mineral oil primitive not a single-issue voter

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022641542

Oh my.

The eminence grise, the elder statesman, of Skins's island:

MineralMan (52,411 posts)   Tue Apr 9, 2013, 01:05 PM

I Have Never Been a Single Issue Voter

I have a number of issues that are very important to me, and that I want to go in specific directions. Not every politician who runs for office in jurisdictions where I vote supports my opinion on all of those issues. It happens every election. And yet, I make a choice and go to the polling place to cast my ballot.
 
In fact, once the primaries are over, I support the Democratic candidate in every race that will be on the ballot, even if that Democratic candidate disagrees with me on some issues. I support Democratic candidates in many ways, but mostly through campaigning and GOTV activism. My goal is always to turn out as many Democratic voters as possible in my own area.
 
Why do I support Democratic candidates who may disagree with me on issues I consider important? The reason is simple. While a Democratic candidate may not feel as I do about some issues, the equivalent Republican candidate almost always disagrees with my position on EVERY issue I consider important. Since either the Democrat or the Republican candidate will win in each race, my choice is simple.
 
Is this electing the "lesser of two evils?" No, not at all. It is voting and campaigning for the candidate who supports my opinion on most of the issues that are important to me. I do not expect that anyone will agree with me on every position I hold. The only way I ever expect to elect someone like that would be if I voted for myself, and I'm not planning to run for any office.
 
For each candidate for every office for which I will vote, I look at the candidates' positions on issues. Never in my entire life has any Republican candidate supported even a small fraction of the issues I support. In every case, the Democratic candidate has supported the majority of the issues I support. I cannot demand more than that in this society, unless I'm willing to run myself.
 
So, I will continue to look at issues each candidate supports and select the one with a chance to win who supports more issues important to me than the other candidate. I can predict with almost absolute certainty that the candidate I will vote for will be the Democratic candidate.
 
Once elected, that candidate will hear from me, encouraging support for issues important to me. Always.

markiv (109 posts)    Tue Apr 9, 2013, 01:13 PM

1. depends on how important an issue is

I didnt understand single issue voters until they demolished my livelyhood by bringing back indentured servitude with H-1b visas
 
Doesnt mean I'm a single issue voter now, just means that i understand if an issue is your survival, it can rise above all others
 
your opening sentence defines the difference between you and single issue voters
 
'I have a number of issues that are very important to me'

for some people, their personal situation happens to be different, that one issue, in reality, towers above all others
 
one should vote for what's best for their country, but one is NEVER obligated to vote aginst their own survival, because if they were, then we would have a society where groups are thrown to the wolves, which isnt the best for the country
 
that's why everyone has a vote

Tierra_y_Libertad (35,828 posts)   Tue Apr 9, 2013, 01:18 PM

2. I also support candidates who I agree with on most issues that are important to me.

Unfortunately, sometimes that candidate is not a Democrat and certainly not a Republican.

MineralMan (52,411 posts)    Tue Apr 9, 2013, 01:38 PM

3. How many of those have ended up taking office?

And who did win, if your candidate didn't?

Tierra_y_Libertad (35,828 posts)   Tue Apr 9, 2013, 01:55 PM

4. None.

Of course, I've only voted "for" a presidential candidate 4 times rather than following the "lesser than 2 evils" prescription. Note: McGovern was the only Democratic candidate I actually voted for. The other "for" candidates were 3rd party. But, Carter and Clinton (nose holding exercises) won.
 
But, elections, all of them, would have turned out the same no matter how I voted.
 
How many of your candidates won...and how would they have turned out if you had voted differently?

MineralMan (52,411 posts)    Tue Apr 9, 2013, 02:03 PM

5. Not all elections were won by the candidate I voted for.

However, in some, it really made a difference. Al Franken, for example, won with only a 700 vote margin. Very, very close. That's one example. Back in California, the congress member I voted for won by a very slim margin as well. In the case of Al Franken, he is very close to my set of beliefs on issues. In California, that congresswoman had a few issues with which I disagreed at the time of her original election. Since then, she has become closer to my opinion on some.
 
Here in Minnesota, I'm fortunate to live in a Democratic district, so Democrats win handily within the district. However, our Democratic Governor won the last election by a pretty small margin. I do not agree with all of his positions, but I disagree with all of his opponents positions. There were third party candidates. None gained enough votes to even come close. So, following my policy, I voted for the Democrat.
 
Perhaps you are lucky where you live, and your third-party votes really don't matter. Someday, though, one will matter. Make your choices carefully, please.

BumRushDaShow (11,835 posts)    Tue Apr 9, 2013, 02:48 PM

6. K&R

Very well thought-out post and I agree.

[JohnnyReb]

mineral oil primitive not a single-issue voter.....true.....give me money and kill the baby....that's 2 issues.