As a new immigrant, what made you realize which political party in the USA you belonged to?

[Peikko 1,575]

This has to be BS quote of the day.

MC I'd like to hear a few of your "independent" points where you just can't vote Democrat?

I've never voted Democratic. That you have buttonholed me as a Democrat is no skin off my nose. I have never voted on party lines period. That you don't understand that is, well your problem. Enjoy it.

[Danno 1,228]

I've never voted Democratic. That you have buttonholed me as a Democrat is no skin off my nose. I have never voted on party lines period. That you don't understand that is, well your problem. Enjoy it.

all that is interesting now tell us about the huge issues which separate you from being in the Democrat party.

Look we all want to say we are "independent" it just has such a "smarter than the rest" ring to it but the truth is I have never heard you voice anything of any size which would not put you down as the typical Democrat (not that theres anything wrong with that).

If you are Independent... so am I.

[Peikko 1,575]

all that is interesting now tell us about the huge issues which separate you from being in the Democrat party.

Look we all want to say we are "independent" it just has such a "smarter than the rest" ring to it but the truth is I have never heard you voice anything of any size which would not put you down as the typical Democrat (not that theres anything wrong with that).

If you are Independent... so am I.

You may well be, it would rather depend on whether you have signed up to a political party or not. As for your opinion on my political leanings, as you do not actually read the things I write, but simply chalk it up to another wacky lib on VJ OT and make assumptions right and left, you really have no idea what I would or would not vote for.

I don't have a list by the way, when it comes to voting, I read the candidate's manifesto and literature and make a decision based on the proposals that they put forward as to the actual policies that they wish to implement or change. My voting habits have nothing to do with party ideology.

[Danno 1,228]

You may well be, it would rather depend on whether you have signed up to a political party or not. As for your opinion on my political leanings, as you do not actually read the things I write, but simply chalk it up to another wacky lib on VJ OT and make assumptions right and left, you really have no idea what I would or would not vote for.

I don't have a list by the way, when it comes to voting, I read the candidate's manifesto and literature and make a decision based on the proposals that they put forward as to the actual policies that they wish to implement or change. My voting habits have nothing to do with party ideology.

COme on Cleo this is not hard, here let me promt.

I mainly break ranks with Democrats because they typically___________.

[Peikko 1,575]

COme on Cleo this is not hard, here let me promt.

I mainly break ranks with Democrats because they typically___________.

What part of, "I don't base my political decisions on ideological lines" do you not get Danno?

[Niels Bohr 72]

Typical of Danno.

I see a nut loose.

Edited January 25, 2010 by Niels Bohr

[Danno 1,228]

Typical of Danno.

I see a nut loose.

Don't you have a meeting with your Counselor about now?

[slim 1,534]

The party system is the whole problem. Why do people ally themselves to a party instead of just choosing whomever best represents their interests?

[Niels Bohr 72]

That's the best summary ever!

Why do people ally themselves to a party? I sure don't. Somethings I like about Mr. Barney Frank, and something I don't like. And, something I like about the Gov of RI (a Republican by the way) and some things I don't like. On the other hand, some people here seems to be jacked up about one political party.

The party system is the whole problem. Why do people ally themselves to a party instead of just choosing whomever best represents their interests?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

The party system is the whole problem. Why do people ally themselves to a party instead of just choosing whomever best represents their interests?

[Danno 1,228]

The party system is the whole problem. Why do people ally themselves to a party instead of just choosing whomever best represents their interests?

I don't think the problem is that, I mean all these so-called independents do is, throw the election to ...one of the two parties.

There are a list of things I look for in a candidate and if he or she meets my basic outline I vote for them if not.. I don't.

I didn't vote for McCain because at the time I thought he was part of the problem with the GOP.

Had I and millions of others voted for McCain and he won the GOP would be still on that "Democrat-lite" track. (Though in the short term the Country would be better off).

-------------------------------

The biggest fault with belonging to a Party is this seductive trap so many get caught in... the "My team vs their team" mentality.

The issues come second to your "team" winning.

Look at the people who voted for Obama for no real reason except the hype.... oh and he was Black (can't forget that clincher).

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I don't think the problem is that, I mean all these so-called independents do is, throw the election to ...one of the two parties.

There are a list of things I look for in a candidate and if he or she meets my basic outline I vote for them if not.. I don't.

I didn't vote for McCain because at the time I thought he was part of the problem with the GOP.

Had I and millions of others voted for McCain and he won the GOP would be still on that "Democrat-lite" track. (Though in the short term the Country would be better off).

-------------------------------

The biggest fault with belonging to a Party is this seductive trap so many get caught in... the "My team vs their team" mentality.

The issues come second to your "team" winning.

Look at the people who voted for Obama for no real reason except the hype.... oh and he was Black (can't forget that clincher).

There are millions of voters who do tow the party line no matter what. An open minded voter votes for the candidate that they feel is best suited for the job, not because of what the party dictates.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I sure didn't vote for Obama because he was black.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I sure didn't vote for Obama because he was black.

Why do you hate black people?

[Texanadian 10]

California is a hotbed of technology and biotech innovation. Texas, not so much. The people leaving Cali for Texas are the rejects of the new economy, the people who can't make it and need to go someplace where their weak money goes farther.

http://www.city-journal.org/2009/19_4_california.html

California SHOULD be the best state. Has agriculture, tourism, movie industry, silicone valley, etc. Yet they're the bottom of the barrel. Heck at one point California had a bigger deficit than the other 49 states combined. It doesn't matter why people are moving away from California (not just to Texas but to other states as well). It matters that people ARE moving away from California.

Why would anybody want to live in Compton in a 1 bedroom shack when for the same money, they can get a 4000 sq ft house in Austin? If this is weak money, I'm all for it. Texas was spared the housing bust that California had. We simply don't believe in overvalued home prices.

I don't think the problem is that, I mean all these so-called independents do is, throw the election to ...one of the two parties.

Disagree. The problem is people voting for candidate A simply because they like candidate B less than A. So you take a 3rd party candidate who has everything or at least mostly everything you want in a candidate.....And then you vote for one of the big 2 party candidates in order to keep the other big 2 party candidate out. To me, this isn't true democracy. And it really is wasting your vote if you're voting for somebody who is "popular" instead of somebody who is "right." I've voted for people in provincial and local elections who really didn't have much chance of winning compared to the big well known candidates. But I personally thought they were the best choice. If somebody else gets in, well so be it. I voted my choice. I have a clean conscious after voting. And I don't have to worry about some weasle who promised the moon only to turn around and become a two-face about campaign promises.

The problem in the US is that the electoral college determines your vote regardless of who you actually voted for. If you live in Texas, you could vote for the communist party. But at the end of the day, your vote got counted for the Republican. In California you could vote for the Prohibition party, but at the end of the day, your vote got counted for the Democrat party.

Take Harry Browne ('96 & 2000 Libertarian candidate). He lived in Tennessee as did Al Gore. Both of their votes in 2000 got counted as Republican votes for Bush because TN went red during the election. I highly doubt either of them voted for George Bush. Browne was a class act. Even though he qualified for federal election funding by taxpayers, he rejected the money. It went against his beliefs on big government spending.