# Poll for Republicans NOT voting for Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 20, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441 "2016-09-20T14:25:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/21 "2016-09-21T15:22:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Isn’t that interesting-Although in various threads I have seen several Republicans say that they were going to refuse to vote in this election, none of them have voted in this poll. > > You’ve got to admire their consistency. 😃 Maybe some posts you read clearly stated that the person refused to participate in the election at all, as opposed to meaning they refused to vote for either Trump or Clinton. But in general I don’t see a reason Republicans who can’t stomach Trump or Clinton would refuse to vote for a minor candidate for president or moreover would refuse to show up to vote for GOP down ticket candidates even if they leave the presidential line blank (where the OP poll question isn’t really clear). I’m sure a lot of nominally Republican voters won’t show up at all. A lot of Democratic ones won’t either, as in every election in a country where 60% turnout is ‘high’. I try not to nitpick poll questions, but this one would probably be as practically informative if it just, ‘Hey you Republicans who won’t vote for Trump, will you vote for Clinton or not?’ For me, not. I can’t support Trump, but I think portraying him as some extinction level event is over the top (though over the top political rhetoric is a 200+ yr old US tradition) and there isn’t a good enough reason for me to vote for somebody like Hillary Clinton as I view her. There’s no chance my state, NJ, will be the tipping point (Nate Silver’s 0.9% chance is what you call a modeling artifact IMO). However that hasn’t prevented me voting for GOP pres candidates acceptable to me where NJ has been unimportant, as it’s been every time since at least 1976 (when Ford narrowly won it while losing the election, helped keep him in relative striking distance if he’d won a few other close states…otherwise the GOP won it when they didn’t need it, '80, '84, '88 and lost it every time since). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/22 "2016-09-21T15:25:13Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > I try not to nitpick poll questions, but this one would probably be as practically informative if it just, ‘Hey you Republicans who won’t vote for Trump, will you vote for Clinton or not?’ For me, not. I can’t support Trump, but I think portraying him as some extinction level event is over the top (though over the top political rhetoric is a 200+ yr old US tradition) and there isn’t a good enough reason for me to vote for somebody like Hillary Clinton as I view her. There’s no chance my state, NJ, will be the tipping point (Nate Silver’s 0.9% chance is what you call a modeling artifact IMO). However that hasn’t prevented me voting for GOP pres candidates acceptable to me where NJ has been unimportant, as it’s been every time since at least 1976 (when Ford narrowly won it while losing the election, helped keep him in relative striking distance if he’d won a few other close states…otherwise the GOP won it when they didn’t need it, '80, '84, '88 and lost it every time since). You sure read a lot(none of which is intended by me) into a simple poll. Sorry if the wording offended you. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/23 "2016-09-21T15:30:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You sure read a lot(none of which is intended by me) into a simple poll. Sorry if the wording offended you. No offense taken. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/24 "2016-09-21T17:31:09Z")
As I responded in a [previous thread about this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19458225&postcount=55) > [@As of today, who ya gonna vote for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-who-ya-gonna-vote-for/758986/55): > > Tough choice. The candidate that makes Sarah Palin look like the President of Mensa or the candidate that makes Richard Nixon look like the Dalai Lama. My district is R+32, sitting this one out isn’t going to change anything. First election I haven’t voted in since I turned 18 in '79. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/25 "2016-09-21T17:39:14Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_Rat](#): > > My district is R+32, sitting this one out isn’t going to change anything. First election I haven’t voted in since I turned 18 in '79. If the situation in your state was different and you thought your vote mattered, what would you do? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/26 "2016-09-21T17:45:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If the situation in your state was different and you thought your vote mattered, what would you do? The thing is, I can’t vote for Trump and won’t vote for Hillary. And I’m not all that crazy about a full-on Libertarian, either. I still wouldn’t vote. If these two are the absolute two best candidates this country can put forth, then I suppose we deserve either one. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/27 "2016-09-21T17:54:36Z")
I’m Republican and happily voting for Hillary. Being in California, my vote won’t change the outcome, but voting for her is the right thing to do. > [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](#): > > What does voting for either one even accomplish? If a vote is expressing my support for someone for office, then I obviously can’t vote for Hillary, because even though I prefer her to Trump, I still don’t want her as President. Johnson isn’t precisely my cup of tea, either, but he’s someone I could feel decent about supporting. A vote is not an expression of support. It is an exercise of political power. It is a tiny amount of power, but it is significant–all those votes add up to determine the winner. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/28 "2016-09-21T18:36:59Z")
I probably shouldn’t have participated in this poll, but I did. I am a moderate conservative independent that generally favors my idealized version of a Republican over a Democrat. I’m also conservative in the sense that I prefer the status quo and stability; I am absolutely not a reactionary. Maybe the best way to put it would be that I favor very slow and measured progressivism. I used to like grid-lock, but that was before it led to things like government shut-downs and potentially defaulting on our Nation’s debt. I voted in the Republican primary for Kasich although I’m not really a huge fan of his. I felt morally obligated to vote against Trump, and Cruz for that matter. Of all of the current Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, I prefer Bill Weld. I plan on voting for Gary Johnson. If somehow polls showed that Texas is close between Trump and Clinton, then I would change my vote to Clinton. I strongly dislike Clinton but believe she would make a competent, moderate President. I would have gladly voted for Biden as I consider him a more moral, less corrupt version of Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/29 "2016-09-21T18:53:27Z")
I will vote for every position except President. Hillary and Trump are equally unacceptable in my book, albeit for very different reasons. I may be the ONLY Republican to hold to my Never Trump stance. Almost everyone else seems to be coming around to his side. But as I’ve noted before, my vote makes no difference. Trump will win Texas easily no matter what I do. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/30 "2016-09-21T19:32:52Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > A vote is not an expression of support. It is an exercise of political power. It is a tiny amount of power, but it is significant–all those votes add up to determine the winner. It’s an exercise of attempting to vest my political power in someone. If a single vote if insignificant, then it doesn’t matter if I vote for someone I prefer rather than the person I see as the second-worst option. If a single vote is significant, then it’s important that I make sure my franchise is directed towards someone I agree with. With all due respect, and I do respect you, Pleo, I don’t want Hillary to be President. Not wanting Trump to be President doesn’t change that. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/31 "2016-09-22T01:14:35Z")
> [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](#): > > It’s an exercise of attempting to vest my political power in someone. If a single vote if insignificant, then it doesn’t matter if I vote for someone I prefer rather than the person I see as the second-worst option. If a single vote is significant, then it’s important that I make sure my franchise is directed towards someone I agree with. > > With all due respect, and I do respect you, Pleo, I don’t want Hillary to be President. Not wanting Trump to be President doesn’t change that. Understood. I have respect for anyone who makes a considered vote. If you’re not unhappy with your vote, no matter what the final outcome, you’ve done your duty. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/32 "2016-09-22T01:22:09Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I will vote for every position except President. > > Hillary and Trump are equally unacceptable in my book, albeit for very different reasons. > > I may be the ONLY Republican to hold to my Never Trump stance. Almost everyone else seems to be coming around to his side. > > But as I’ve noted before, my vote makes no difference. Trump will win Texas easily no matter what I do. You are not the only one, the folks over at [Redstate.com](http://Redstate.com) are mostly holding their guns against Trump. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/33 "2016-09-22T06:43:30Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > …Trump will win Texas easily no matter what I do. If this proves to not be the case, I will make myself available to offer you solace and consolation. Soon as I sober up. Couple of days, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/34 "2016-09-23T00:09:56Z")
I’m voting for Clinton but unlikely to make a difference. I’m a centrist, foreign policy Republican. We’ve got a former SECSTATE who picked a running mate with Senate committee assignments including Foreign Relations and Armed Services. She’s not ideal, in some ways, but typically the Democratic base screens out the members of the Party that I find acceptable. For a change they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441/35 "2016-09-23T01:03:43Z")
I haven’t decided whether to vote Johnson or Hillary yet. I’m still mildly hopeful that Johnson can get sufficient recognition to affect the election, which between the failure of the standard Republican candidates this time around and (presumably) Trump’s failure, might help them to start moving away from the Christian aspect of the platform (which - I might note - is Constitutionally unsupportable, just as the anti-gun actions of the Democrats are). But if it isn’t looking like Johnson can help shift the party, then I’ll go for Hillary, rather than risk Pence getting into the Whitehouse. ETA: And note that if I do vote for Johnson, I’ll find someone on [BalancedRebellion.com](http://BalancedRebellion.com) to counter my missing Hillary vote. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-republicans-not-voting-for-trump/766441.md?page=1)