WHAT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE REPUBLICAN?

[Pooky 3,348]

Their dislike of Democrats?

Occam's Razor states the most obvious answer is usually the right one (However, I might have got that wrong)

P

[IAMX 3,055]

Their dislike of Democrats?

Occam's Razor states the most obvious answer is usually the right one (However, I might have got that wrong)

P

I think Occam's Razor talks about simplicity, which is more for a part of science. However, it's been well debunked because the logical method of getting to a result isn't always the simplest, and hence the "Razor" can skew objectivity.

[Pooky 3,348]

Their dislike of Democrats?

Occam's Razor states the most obvious answer is usually the right one (However, I might have got that wrong)

P

I think Occam's Razor talks about simplicity, which is more for a part of science. However, it's been well debunked because the logical method of getting to a result isn't always the simplest, and hence the "Razor" can skew objectivity.

But the part about disliking Democrats is simple and, in most cases, true for Republican voters. Not much science required.

P

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I like Obama's claim that he wants to invest in alternative energy technology and envisions such technology bringing jobs to this country while helping us reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

You know the truth is that I like that too. I'll tell you what- the world that Democrats ideolize is actually very much in line with the way I'd like to live.

I really do not have any desires to be independantly wealthy. I am happy just living in suburbia and eating leftovers for dinner. I am happy with my public school and I am skeptical about vouchers.

I take the time to separate my garbage to where the recyclables actually go in the blue garbage can and I only have to set out an actual garbage can once a month.

I ration water. I wouldn't dream of driving a gas guzzler and I like to walk to places if they are close enough. I shut off every light in the house. I haven't turned on my A/C since June, and I keep all my windows open to save energy and really the electric bill with the A/C doesn't break my budget, and I turn my thermostat down to 65 degrees at night in the winter when I go to sleep. I do these things because this is how I like to live- and being a Christian, I believe we are actually supposed to live basic lives, not live of excess. I believe if we all lived like this, everything would be golden.

So, why do I vote Republican? Because we don't all live like this. In fact, the vast majority of us don't live like this if we have a choice. It is simply a fantasy. I cannot get my own wife to get off the kick of buying a bigger car even though she complains about high gas prices, so how can I expect 200,000,000 other people to?

Energy independance and living on alternative fuels will take conservation and sacrifice in the short term- do you not agree?, and I do not believe people will accept those sacrifices if they don't think they have to. In order to truly change our direction with energy dependance we are going to have to go through an initial period of pretty harsh conditions, like perhaps 4 or 5 years- just long enough for the current President and his plan that people will see causing them hardship to be swayed by the promise of a return to the easy life and voted out. And it will happen, because people are not patient, and people do not like to be poor. So it is a pointless exercise.

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

There's a whole range between our current way of doing things and your description above when it comes to energy conservation, but I was talking about something different - boosting our sagging economy by investing in alternative energy technology with the consequences being job growth as well as a reduction of dependency of foreign oil. McCain's promise isn't too far off from that same goal, it's just that both candidates have different ideas of going about doing that. If you look at McCain's economic plan, the main crux of it is continuing Bush's tax cuts for the rich. How is that helping our sagging economy right now? Not only that, when add all the things he wants to do, the 407B deficit will continue to grow under McCain. To be fair, it'll grow under either one, but according to economists, McCain's plans amount to a much higher deficit. And that deficit is one factor spinning us into a recession. The Republican Party since Reagan has never been concerned about deficit reduction and yet the economists have said over and over that reducing the deficit is one of the key components toward economic stability. Our economy is far worse than what most of us are feeling and we seriously need a President who is willing to abandon the current policies and adopt solid strategies for turning it around. McCain just isn't going to do that and has actually held firmly to the failed economic policies of the Bush Administration.

Same old tired argument. When will you starry-eyed "greenies" understand that these technologies can't in any way be competitive with oil? These technologies aren't anywhere near maturation to compete with existing fuels. You'll rarely see any statistics on efficiencies or the cost/recovery of investment over time vs. using existing fuels. Solar panel use is heavily subsidized in states like California with the cost of the subsidy borne by the state taxpayer, and still the systems make no economic sense. It takes years to recover the initial capital costs of purchase and installation.

Greenies ignore the cost of manufacturing these items, both in dollars, as well as the environmental costs that are simply displaced from the exhaust pipe of your car to the smokestack of factory.

Listening to some of these groups, and reading some of their propositions makes it sound like we can simply plant crops of solar panels, or lithium batteries in the Midwestern cornfields and use the "free" energy they produce. Nary does anyone address the cost of disposing all these devices at the end of their life cycle. What to do with millions of pounds of Lithium batteries per year going to salvage yards? Solar panels, same problem.

It's simply naive to believe that any of these technologies are going to do anything to alleviate the use of oil in this country in the short term, or even in the long term.

The most viable hope for reducing dependence on oil, in a practical manner, without relying on "pie in the sky" technologies is to develop more Nuclear Power to replace Oil, coal burning plants.

The most viable fuel for cars in the short term is LPG, and then Hydrogen.

The Nancy Pelosi’s and other delusional democrats want to place all our resources into developing technologies that may never pan out.

Plain dumb. That’s why I vote REPUBLICAN.

kaydee, you keep making those claims, but you can't back it up with any facts. We have and should continue to invest more into alternative energy not because anyone believe solar or wind power is going to replace oil...that's your dishonest claim of what Obama and others are proposing. Bush and McCain have also talked about a gradual shift towards alternative energy as a way to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Your cynicism is predictable. Nobody is going to convince you to see things any other way. So be it.

[JULIAFERNO 0]

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

What a great republican campaign slogan..."It's all about ME! Me me me!"

Looks like you make an exemplary republican

[IAMX 3,055]

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

What a great republican campaign slogan..."It's all about ME! Me me me!"

Looks like you make an exemplary republican

Sadly that is true.

What is the point of a Republican perspective of "me" when one lives in a society and reaps the rewards of it?

One must retain individuality, but at the same time we're talking about voting in elections, not choosing what car you want, color to paint your house, etc.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I'm always confused by Dems versus Reps thing I see here and elsewere. I always vote for the person I feel is the best candidate - for me, usually a Democrat but sometimes a Republican. Neither party has a monopoly on good ideas, compassion or intelligence.

[dalegg 143]

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

What a great republican campaign slogan..."It's all about ME! Me me me!"

Looks like you make an exemplary republican

Sadly that is true.

What is the point of a Republican perspective of "me" when one lives in a society and reaps the rewards of it?

One must retain individuality, but at the same time we're talking about voting in elections, not choosing what car you want, color to paint your house, etc.

Oh my head is aching. Nice way to take this out of context peoples. .

The question is what makes people vote Republican? This sounds like a personal question to me. Just before the single line quote you decided to pluck from my long drawn out explanation of how I AGREED with the Democratic philosiphy of making a better society but believe that it is unrealistic and will ultimately make things worse, so the next question would be what does either party offer to ME? And I explained that.

And lets tally up yet another reason for disliking Democrats- the way you love to attack people for not agreeing with you.

[Ban Hammer 12,837]

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

What a great republican campaign slogan..."It's all about ME! Me me me!"

Looks like you make an exemplary republican

is that too far off from how dems vote?

[JULIAFERNO 0]

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

What a great republican campaign slogan..."It's all about ME! Me me me!"

Looks like you make an exemplary republican

is that too far off from how dems vote?

Most of the democrats that I know vote democratically because of the communal and societal ideals that democracy promotes, not only ideals that will benefit themselves, but ideals that benefit the whole. Most democrats are willing to pay higher taxes because the societal benefits outweigh the personal "loss".

[Tsup2 0]

The Democratic Party in my view lacks a moral compass. The party platform stresses tolerance for alternative lifestyles, abortion on demand, bigger government, more taxes, environment extremism, an energy policy that continues America's dependence on foreign oil and a pacifiist "America is the problem attitude to foreign affairs". The rich already pay the majority of taxes and Obama wants to increase the non paying tax base from 38% to 50%. He doesnt have a good understanding of economics and just how is he going to change this country for the better when he has never exhibited any leadership or working across the aisle to pass legislation? It's empty rhetoric of hope and change. He is an opportunist who can't even speak correctly without saying "uh, you know, look, etc." He associates himself with radical Anti-American people like Rev. Wright. Obama claims he never knew of the anti-American or racist statements of his Pastor even though he attended the church for 20 years. I dont look to the government for hand-outs and dont want their involvement in health care. I want the government to provide a strong national defense, secure the border, create a good business environment and get out of the way. The Republican party lost it's way under President Bush, but McCain is not Bush. He has demonstrated that he will oppose his party when they stray from their ideals. Sarah Palin is a reformer who isnt sold out to trial lawyers and special interests. The media bias is obvious. Republicans have to run against Democrats and the Media. The only reason that the polls are favoring the Republicans now is because Americans are starting to pay attention. We need someone in the White House who can do more than give a good speech. America is a wonderful country, let's keep it that way.

[JULIAFERNO 0]

The Democratic Party in my view lacks a moral compass. The party platform stresses tolerance for alternative lifestyles, abortion on demand, bigger government, more taxes, environment extremism, an energy policy that continues America's dependence on foreign oil and a pacifiist "America is the problem attitude to foreign affairs". The rich already pay the majority of taxes and Obama wants to increase the non paying tax base from 38% to 50%. He doesnt have a good understanding of economics and just how is he going to change this country for the better when he has never exhibited any leadership or working across the aisle to pass legislation? It's empty rhetoric of hope and change. He is an opportunist who can't even speak correctly without saying "uh, you know, look, etc." He associates himself with radical Anti-American people like Rev. Wright. Obama claims he never knew of the anti-American or racist statements of his Pastor even though he attended the church for 20 years. I dont look to the government for hand-outs and dont want their involvement in health care. I want the government to provide a strong national defense, secure the border, create a good business environment and get out of the way. The Republican party lost it's way under President Bush, but McCain is not Bush. He has demonstrated that he will oppose his party when they stray from their ideals. Sarah Palin is a reformer who isnt sold out to trial lawyers and special interests. The media bias is obvious. Republicans have to run against Democrats and the Media. The only reason that the polls are favoring the Republicans now is because Americans are starting to pay attention. We need someone in the White House who can do more than give a good speech. America is a wonderful country, let's keep it that way.

Why do democrats lack a moral compass? Perhaps tolerance of diversity and alternatives is simply a different form of morality. I didn't realize to be moral one had to possess strict and narrow ideals that fit neatly inside of a box. And how, exactly, does bigger government, more taxes, and environmental "extremism" demonstrate the lack of a moral compass? Perhaps you meant that the moral values of democracy do not align with your own.

Edited September 13, 2008 by JULIAFERNO

[JULIAFERNO 0]

The Democratic Party in my view lacks a moral compass. The party platform stresses tolerance for alternative lifestyles, abortion on demand, bigger government, more taxes, environment extremism, an energy policy that continues America's dependence on foreign oil and a pacifiist "America is the problem attitude to foreign affairs". The rich already pay the majority of taxes and Obama wants to increase the non paying tax base from 38% to 50%. He doesnt have a good understanding of economics and just how is he going to change this country for the better when he has never exhibited any leadership or working across the aisle to pass legislation? It's empty rhetoric of hope and change. He is an opportunist who can't even speak correctly without saying "uh, you know, look, etc." He associates himself with radical Anti-American people like Rev. Wright. Obama claims he never knew of the anti-American or racist statements of his Pastor even though he attended the church for 20 years. I dont look to the government for hand-outs and dont want their involvement in health care. I want the government to provide a strong national defense, secure the border, create a good business environment and get out of the way. The Republican party lost it's way under President Bush, but McCain is not Bush. He has demonstrated that he will oppose his party when they stray from their ideals. Sarah Palin is a reformer who isnt sold out to trial lawyers and special interests. The media bias is obvious. Republicans have to run against Democrats and the Media. The only reason that the polls are favoring the Republicans now is because Americans are starting to pay attention. We need someone in the White House who can do more than give a good speech. America is a wonderful country, let's keep it that way.

Moreover, if you want the government to "provide a strong national defense, secure the border, create a good business environment and get out of the way" what business is it of theirs to support or protest alternative lifestyles, abortion, or any other civil rights issue? You are quite contradictory.

[IAMX 3,055]

Oh my head is aching. Nice way to take this out of context peoples. .

The question is what makes people vote Republican? This sounds like a personal question to me. Just before the single line quote you decided to pluck from my long drawn out explanation of how I AGREED with the Democratic philosiphy of making a better society but believe that it is unrealistic and will ultimately make things worse, so the next question would be what does either party offer to ME? And I explained that.

And lets tally up yet another reason for disliking Democrats- the way you love to attack people for not agreeing with you.

Actually it was a general response, not one aimed at you.

I think of it as my overall encounters with the GOP (or people who ideally associate themselves as Republican through and through) this century.

But remember, I'm also not a Democrat. They've screwed up plenty in getting me not to vote Democrat anymore.

The Democratic Party in my view lacks a moral compass. The party platform stresses tolerance for alternative lifestyles, abortion on demand, bigger government, more taxes, environment extremism, an energy policy that continues America's dependence on foreign oil and a pacifiist "America is the problem attitude to foreign affairs". The rich already pay the majority of taxes and Obama wants to increase the non paying tax base from 38% to 50%. He doesnt have a good understanding of economics and just how is he going to change this country for the better when he has never exhibited any leadership or working across the aisle to pass legislation? It's empty rhetoric of hope and change. He is an opportunist who can't even speak correctly without saying "uh, you know, look, etc." He associates himself with radical Anti-American people like Rev. Wright. Obama claims he never knew of the anti-American or racist statements of his Pastor even though he attended the church for 20 years. I dont look to the government for hand-outs and dont want their involvement in health care. I want the government to provide a strong national defense, secure the border, create a good business environment and get out of the way. The Republican party lost it's way under President Bush, but McCain is not Bush. He has demonstrated that he will oppose his party when they stray from their ideals. Sarah Palin is a reformer who isnt sold out to trial lawyers and special interests. The media bias is obvious. Republicans have to run against Democrats and the Media. The only reason that the polls are favoring the Republicans now is because Americans are starting to pay attention. We need someone in the White House who can do more than give a good speech. America is a wonderful country, let's keep it that way.

There's several things I can address about the post here:

1. Obama's tax on the rich is a political ploy. There's no reason to believe that if he were presented with a bill, with a Democrat-led Congress, that would increase payroll taxes, for instance, that he would veto it. It's a way of saying one wants to raise taxes, but placating to a group who are ardently anti-tax but stupid enough to take the bait of taxing the rich.

2. About the bigger this, bigger that. Republicans cannot suggest they are anti-big government or anti-spending anymore. They've spent the ####### out of this government since Reagan, and George W Bush expanded the federal government and it's role, partially (but certainly not entirely) thanks to the bullshit of "terrorism", as if we're constantly under threat here from evil.. whatever-we-can-make-up-today.

3. Obama's plan before his Presidential campaign was sound. Energy efficiency, alternative fuels. Since then, he's, again placated to the idiots who think drilling is going to accomplish any-######-thing for us. Drilling more is as much a solution as handing more shovels and sandbags to people in New Orleans over building a more concise floodwall infrastructure. This country cannot drill it's way out of this oil crisis. The suggestions of drilling more are a complete joke. We would only slightly reduce dependence upon foreign oil, and it would hardly affect price at all in the distant future, and not at all whatsoever affect price in the near future. Offering incentives to buy hybrids, or the incoming BEVs and FCV's are going to help us get out of this oil crisis. Finding alternatives entirely is just the thing this country needs to rid of foreign oil dependence. Right now people with their heads down the oil well are preventing this country from getting the alternative energy that we need, and it needs to change. California, for instance, is headed down the right path as we roll out the Roadster, with Tesla aiming at a sedan which is obviously going to be fractionally as expensive, Honda is coming out with the FCX, and that's the tip of the iceberg, with all of the hybrids I see all over the roads throughout the Bay Area, for example. On top of that, corporations like Google and Microsoft offer incentives to employees by taking a share of the cost of a new hybrid or alternative energy vehicle. Last I checked for Google, it was $5,000 they would cover for a Prius, for instance. That's 25% off right off the bat, before the tax rebates and incentives from the state. Action is needed, and there has been hardly any action on the federal level thanks to political bullshit.

4. About health care, you can always get private, too. Taxes are best representing what the people prefer. If you don't want to be a part of the people in these regards, you can always make your money under the table, and forget about reaping rewards from society by using public hospitals, public schools, or any public service taxpayers pay for. If the people want health care, they get it. Not everyone has to agree, and they can choose alternatives, which don't include not paying taxes.

[Ban Hammer 12,837]

Other than that, I can't see any point of voting Democrat. There is nothing, nada, zip they have to offer me.

What a great republican campaign slogan..."It's all about ME! Me me me!"

Looks like you make an exemplary republican

is that too far off from how dems vote?

Most of the democrats that I know vote democratically because of the communal and societal ideals that democracy promotes, not only ideals that will benefit themselves, but ideals that benefit the whole. Most democrats are willing to pay higher taxes because the societal benefits outweigh the personal "loss".

from my view, those who vote democratic want all of the communal and societal stuff, yet a vast majority of them are at the lower end economically, i.e. it's voting for themself.