# What should somebody vote if he doesn't agree 100% with the party line?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 26, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104 "2004-09-26T01:41:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104/21 "2004-09-27T19:40:21Z")

</div>

> [@acsenray](#):
>
> While Springer was a member of the Cincinnati city council, a police raid on a brothel revealed a _check_ written by Srpinger. _Then_, he was elected mayor.

I **like** Cincinatti voters! 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104/22 "2004-09-27T20:15:13Z")

</div>

As I’ve already stated on this board, my family can’t even agree on pizza toppings–and there’s only three of us. So I am greatly amused by those who proudly point out their allegiance to every aspect of a political philospophy. What are the odds there is any person, party or institution you’d agree 100% with, all the time?

Accept the fact that you won’t agree with everything, and make balanced decisions based on the relative importance of the issues on the table. A single issue could drive your decision (it often has with me).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104/23 "2004-09-27T22:55:25Z")

</div>

What you should do is vote for the candidate whose platform is closest to your own, then write to him and make the difference between your views and his views clear, in an attmept to influence him closer to your views. If no candidate is close enough, find people in your constituency with views sufficiently similar to your own and start a grassroots thing.

Given that effective government in a democracy requires compromises, though, you might just have to suck it up.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104/24 "2004-09-28T02:09:44Z")

</div>

Anyone who agrees 100% with the party line should be confined to a mental institution… well unless they are the party president I suppose… in which case they should be put in jail. 🙂

```
Intelligent people rarely would follow a "party line"... so they have to weigh the pros and cons of the candidates and the parties. Usually in democracies you get the choice of voting for the least worst. Its the same in the US, Brazil and most countries IMHO. 

 Please do vote against Bush...
```

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-somebody-vote-if-he-doesnt-agree-100-with-the-party-line/266104.md?page=1)