Who did/will you vote for?

[Oldgamer]

I thought it might be instructive to find out who you've voted for in the past, and who you'll vote for this year. Although this is primarily for Americans, those of you from other countries could tell us either: who you have voted for in your country and/or who you would vote for in 2008, if you were an American. I'll start out:

1968
I should have been able to vote in 1968, but the age of voting was lowered to 18 between the 1968 and 1972 election cycles (it was 21), and I was only 20 in '68. If I had voted in 1968, I would have voted for Richard Nixon, although I would have been completely comfortable with Hubert Humphrey as President.

1972
Primary: Richard M. Nixon, because he was the closest to my views, at the time, and had the best chance to win.
Election: Richard M. Nixon

1976
Primary: Gerry Ford, because he was the only person who reasonably had a chance to win. I considered him too far to the left for my taste, however.
Election: Gerry Ford

1980
Primary: Ronald Reagan. He was emphatically the most enthusiastic vote I've ever cast.
Election: Ronald Reagan

1984
Primary: Ronald Reagan!
Election: Ronaldus Magnus!

1988
Primary: Was tempted to vote Libertarian for Ron Paul, but couldn't stomach most Libertarians! Voted for Pat Robertson (a graduate of Yale Law School), because he was an evangelical Christian, and I liked his views.
Election: George HW Bush. Basically most of my views, and was a loyal Vice-President to Ronald Reagan.

1992
Primary: Patrick Buchanan, for two reasons. First, President Bush had violated his "no new taxes" pledge. Second, I wanted to protest the GOP sending out Colin Powell as an attack dog.
Election: George HW Bush

1996
Primary: Patrick Buchanan, once again as a protest vote, because of the stupid idea that a person should become the GOP's nominee because "it was his turn".
Election: Robert Dole. He was a decent person, a war hero, and generally represented my views.

2000
Primary: Alan Keyes. The vote for him was one of the most enthusiastic I've made since Ronald Reagan. The man's views were my own, and he inspired me greatly.
Election: George W. Bush. The anti-Algore. I had few views on him, except that I didn't want Algore to be President. However, if he did what he promised to do, at that time, I would be more happy with his choice.

2004
Primary: George W. Bush. Because I hated John Kerry's guts.
Election: George W. Bush. Because I hated John Kerry's guts, and because President Bush had done everything that I had hoped he would do.

2008
Primary: Although Fred Thompson's views are closest to my own on almost everything, my wife and I have jumped on the Mike Huckabee bandwagon (part of this is personal ... he is the second Presidential candidate I've been acquainted with from Arkansas). Also, it will irritate the Ron Paul supperters! I want the frontrunners in the race, and the eventual winner, to know that they cannot win without the Christian Right, and Huckabee is exactly the person to send that message.
Election: Anyone but the DEM nominee.

[King Edward III]

Ron Paul.

[Oldgamer]

Ron Paul.

Why? Just curious, as there must be some rationale. Or are you just interested in starting the RP flood?

EDIT: What's the voting age in the UK?

[Aru]

Not much point in posting here as no one knows about my country's politics.
But I'll make it short.

I have always voted for Social Democrats and their candidates. Or to be more specific, Social democratic Party of Croatia.
Why? Because SDP is only left center party that can get into parliament from my county, which is predominantly right. Presidental elections are not that important as president is mostly ceremonial position, still I voted for current president Stjepan Mesić.

[Last Roman]

2004: my first voting experience

primary: didn't vote
election: John Kerry. I bought into the whole "well, at least he's not Bush" thing. Would've been better than Bush, but still a crappy president.

2008:

primary: im still waiting to see how the GOP fiasco turns out
election: as Ron Paul will probably not get the nomination, I'll be casting my vote for Obama (assuming that she devil doesn't get nominated)

[JP226]

I voted Bush b/c I really didn't want doofus John Kerry to win. Not really enthusiastic about Bush though, especially as of late. I want to be and want to give him the benefit of the doubt but this whole border thing and government growth is just plain sillyness. Iraq doesn't bother me really. Whether it was Bush or not we'd have been there eventually, alot of vital interests there.

This election I don't want to vote. We need a none of the above option. I don't like any of the candidates, I could tolerate Romney and Obama. Obama is still inexp and stupid to do anything and Romney is realistic albeit uninspiring. Ron Paul is a cult and Hillary is a mean spiteful *****. THe rest don't matter, even huckabee. He'll peter out.

[Last Roman]

Huckabee is the end all of stereotypical politicians. I actually laughed when I heard his first speech.

[Oldgamer]

Not much point in posting here as no one knows about my country's politics.
But I'll make it short.

I have always voted for Social Democrats and their candidates. Or to be more specific, Social democratic Party of Croatia.
Why? Because SDP is only left center party that can get into parliament from my county, which is predominantly right. Presidental elections are not that important as president is mostly ceremonial position, still I voted for current president Stjepan Mesić.

Aru, as this is our first contact, I want to welcome you to the TWC!

It's true that most Americans don't know much about Croatian politics! However, given the past, Croatia can have quite an effect on regional, and even world politics.

So, the leader of the SDP ends up as Prime Minister?

@Roman
That's interesting. If you end up voting for Obama, at least you'll be in "good company" (Oprah)!

At least, you voted in 2004. Most people your age don't vote, which is always good for the GOP. If Obama gets the nomination, I predict a flood of 18-25 year old votes for him, and something of a minor landslide. I would MUCH prefer Hillary in the general. She can be beat.

Shocking statement about Santa. You're not on his "Good" list!

@JP226
Your statements, given your age, show why the GOP would much prefer to run against Hillary.

[Last Roman]

At least, you voted in 2004. Most people your age don't vote...

I take politics, except on the local level, pretty seriously. I even voted in the 2006 congressional and state elections, when most kids my age couldn't name one person running.

as for the Hillary bit

I hope the Dems realize that she will be slaughtered if nominated. Both the left and right (as much as I hate using those words) cannot stand her.

[Gelgoog]

2000:
vote gore, because i didnt like bush, thought he was an idiot and the only plus i saw with him "winning" was that the daily show would have plenty of material in the years to come.

2004: voted kerry ( only cause he wasnt bush) and was amazed we voted this idiot back into office, i figured the democrats had that election handed to them and they still **** it up.

2008: will vote republican, the democrats are pretty lame ive come to the conculsion about. besides some of the republican candidates like duncan hunter are actually pretty good. if it comes down to juliany vs obama, then i guess id vote obama because jules is a Rhino. however if it was the devil vs hilary, id still vote for the devil.

[King Edward III]

Why? Just curious, as there must be some rationale. Or are you just interested in starting the RP flood?

EDIT: What's the voting age in the UK?

Just getting Ron Paul in before the fan boys.

18, by the way.

[Aru]

Aru, as this is our first contact, I want to welcome you to the TWC!

It's true that most Americans don't know much about Croatian politics! However, given the past, Croatia can have quite an effect on regional, and even world politics.

So, the leader of the SDP ends up as Prime Minister?

Thank for the welcome, though I've been here for 3 years Mostly reading about mods, so didn't post much.

Anyway, it's normal that most of the world (not just Americans, anyone out of the region) know little or nothing about our local politics, can't hold that against anyone.

Yes, party leaders are usually PM candidates, though in last elections SDP made professional economist as candidate, but after the election they decided that party leader should be candidate. Though it sounds like cheating voters, most of their voters agree with decision as it would be weird if PM would answer to someone else. Elections were held last week, but government isn't formed yet as both bigger parties, HDZ and SDP haven't parliamentary majority of 77 mandates and coalition negotiations with smaller parties are currently being held. Right now both parties have almost equal chance to form government, although HDZ (Croatian Democratic Party, officially demo-Christians) has a bit more chance.

Political system is similar to Germany's, even social/liberal divisions except that greens are of no significance here. But names of the parties rarely reflect their agenda, Social-liberals have nothing liberal about them, and both bigger parties have economic policy that fits to the center. Voters preference is mostly that they don't want nationalists/communists to win, even if socialists have nothing with communism and nationalists have done more for minorities then any government before and were even in coalition with Serbian party.

[kev-o]

This will be my first voting experience, so I'm mixed between Fred Thompson, Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee. I plan on voting for Thompson because Huckabee is to religious to be in politics, but I like some of his views more than the other candidates present, and Ron Paul will take a long shot to win.

[El Brujo]

This will be my first election as well. I'll vote for Ron Paul in the primaries because I think he's the the only anti-illegal alien candidate who will still be around during the Texas primary. In the general election I'll probably not vote unless the Libertarians offer a good choice.

[Bovril]

In the next UK election I'm gonna vote Green, given that they are the only remotely mainstream left wing party, and that every vote thrown their way tips the mainstream that much further towards adopting sensible environmental policies. Shame they'll never get a seat. Last time round I voted Lib Dem to punish Labour in my constituancy (for, you know, the war). It worked, yey!

[Oldgamer]

Everyone, thanks for your input, so far.

I thought I would do this thread in order to show my way of thinking about elections, in a long history with them. I realized that most of the folks here at TWC have only had 1 or 2 chances to vote, or maybe are too young.

In the past, I've used my primary vote as a means of protesting the establishment candidate, or because I agree so absolutely with a minor candidate that I couldn't live with myself, without voting a certain way. I've had some heavy arguments with Ron Paul supporters on the forum, but I admire their enthusiasm, and remember how I felt ... just seven years ago ... when I voted for Ambassador Keyes. I knew he couldn't win, but I wasn't about to let him go down without an effort.

When it comes to the general election, I regard a "protest vote" to be wasted, in the United States. Seriously, I would like to see a system evolve in this country where there are multiple political parties with representation in Congress. That would be fun, and exciting. Think about the Constitution Party and the GOP on the right, the Democrats, the Revolutionary Communist Party, and the Greens on the left, and somewhere in the middle ... holding the key to all of those committee chairmanships and the House leadership, itself ... the Libertarians, the Reform Party, and numerous and sundry Independents! In my opinion, it would make our government much more accountable.

In the current environment, however, voting for a Greenie or a Libertarian in the general election is simply a waste of time and effort.

Oh, well, my musings are over, for now!

[Kiljan Arslan]

If I had already served I'd vote Obama in the primary.

If Hillary got the nom and I had served I'd vote the Marijuana party as a protest vote.

[zeuxis the mighty]

I'd vote for Obama because all these senile old men politicians are getting us nowhere fast. besides, they're all hypocrits. "I'm against Gays" oh, well guess who just got caught in a gay sex scandal?

[removeduser_487563287433]

Only general election I have been able to vote in was the 2004 general election, where in a fit of confusion, I voted Liberal Democrat.

I have voted in two local elections subsequently for one Labour and one Conservative candidate.

The approaching general election I am undecided between Labour and the Conservatives.

[Icefrisco]

I did not know you were so conservative!