WARNING POLITICAL THREAD: Help me out

[DoogMinAmo]

Hello, My name is Sam, and I am non-partisan.

I have read the emotional political debates, and end up more confused than knowledgable. Growing up with well-to-do friends, I associated with Republicans, but without knowledge of what it represented. In college, I found myself surrounded by the opposite, without knowing how and why.

So that leaves me where I am now, without a party to call my own. With only the current regime during which I am politically aware/ curious, I do not want to pass judgement without full understanding of the two +. I realize there are conservative and liberalfactions of both, and of those two choices I am definitely of the liberal persuasion, but parties, no idea.

So can you help me out? This is not recruitment, or a bash session. This is not an opportunity to call people or party members out. Please let me know what is it is about each party that makes it your own. Why are you a ____?

Thanks.

[zombie-a-go-go]

I'm an independent, because I don't blindly vote down a party line. And if I don't know enough about a particular race to make an informed decision, I don't vote on it.

*I am a registered Republican, but I registered to vote a long time ago.

[MrCinatit]

i would also be classified as non-partisan. i cannot find myself ever being one who would blindly stick with one party, and to vote for that party no matter how dirty, crooked nor incompetent. and believe me when i say, both parties have equal amounts of dirt, crooks and incompetence to fullful such duties for 10 parties.
unfortunately in my opinion, it seems lately, one is found voting for the candidate which sucks the least, rather than who is most qualified. a sad statement on our political climate today, IMHO.

[Jaycint]

I'm a libertarian . My party strives to create as much personal as well as economic freedom of choice as possible. Government in its smallest form is also a big draw for me.

[savafan]

I'm an independent, because I don't blindly vote down a party line. And if I don't know enough about a particular race to make an informed decision, I don't vote on it.

*I am a registered Republican, but I registered to vote a long time ago.

I'm a carbon copy of zombie.

[RosieRed]

I'm a registered Democrat, but tend to call myself an independent. I am definitely liberal. I don't always vote a straight Dem ticket, but if I stray from Democrats it's usually in favor of third-party candidates. (Though I have voted for a Republican here or there ... Pataki comes to mind, when I lived in NY.)

I don't agree with every single thing the Democratic party represents, and the party is definitely facing some pretty big problems right now IMO. But they seem to be the closest match to my views on big issues, such as gay rights, abortion, stem-cell research, education, economy, health care, taxes, etc.

For me personally, there are some issues on which I won't budge, namely abortion and gay rights. That is not to say those two issues are the only thing I judge political candidates on; just that those issues are very important to me, and are examples of why I almost always vote for Democrats.

[Redsfaithful]

Here's a question for independents. How can you possibly vote for people in two different parties when the parties are so often polar opposites?

I'm not talking about local elections here where party affiliation doesn't matter really. House on up only. I really don't get it, it seems pretty schizo to me.

[MrCinatit]

Here's a question for independents. How can you possibly vote for people in two different parties when the parties are so often polar opposites?

I'm not talking about local elections here where party affiliation doesn't matter really. House on up only. I really don't get it, it seems pretty schizo to me.

it actually is not what is left or right, it is what is wrong and right - at least in the eyes of the beholder. one party is not always right, one party is not always wrong.

[Redsfaithful]

it actually is not what is left or right, it is what is wrong and right - at least in the eyes of the beholder. one party is not always right, one party is not always wrong.

Both parties are relatively consistent with what they believe. Voting a mixed ticket doesn't make sense to me, as it's voting for two different schools of political thought at the same time.

I tend to think people who are "independents" actually do most of their voting based on personality and not issues. Feel free to prove me wrong, that's what I was getting at with the original question.

[MWM]

What do you do when you agree with one party on social issues and another on fiscal issues?

[KronoRed]

What do you do when you agree with one party on social issues and another on fiscal issues?

What I do is weigh it...are the social issues really going to be changed if party A is in power? or is there more a chance that the fiscal issues would be changed if party B is in power?

[Falls City Beer]

Both parties are relatively consistent with what they believe. Voting a mixed ticket doesn't make sense to me, as it's voting for two different schools of political thought at the same time.

I tend to think people who are "independents" actually do most of their voting based on personality and not issues. Feel free to prove me wrong, that's what I was getting at with the original question.

I don't know what motivates independents either. Independent of what? Wouldn't you be able to construct a list of issues, have an independent answer where he/she falls on each issue, and then determine, roughly, where he/she lands to the right or left of center? I mean, I understand creating a party either more liberal or more conservative than either party as it stands right now, but from centrist to middle right and middle left, the Republican and Democratic Parties run the gamut.

[pedro]

I'm a democratic because I've read "The Jungle" and I believe that there is a place in Government for regulation and social programs for the poor.

Do I think the execution of entitlements in this country is wasteful and abused? Of course.

Does that mean I'm going to put my faith in private industry to do things I feel are the governments job? Absolutley not.

[Redsfaithful]

What do you do when you agree with one party on social issues and another on fiscal issues?

I don't think you can. Neither party is terribly fiscally conservative, they just disagree when it comes to deciding where the money should be going.

[MWM]

What about globalization? They certainly disagree on that. And that's a pretty darn important issue to me.