiving my W-2 until practically the last mailing day in January.