Why do you vote Democratic?

[yebrent]

Up until 2002, I was not registered as a Democrat. I was one of those folks who regularly used the term "Republicrats" to describe those who held power in politics. Pandering to corporations with little regard to the health of individuals, communities, and the environments that sustain us is not the domain of a single party.

Both major parties supported the WTO and the World Bank in its fleecing of "Developing" Countries. Both major parties supported NAFTA and international "free" trade which have helped only the wealthy become wealthier by finding cheap labor and no pollution controls elsewhere. Both parties support the drug war and the prison industrial complex it created. Without the support of both parties the military industrial complex would not have the unimaginable power that it now holds.

Both parties are guilty of moving the world towards the eventual collapse of civilization as we know it.

I always understood and still do understand that the solution to all our problems does not lay with politicians. Politicians are merely reflections of culture. Bad politicians are symptoms of a culture in decay. Politicians are not going to save the world all on their own. Each human being needs to do their part to save the world by making personal changes in our own lives. Only step by step, and person by person can we avoid the disastrous cliff we are all heading towards collectively as a species.

Then in 2002, with Bush's march to war in Iraq, I had a bit of a change of heart. I began to take great interest in who the Democrats were going to nominate to run against *, and I registered as a Democrat. With * in power, I came to realize that although politicians can't save the world all by themselves, really bad ones can bring about the looming disaster at a much more rapid pace.

So now I vote Democrat, but not because I believe that Democrats are going to make the world a whole lot better. I vote Democrat because of any political party that has a chance of gaining power, they will likely do the least harm. Voting Democrat will allow more time for all the individuals of the world to wake up and make significant changes in their own lives in order to truly save the world as a healthy habitat for the human species.

(You will probably notice by my avatar that I support General Clark, and I have ever since he was "drafted". I do so, not because I think he will "save the world", but because I felt and still feel that he has the best shot at winning against the Republicans. And he will be at least as harmless as any other Democrat who has hope of winning in 2008.)

So...why do you vote Democratic?

[flamin lib]

1. We did pretty good for 40 years leading up to Reagan.

Took 40 years to raise the deficit to .8 Trillion. 8 years to goose it up to, well, never mind. Dems are the big spenders, right?

[slackmaster]

2. Party membership is near dead last on my priority list

It's just below physical attractiveness and a couple of steps above race and gender. (Just kidding, attractiveness and race and gender are of zero importance to me.)

I tend to vote Democratic most of the time because usually the Democratic candidate most closely matches my values on things that matter most to me - environmental protection, public education, equality and justice to name a few.

I have voted for Republicans and I have voted for Libertarians. Being a Democrat does not give anyone an automatic pass. I don't vote for people who I consider to be dishonest or stupid.

[yebrent]

3. Would you vote for a third party candidate who is polling below 10%...

if there was a tight race between a Democrat and Republican for Congress or Senate? Before 2002 I would have. Since 2002, I would vote for the Democrat.

Remember when you vote for a president, you aren't just voting for the person, you are voting for there likely appointments to the DoD, State Dept, EPA, etc. When you vote for a House or Senate seat, your vote could help create a majority, giving increased power to the entire party, not just your representative.

[slackmaster]

7. You haven't given me enough information for a meaningful answer

Let me say three things in response:

- Generally I pay no attention to polls,

- I choose candidates by looking at his or her position on every issue I care about, his or her track record in politics and elsewhere, character, education level, etc.

- If all other things we exactly equal in every respect, I would always choose a Democrat.

Remember when you vote for a president, you aren't just voting for the person, you are voting for there likely appointments to the DoD, State Dept, EPA, etc.

That would never be enough reason to choose a Democrat that I felt was not the most qualified person to be President. Those are secondary issues, and the government has checks and balances to prevent one President's ideology from completely taking over.

[yebrent]

8. or so we thought...

the government has checks and balances to prevent one President's ideology from completely taking over.

[slackmaster]

10. I'm still very optimistic

The screwheads haven't taken over yet, and they are starting to fall apart. Issues like Terri Schiavo and opposition to gay marriage will bring their downfall.

[Kurovski]

4. It's up to us to lift the Democratic party from

a spiral into complete corruption.

Donating regularly to the DNC will help to get the party out from the clutches of corporate interests. No amount over a dollar is too small.

Supporting Howard Dean, whose organizational and fundraising skills are something new for dems, is another important move.

Dean is trashed heavily because he actually will reform the party. Money folks don't like the grassroots.They want to be the ones giving the most money and pulling the strings.

The Republican Party deserves to fade away due to its now complete level of corruption. That's not hyperbole. It is corrupt from top to bottom. All good Republicans will abandon ship or make very strong moves to reform it. (impeaching the administration is perhaps the only way at this point.)

Let other parties rise up to take the place of the morally devastated and incompetent Republicans.

[greendog]

5. No political party...

...can assume that my vote belongs to them.

In the last election I voted for both Greens and Democrats.

[Drnaline]

11. Ditto

But my family has a long history for Democrats.

[greendog]

12. Hi Drnaline, welcome to DU!

:hi:

[ElectroPrincess]

6. I'm beginning to rethink that myself ...

looking at the House and Senate, there's no decent choice.

[yebrent]

9. kick

[More Than A Feeling]

13. Well, last election, the reason was...

Bush was sending decades of progress down the drain (not to mention the constitution, America's self-respect, and so on). This election, it will be because Democrats (despite Durbin's recent retraction, which was a step back) have actually started to make me proud to be one.

Also, I take a look at the extremes. The most extreme out-of-touch Democrat to the left frightens me much less than the theocrats and the world warriors on the right.