Just out of curiosity, would you vote for a primary candidate you "knew" would lose

[saracat]

the General Election (If yours was the deciding vote, hypothetically) if he best represented your ideals? Could you cast that vote "knowing' it would put the WH in the hands of the opposition??

[BOSSHOG]

1. How can that be anything that someone would "know?"

My state's (Mississippi) is so late and irrelevant that I can't give you a cogent answer.

[saracat]

6. It was only hypothetical.One can't really "know" anything but I was curios if many put their "ideals

above winning.

[Capn Sunshine]

2. Always vote your heart

If winning is important enough to the future, you'll find your heart will tell you it's ok to vote for a lesser evil.

Because "Lesser evil" means, well, LESS EVIL.

comprende, suavecita?

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. You mean, for a candidate who would cause all the

independents to go to the other side while turning out the opposition in droves?

What candidate could do that?

[saracat]

7. I wasn't thinking of a particular candidate.I was just making one up!

[GeorgeGist]

4. Just out of curiosity ...

:wtf:

[endarkenment]

5. I don't know who is going to win or lose.

In primaries I vote for the candidate that best represents my positions. In the general election I end up reluctantly voting for the Democratic candidate :-(

[LoZoccolo]

8. I think when people answer this, they will distort things somewhat.

They will turn it into winning and no ideals vs. losing and ideals, when in real life, it's not that simple. People have many ideals, and the Democrat will fulfill at least some of them, and more than the Republican will.

[Karmageddon]

9. Depends on a lot of factors

Assuming your hypothetical, and that I "knew"....

If I was in a state where another candidate - more likely to win - was a shoo in, and my vote wouldn't matter, then I'd vote my conscience and stick with my candidate, to make a point. If it was a close race, and the one I "knew" would lose the general election had a chance at the primary, I'd vote for the one I thought would win in the general election.

Wouldn't do much good to have "my" guy lose the Presidency to someone far worse from the other party.

That would be winning the battle, and losing the war.

[ClassWarrior]

10. If it's the GE, how can it be a "primary candidate?"

NGU.

[saracat]

12. What I mean is would you vote in the Primary for a candidate you

"knew" was going to lose the General.I course I know one can't really "know" this is a "what if" question.

[sueh]

11. Would you vote for your choice of candidate in the primary...

Or will you vote for the candidate you *think* will win the primary?

Voting for *who I think will win the primary* is dead to me. I am only voting for the candidate who comes closest to what I want. Right now, that is Kucinich. If Gore comes in, I'll vote for Gore.

Don't you think people should vote for the candidate of their choice in the priamry?? Maybe the candidates who are labeled *un-electable* might have a chance this way.

[saracat]

13. I am not talking about voting for who would win the Primary but who would lose the General!

And there is such a thing as "un-electable" and if they were given a chance by being nominated, we would lose the WH. Is that kind of vote worth it is my question.

[scarletwoman]

14. I don't "know" anything. I'll vote for the candidate I truly WANT.

Which will be Kucinich, same as in 2004.

sw

[Delphinus]

15. Yes.

How many times have I done that in the past?! I live in Indiana and by the time we have our primary (May), the stage is already set. I absolutely ALWAYS vote my conscience/heart in the primary. This response is NOT taking into account your last statement - because I don't see the correlation.

[FarOut]

18. I'm with you!

I vote my conscience in the primary! About the only time I can, actually!

[Delphinus]

26. Welcome to DU, FarOut!

:hi:

[Solon]

16. False premise, if you want to come right out and say you never want Liberals to mount primary...

challenges, then come right out and say so. All this tiptoeing is tiring to say the least.

BTW: We all know you are talking about Kucinich, so stop bullshitting us.

[saracat]

24. Of course I want the Liberals to mount a primary challange! I am a Liberal and

I am NOT BSing you.I wasn't talking about Kucinich but believe what you want.

[SergeyDovlatov]

17. of course

how else can I express my preferences for a candidate?

I don't buy voting for the lesser of two evils

[Fire Walk With Me]

19. Your question implies that presidential elections haven't been rigged since 2000.

And yes, as useless as it is, I vote, and will continue to vote, until the effect of voting is restored, and beyond.

They never give up and can outwait any obstacle; so should we.

[MGKrebs]

20. self delete.

[elizm]

21. Would I participate in the political suicide of the Democratic Party?

No. If the party insists on nominating someone who the polls consistently show would lose against the opposition, I would not vote. If the party is that stupid and useless, then I want no part of it.

[burrowowl]

22. Yes I am voting for Kucinich!

And I think he could win if everybody starts talking to their neighbors about what he stands for. First, ask your neighbors what they want and then show how Dennis is for that.
Of course, like AES, the DNC will shrirk their duty to support him, but if enough people vote, DK can win!

[eridani]

23. If I lived in a caucus state, sure

That's because it would promote the platform I want even though I'd have to renegotiate the vote in Denver.

[incapsulated]

25. Not unless I knew they wouldn't win

For instance, Hillary will win NY no matter who I vote for, personally. I'm free to vote for Micky Mouse and it wouldn't make a difference.

Other candidates won't win the nomination, period, so that is also a vote that really is more of a statement than anything else.

I would not try to get someone to win the nomination who I honestly believed would be beaten in a general election. Then again, people sometimes believe their candidate can win even when any logical assessment says not a chance. True believers.

[Marnieworld]

27. absolutely i voted for Kucinich in 2004

it sends a message to the party in any case.

[AtomicKitten]

28. with few exceptions, no one can know that with certainty

To base an opinion on that kind of "knowing" is woefully misguided.

[saracat]

29. Of course it is! I am only prosenting a hypothetical!

[Renew Deal]

30. I did last time.

I voted for Clark in NY.

[Point_n_click]

31. Last time I voted for Kucinich

I felt his stance on the issues most closely reflected my own. I didn't expect him to win, but I was determined to have my influence (however small) on the over-all party platform by voting my conscience in the primary.

So far (too early to say I'm in solid with anyone) I'm leaning to Kucinich again, and have a lot of interest in Richardson as well.

I also like the way Gravel is ruffling feathers. We need that kind of thing to help keep the public thinking through the standard political smoke-screen answers.