I did a search and didn’t see anything in the first few pages so I’m going to post this again even though I’m sure it has been asked already. I’ll start it here in IMHO because I want to genuinely know if people are undecided and why.
Please, I don’t want this devolving into a Pit thread…
Foreign Policy?
Economic Policy?
Immigration?
Health Care?
Taxes?
What has you on the fence?
If you mean undecided between McCain and Obama, I’m not that; if I were choosing between them, Obama would be the choice even though I’m not gung ho about him either.
I’m undecided between Obama, Nader, and not voting at all. If I voted completely for who I would really want, it’s Nader. But if the McCain/Obama divide is tiny, can I take a vote from Obama, when I believe McCain is hideous? The race will never be about more that the Dem/Rep candidates so does the third party % even matter? If it doesn’t, and I don’t truly believe in Obama, why vote at all? Ugh.
It sucks to hear you are so disenfranchised but I bet you are not alone. I wish there was a viable third party as well, but someone other than Ross Perot or Jesse Ventura needs to be the impetus or it will never be more than fodder for SNL, Leno, Letterman, etc…
I don’t know why anyone would ever vote for Nader but that is a different thread as well.
I am curious about what makes people undecided. gigi, you don’t want to vote for either candidate; what is it that makes them unappealing to you?
I am undecided in several races.
131st NY Assembly Seat: Normally, I’d be voting KBO - no one in Albany deserves to be returned there. The first duty of the legislature is to get an on-time budget. And that’s a duty that the incumbent has failed in (not alone, by any means) for the past two years.
But I’m not all that impressed with the Republican challenger - he’s running on a number of positions I agree with, but he’s also saying nothing about the issue that I feel is most needing to be fixed in the State: getting the lousy budget done on time. I’ll probably vote for him, but I doubt it would change a blessed thing. (For one thing, voting for anything but a Democrat in the Assembly is a quick way to screw your district when it comes to state funding. Sheldon Silver doesn’t exactly care for people who think he’s supposed to represent the whole state in his position as Speaker. And don’t let any uppity voters tell him otherwise.)
56th NY Senate Seat: Again, normally, I’d be voting KBO - no thought required. But the dinosaur they pulled out to challenge the Republican incumbent is a former State Senator. Did five terms there. Ten late state budgets on his watch. No real promise of anything better from him there.
During that time he had a reputation for being more venal than most in the NYS gov’t. (Since our legislators are all “part time” there’s no ethics problem with outside jobs. And they don’t even have to report how much their outside jobs pay - just where they work.) I have grave doubts about the challenger’s willingness to work for change or reform. The only change I think that he cares for is whether he can get back at the state feeding trough. It’s also interesting to me that the incumbent claims he resigned in 2000, after declining to run for re-election. And that this followed some accusations of ethics violations.
I need to get to the library and check records for that time to see if that’s the case, and I haven’t had time, yet. If the allegations are there, that’s probably going to kill my ability to vote for him. So I might return the incumbent in this race.
I’ve made up my mind for the Federal level offices available.
On the city and county level, I’m voting straight KBO.
While I think you are giving me a not so subtle needling for not being specific in the OP as to which race(s) I was referring to, I appreciate your reply. Obviously, you’ve put some thought into your decisions.
I was mainly curious on the presidential but since you mention state politics I am undecided here in WA about the gubernatorial race. I like what Gregoire has done for the ports and health care but her fiscal policy sucks. Rossi might be better with money but I’m not sure what kind of social policy he would have. For the local races and propositions I need to do more research; I am not undecided in those so much as uneducated about the candidates and issues.
Yes. I have to admit that sometimes I like being a smartass by going for the completely straight answer.
Thank you for taking it in good part.
John McCain strikes me as more of the same evil empire policy, with cuts to everything but the sacred military. I don’t believe in war or empire-building and he does.
Obama started out saying he would want the troops out of Iraq ASAP and that has become in fourteen months. He’s already waffled and he’s not even president yet; that makes him middle-of-the-road and not much different from McCain.
Nader actually takes a stand, to end the war, institute universal health care, etc. Perhaps it’s unrealistic and would have to be compromised, but at least he’s not starting out compromised.
I tend to agree with Ron Paul that voting for Obama or McCain is wasting my vote, because it sends the message that I might be happy with the status quo with regard to the candidates we get offered. I do not think it really makes a difference which one gets elected. For example, everyone now says the Iraq war was a mistake, and I agree. But, realistically, neither of those two will do something the other won’t.
I don’t care who the VP candidate is, although Cheney has shown that the VP can actually matter, I suppose. I think Obama is mostly about packaging. The Republican party’s dinosaur environmental stance will continue under McCain, even if he is professes greater enlightenment. Obama solution seems to be to follow Europe’s screwed up carbon market. I think both are fiscal disasters, much as I’d like a tax cut. I could go on. Because of family issues, I haven’t had time to research the third party candidates.
So, I really have no idea who I’m voting for.
I agree with SlowMindThinking. Ron Paul got my vote in the primary election. I think McCain is slightly less evil than Obama, but I’ll probably vote for Barr.
The deal is you have to choose between Obama or McCain. Unfortunately that is politics right now. You can vote for Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Homer Simpson but that is going to be a waste of a vote. I don’t begrudge anyone their convictions but sometimes we have to deal with reality.
I am not really enamored with either candidate but I’m going with the person who I think is least likely to destroy this country that I love to live in. Emphasis on “I think.”
Again probably another thread, but we are stuck with Iraq and whether or not you agree with it we are stuck with it. The fact is we can’t leave those people where they are now. I think a 14 month pull out is probably viable. An immediate pullout is not. And although universal healthcare is a great idea it’s a pipe dream. Can’t happen unless you somehow figure out a legal way to dissolve insurance companies.
And who is Barr?
ETA: looked up Barrand honestly, first I’ve ever heard of him. NPR has been interviewing the “outside” candidates but I either missed him or they haven’t gotten to him yet.
I’m undecided at this point as to voting for Obama (very reluctantly) or not voting at all. I want a fiscally responsible, civil liberties respecting president with a sound foreign policy, which includes a rapid exit from Iraq (speaking as a troop who just returned from that shithole).
I was an early Obama supporter but am less certain now. I think the thing that really set me on edge about him and gives me the “more of the same, in pretty packaging” vibe was the recent FISA vote. This was a perfect chance to cast a vote in the name of “enough…real change and more than lip service to civil rights and liberties.” This disappointed me greatly, and I agree with te waffling about Iraq.
I don’t want a repeat of 2004, where I ended up voting primarily AGAINST a candidate I hated, not FOR a candidate I believed in. It seems as if its going to end up with the same choice again. I WISH the Libertarians had fielded and actual liberatarian candidate…then I could at least protest vote in good faith 
FTR:I’m a decided Obama voter. But I also am wary of the FISA vote and what he’ll do with Iraq. I’m disenfranchised because I could vote for John Daly but this state (WA) will be Obama so I don’t think my vote matters. I want someone to fix the problems. I’m going with Obama because I think he will appoint people who are qualified. I think McCain would appoint people that voted for him. It’s a shaky way to decide on a candidate but the reality is, it isn’t the president that shapes policy.
I don’t declare a political party, I just vote for who I think is most qualified.
I don’t declare either…same voting mindset here. I find myself leaning the same way, for mostly the same reason…I hope to hell he would appoint qualified staff, and I don’t trust McCain at all. This will be my first year voting in Alaska and I really have no feel for whether my vote matters here or not.
If you don’t mind sharing: where did you vote before? How long in Alaska and what brought you to Alaska?
Home is where the Air Force sends you I’ve always voted in Minnesota before this, as that’s where I grew up, went to school, etc…I’ve been up here just shy of 3 years now (with some time out for a nice visit to the hellhole known as Iraq…)
Ackkkk! Minnesota!!! Jesse Ventura!!! Brain bleach by the gallon please…
I would kill puppies to see this debate
Thank you[INDENT][/INDENT]
“You’re right, you’re right, I know you’re right.” It’s just been hard to accept the compromise. I hate to cast a vote I don’t really believe in just to try to avoid a worse evil.
By that argument, I should have voted Republican the last several elections, because that’s the way CO has overwhelmingly gone. I ride my bike to work as often as possible, partly for exercise, and partly because it is cheaper, but also partly because I’m doing my incremental bit for the environment. I view voting for a third party candidate the same way.
Wow, talking with a friend this morning, I realize my vote is meaningless. Obama is so far ahead in Vermont it doesn’t matter. And a third party vote doesn’t send any kind of message that anyone cares about.
Of course people have to actually show up to cast the votes they expressed in polls, but the excitement about Obama should send everyone to the polls.