When you decide to support a candidate do you support the person who shares your values

[BigmanPigman]

and represents issues that are important to better the country or do you support a candidate who you think will beat the GOP opponent? I know we usually do both but which do you do more often and why?

When do you switch your support from one Dem candidate to another? Is it during their campaign, during the debates or after the primary and before the election?

[MaryMagdaline]

1. I strongly favor the person I think can win

Usually this person shares my values, though, so I’m not generally conflicted

[demosincebirth]

10. I agree with you

[DFW]

2. I tend to wait a long time before deciding, and then look for the one who most overlaps both

Since I make my decision late, I rarely switch once I've made it. Sometimes, when it has narrowed down to just two (i.e. 2008), and I'm happy with either one, I don't even bother to get too riled up, and just support the nominee. I was in Denver in 2008, and HRC's grace in defeat was a heartening thing to behold. MAYBE it was a coincidence we won in a landslide that year. Maybe not.

I remember how torn in half DU was in 2008, and have to think how wasted all the animosity was. Most of the people who were here then are gone now. I'm sure some of the people agitating hard in 2015-2016 (and even now) will be gone after the 2020 nomination has been settled. Some people see their personal agenda as more important than the big picture.

[duforsure]

17. Me too.

[DFW]

18. Join the tiny minority! n/t

[LuvNewcastle]

3. In the past I have supported people who

I agreed with the most. For example, I supported Jerry Brown over Bill Clinton in 1992. This time, though, I’m looking for somebody who can wipe the floor with Trump. That is all I care about.

[mercuryblues]

4. Both

In the primary I vote for someone who I think represents my values and has a voting history that I am comfortable with. Then I vote for the Dem nominee, even if it wasn't who I supported in the primaries.

[zaj]

5. Within the Democratic Party, everyone shares our values

Everyone.

E.v.e.r.y.o.n.e.

One lesson, I hope to God progressives learned in 2016...

Don't act like entitled jerks and pretend like the differences between Hillary and Bernie are significant. Or even Joe Manchin and Bernie.

My God, Joe Biden is a gawd dam progressive superhero right now.

The differences on the left are trivial by comparison.

Don't ever forget that.

[demosincebirth]

11. You said a mouthful.

[Hekate]

15. Amen

[LakeArenal]

6. I like qualified and experience.

Personality and charisma lower on my scale of importance.

Presidential is nice.

[OhioBlue]

7. it depends.. against an incumbent President, I tend to lean toward the one

I think most likely to win. We already know the opponent and they have a massive political machine. In '16 I was pretty ambivalent toward the primary candidates.

In '04 I thought it would be Kerry against W who was most likely to win... and I still think he would have if not for Ken Blackwell messing with Ohio's election.

In '08 it was Obama. I was with him since the day he announced. It was all heart.

In '16 I made my decision at the ballot box. I almost crossed over to vote for Kasich against Trump. I thought stopping Trump from the R nomination was more important that voting for either Bernie or Hillary. But, I ultimately decided I didn't want to register as an R. Voted for Bernie in the primary. I didn't think Hillary could beat Trump in Ohio because of NAFTA. I knocked doors and voted for her in the general.

This year, I'm still open. I want to see how they campaign and debate. Since Sherrod Brown isn't running, I'm partial to Kamala or Biden as the strongest candidates but that could change.

[murielm99]

8. Both.

No one is perfect. Electability is very important. It is silly to pretend otherwise.

[pennylane100]

9. I always vote for the candidate that shares my values.

Often they may not win but I feel better knowing that I voted for the person that I felt could best represent my beliefs. I realize that is not always a winning strategy, but it works for me.

[Raine]

12. I support a candidate who shares my values

and will do what they said they would. Not a candidate who tells voters what they want to hear then never does those things after being elected.

[mahina]

13. Primary: values. General: whoever won the primary.

I really like the next round not to feel like it was a fight for our survival.

[Hekate]

14. I vote for the Dem nearest my heart in the primary, and I vote for the remaining Dem in the General

The only exception is if a Democratic incumbent is being primaried by some upstart, in which case I choose experience over youth.

It's been like that my whole voting life, 50 years now. We have a 2-party system, and I simply don't futz around with 3rd parties, especially after the way Ralph Nader screwed us over not once but repeatedly.

And, as has been pointed out already, a Democrat, any Democrat, shares 99% more of my values than any Republican whatsoever. Just read the platform.

[exboyfil]

16. Who can win the general election

That is why I am all in for my candidate. She also happens to reflect my political philosophy a bit more than some of the other candidates.

I am an early adopter of the front runner though. Anything that hurts our candidate in the general election gives me a great deal of grief. Examples of where this is a problem. I loved Tsongas (this was when I was still a Republican), but I thought that he kept challenging Bill Clinton too long. Same for Hillary Clinton and Obama. Same for Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Also Ted Kennedy and Carter. What Kennedy did was shameful. On the other side Reagan challenging Ford.

It may already be too late, but 2020 represents the last chance for this country. If McConnell and the GOP (ie Trump) continue, our country is gone. We may have already lost it in 2014.

[CTyankee]

19. I don't "fall in love" anymore with a political favorite...

Too late for such fancies. I have two criteria: Can he/she win? Does he/she support MY values?

I AM biased toward a woman candidate because I think it is embarrassing that we don't (and haven't had) have a woman leading our country.

[Vinca]

20. Normally, but this year I only have 1 criteria: who can beat Trump.

I don't care if they're ultra liberal, mildly progressive, centrist or even leaning right. They can be a serial killer on sabbatical for all I care. Trump has to go.

[BigmanPigman]

21. Me too.

That is why I wrote the OP. In 2004 I really wanted anyone to beat Bush. This year it is even more crucial to beat tRump. I don't care how or who, just BEAT THE MORON! In 2004 I was so angry with American voters that I had to leave the country for a year to keep my sanity.

[lunatica]

22. I'm a Progressive

I think of the country as a whole first and then the planet.

What is good for one is good for the other. I think we have way too much military spending which can be allocated better and would make the country stronger.

I support a person who I agree with.

Having said that I support the party nominee.

As a Progressive I’ve learned that progress can be a very slow thing, so even small progress counts.