# Less than 30% of voters say they will support their Representatives in the November elections **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 8, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428 "2010-06-08T15:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/21 "2010-06-10T20:26:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I find it rather impressive that you managed to miss the last two posts in a one-page thread. I don’t even show 2 posts with that. But when I posted the one (1) that does was not yet posted. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/22 "2010-06-10T20:32:28Z")
Post #17 - 1:49 am ET Post #18 - my response to Post #17 - 12:27 pm ET Post #19 - 1:06 pm ET :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/23 "2010-06-10T20:33:01Z")
I heard that 86 of the 84 incumbants kept their seat and were given a new, matching seat, as part of their pension plan. So much for that poll! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/24 "2010-06-10T21:20:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Post #17 - 1:49 am ET > Post #18 - my response to Post #17 - 12:27 pm ET > > Post #19 - 1:06 pm ET > > :dubious: I’ve noticed before that sometimes items seem to be posted with a time showing them after a previous post, but it is obvious that the previous post was not seen by them. And we often see simul-posts here. I think that possibly the time stamp shown on a post is set at the time a person clicks on the reply or quote-reply icon, even if it takes several minutes (or even hours) before they actually submit that reply. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/25 "2010-06-11T02:14:44Z")
Well, regardless of when he saw mine, the other one was 11 _hours_ earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/26 "2010-06-11T02:26:42Z")
I read somewhere that 96 out of 102 incumbents kept their primary seat. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/27 "2010-06-11T10:37:02Z")
Something like 102 out of 96 incumbents kept their primary seat. That’s what I heard. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/28 "2010-06-11T13:49:02Z")
One wonders just how incompetent the other two were. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/29 "2010-06-11T14:04:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > One wonders just how incompetent the other two were. Well, one was the Nevada governor, who was extremely lucky to not be in jail over multiple, multiple issues. Kind of like Marion Berry, except this guy didn’t manage the re-election. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/30 "2010-06-11T21:21:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I think that possibly the time stamp shown on a post is set at the time a person clicks on the reply or quote-reply icon, even if it takes several minutes (or even hours) before they actually submit that reply. No, it’s the time it’s submitted. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/31 "2010-06-13T09:46:52Z")
What’s annoying is that people will vote for Party A, and then 4 to 8 years later, get fed up with Party A and vote for Party B then 4 to 8 years later, get fed up with party B and brings back Party A and then get tired of them after 4 to 8 years and votes in Party B. And the process keeps repeating itself. > **[Home | Libertarian Party](https://www.lp.org/)** > > Previous slide Next slide Previous slide Next slide Together, we are the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party (LP) is your representative in American politics. It is the only political party that respects you as a unique and responsible... Vote for these guys. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/32 "2010-06-13T09:59:45Z")
Obama didn’t break any pattern. The '08 election was rather unique in that none of the candidates were incumbents, as Bush’s VP didn’t run. Actually, Bush’s win in 2000 would be an example of voters voting against the incumbent, although theoretically, he lost the popular election anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/33 "2010-06-13T17:32:20Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > [www.lp.org](http://www.lp.org) > > Vote for these guys. Are you _serious?_ I’ve got no truck with libertarian principles, for the most part, but the Libertarian Party as currently constituted is just a bunch of politically overwrought ex-Republicans who are okay with weed. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/34 "2010-06-14T22:37:36Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Are you _serious?_ I’ve got no truck with libertarian principles, for the most part, but the Libertarian Party as currently constituted is just a bunch of politically overwrought ex-Republicans who are okay with weed. Or turn a Smurfy shade of [blue](http://orionsyndicate910.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/health-food-scam-colloidal-silver/) due to ingestion of colloidal silver, kind of like Tobias Funke in that one episode. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/35 "2010-06-14T23:18:15Z")
I did actually vote for a Libertarian for the House in 2008. He was the only guy running against the Republican, and I figured a Libertarian was better than a Democrat who stopped campaigning once he got his name on the ballot. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/36 "2010-07-22T12:39:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No, it’s the time it’s submitted. Yes, but if you put all the pages you want to read in new tabs, then forget about it and come back later, the page will not be updated. It’s easy to forget to hit refresh, or at least to see if there are new posts on preview. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Deal_Democrat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/37 "2010-07-30T11:55:10Z")
The United States faces serious problems that lack easy or obvious solutions. In order to be elected one has to make unrealistic promises. When elected, politicians break their promises because they were never possible. A politician who tells the voters the truth will lose. The truth is that a number of historical advantages have given out on the United States, and the U.S. economy is likely to decline no matter what anyone does. ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/38 "2010-08-25T16:58:55Z")
[Maddow, 4/23](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D7gN5HbwLk&feature=player_embedded) Apparently the trend is towards incumbent, as usual. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/39 "2010-08-25T17:13:09Z")
People always say they will not vote for the incumbent, just before they do.We return 90 percent of them ,so who can say this time is different? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428/40 "2010-08-25T20:18:30Z")
For comparison, what’s the usual percentage of politicians who get primaried out? Maybe it’s usually even lower than 2%. I mean, it can’t be _much_ lower, but… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-than-30-of-voters-say-they-will-support-their-representatives-in-the-november-elections/542428.md?page=3)