Politicians What do you look for?

[Lanshark]

I consider myself an independent. I don't feel as if either party represents me.

I beg the Democrats to run on some platform other than "I am not a Republican"

I beg the Republicans to run on some platform other than "If you don't vote for a Republican terrorists will kill us all"

I beg the media not to delve into every personal detail of the candidate's lives thus eliminating some very good people from running. Most people don't make it to 40, 50 or 60 years old without some personal skeletons. I don't care what a candidate did 20 years ago in his/her personal life. I do care about their voting record and where they stand on political issues.


Why is it so complicated????? Are there others that are as disillusioned as I am with politics?

Tell me what politicians you actually like/trust/would vote for. Please don't tell me why you hate certain politicians.

 

[TheGoofster]

I live in Mexico (I'm a missionary), and I recently came across something that I would actually like to see in the US (considering how corrupt the Mexican Gov. is that is really unusual).
In one of the Mexican states, the candidates are not allowed to say what political party they are with. Basically the idea is for the people to vote for the person, not the party. Believe it or not there is just as much diversity in the political parties here as there are in the US (although here, it occasionaly escelades into pretty bad violence).
Now, I realize that this would be a very difficult thing to try and incorporate, but just imagine voting for a candidate based solely on his / her views, and not their political party.

 

[kayeandjim00]

I'll be honest and say I like a charasmatic person and an articulate intelligent one. The "guy you can have a beer with" persona doesn't do anything for me. I want the people representing me to be more informed about things than me. It's their JOB to know this stuff. I'm a liberal so I'm looking for someone who has good policies on the environment, is pro choice, and at this point anti war in Iraq.

 

[JoyG]

I usually end up picking the lesser of two evils.

I'm against abortion and against the death penalty and I can't usually find both those beliefs in the same candidate.

There are other issues I look for too, I guess I end up having to decide which ones are the most important to me and vote that way.

 

[jimmiej]

A true conservative! Ain't seen one since Ronald Reagan.

 

[Saffron]

I beg the media not to delve into every personal detail of the candidate's lives thus eliminating some very good people from running. Most people don't make it to 40, 50 or 60 years old without some personal skeletons. I don't care what a candidate did 20 years ago in his/her personal life. I do care about their voting record and where they stand on political issues.

I couldn't agree more, Marcie!

I look for someone who has the same ideas I have about the major issues that affect me and people less fortunate than me. I want a voice for people who aren't often heard, like seniors and our youth. I want someone who cares about the environment, health insurance or the lack thereof and rights for all, not just some. I too want someone who is articulate. I want a true diplomat in office, someone who knows about foreign policy and has a respect for other cultures.

Is that asking too much?

 

[Mugg Mann]

A true conservative! Ain't seen one since Ronald Reagan.

I'm certainly not looking for the same thing that you are, jimmiej, but I wanted you to know that I totally agree with your assessment of the current political landscape!

 

[Fitswimmer]

I consider myself an independent. I don't feel as if either party represents me.

I could have written that post. Both parties have spent so much energy catering to their extremes that there's no room for anyone with moderate opinions anymore.

I'm against abortion on demand and euthanasia, so the Republicans think I'm one of theirs. However, I'm also against the death penalty and unjust wars so the Democrats think I belong to them. I think we're taxed too much not too little, so back to the R's again. I think it's important to help people out when they're having hard times, back towards the D's. However, I don't think that help should last through 2 and 3 generations, back to the R's. I want something done about illegal immigration so the R's get excited, but I dash their hopes by wanting tougher penalties on those that hire them. I have no issue with gay marriage, which is a D position, but I want protection for religious institutions so they don't have to compromise their beliefs, which the D's don't like. I think that religious people have the right to express their beliefs, but I don't think that non-believers should be pushed aside either.

I have no home, but I haven't stopped going to vote. I hold my nose and choose the lesser of 2 evils.

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

As a lesbian (and the mother of a lesbian), I prefer politicians who are not bigots. But most of all, I wish conservatives would stop making a big political issue out of what I do in my bedroom. My God, aren't there bigger issues facing this country???? These politicians are all starting to seem like a bunch of obsessed perverts....and seriously....some of them call ME the pervert! Sheesh. I don't spend all of my waking hours worrying about what my neighbors are doing behind closed doors. I'd love to see 2008 be about the real issues. It seems to me that as the conservatives spent the last few years expending so much time and energy on banning gay marriage in every state and convincing people that homosexuals have some hidden agenda, our country has gone to crap. We have a war that is out of control, a terrorist issue that is out of control, poverty, uninsured Americans by the millions, and a world that no longer respects us. But by God those conservatives don't have to worry about me marrying my partner! Way to go! Now that they have taken care of that oh-so-important issue, could we kindly get back to more important things? Just stop using my sex life as your excuse to ignore the real problems in this country!

 

[Lanshark]

I have no home, but I haven't stopped going to vote. I hold my nose and choose the lesser of 2 evils.

This is the same situation I am in.