Alright; I am not posting here to hear why someone should vote for a candidate or what not, but i am here with a question regarding voting.

I turned 18 in October, so this will be my first election to vote in. For all you who've voted before, what kind of stuff did you look at before you voted, or if you voted at all.

I realize November is a ways off, but through this board I've gained some good information, views, opinions on politics, so I respect the opinions of those who post here.

I am just curious on advice you may have, and what not.

It's a personal thing so none of us can really tell you how you should approach voting. Just look at what issues mean the most to you and base your vote on that. Also, remember that your vote is just that, your vote. Don't let people try to tell you that you are throwing your vote away if you decide to not go with the main-stram parties.

Don't let people try to tell you that you are throwing your vote away if you decide to not go with the main-stram parties.
Even if that is exactly what you're doing http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

I think this year may really be the whole Kodos and Kang thing we saw on the simpsons.

It's a personal thing so none of us can really tell you how you should approach voting. Just look at what issues mean the most to you and base your vote on that.
Now, having had my fun with the end of this post (hey, you knew somebody was gonna do it), I'll be serious with the rest of it.

EagleFan's answer isn't a bad way to sum up mine -- ultimately, you have to decide what issue(s) matter most to you, and how much you feel you need to agree/disagree with a candidate on to determine which way you vote.

Sometimes, it's the ratio of agree/disagree. Sometimes it's amount of weight you put on various issues & how closely one candidate or another aligns with your feelings on that issue. And, unfortunately, sometimes it's a matter of picking the lesser of available evils.

One specific thing I do, especially in cases where I'm starting from near zero info on a candidate (and especially in primary season) is to look at canadidates websites (when available obviously). Somewhere on there is likely to be some sort of platform statement(s) or priorities or something that will give you at least a starting point for where they (claim to ) stand on issues.

Another thing that can help, most often in local or regional elections, is to attend "candidate forums" / debates/ q & a's/ etc.

damn,im only 17...missed the fun by a year...oh well, back to girls

What do you care about the most? Sometimes, it isn't a popular issue, so you may have to do some research on how the candidate feels about that issue.

Also, while the presidential election is a big deal, local elections have a more immediate impact on your life, so pay attention to what is going on in your community and vote in these elections as well.

Take a look at the candidates, if one of them clearly favors your side in issues that matter the most, go with him/her. If you're finding yourself falling in the middle and you're undecided, just go with your instincts on who you think the best candidate will be. But if you take a little time to find out more about the issues and candidates, you'll be far ahead of most voters.

And like Sachmo said, don't overlook the local stuff. That will have a bigger impact for you and your vote will mean more in those elections.

Just remember, the democrats are all about screwing the republicans and the republicans are all about screwing the poor

a good site to get some info. is presidentmatch.com...itll help point out whihc candidate matches your own views.

You will never find a candidate that meets all of your criteria, but you have to do your best of finding the one that best represents you and your beliefs.

Just vote for a 3rd party, so when the elected guy comes in and screws up, you can say that you didn't vote for that guy

Vote like the parents. Party lines all the way.

Vote like the parents. Party lines all the way.

Or be rebellious, and vote the opposite of the way that they do. It helps keep politics out of family discussions at holidays.

You should check out the League of Women Voters. I believe they have a website. They have information about candidates at both the federal and state level. They generally provide information about a candidate's history and how he/she voted on different issues (if that applies). It's a good place to get an overview of a candidate from an objective source.

Alright; I am not posting here to hear why someone should vote for a candidate or what not, but i am here with a question regarding voting.

I turned 18 in October, so this will be my first election to vote in. For all you who've voted before, what kind of stuff did you look at before you voted, or if you voted at all.

I realize November is a ways off, but through this board I've gained some good information, views, opinions on politics, so I respect the opinions of those who post here.

I am just curious on advice you may have, and what not.
Look at the people and their stance on the issues and not at the parties.

That's my #1 pet peeve, people who vote purely along party lines. I hate the party system and all it stands far.. with it instead of elected officials representing you... you get officials who simply tow the party line. I'd rather have someone working for me, then someone working to ensure that he stays in the good graces of his party so he can get more campaign funding or better committee assignments.

To me the party system, results in an abdication of the power of the representative government, to a bunch of white haired old men in nice offices (party headquarters) overlooking DC, I just don't trust anyone who has to pledge loyalty to anyone other then his or her constituents.

The other side effect of the party system is it tends to keep people who might have new ideas, and innovative solutions out of office, as these are not the people likely to be endorsed by the braintrust of the political parties... with the limitation of "real" candidates to just the people prescribed and endorsed by the party elite, the country IMO suffers.

Unfortunately it will never change, until more people stop blindly checking the box next to the guy who has an R or the guy who has a D next to their name.. and start actually paying attention to what the candidates say and stand for.

(This isn't to say all D's or R's are bad... but in general I'd prefer to see people get elected because of what they've done, not because of the D or R next to the name, one example of how this impacts elections is in the CT primary Lyndon LaRouche made a stronger then expected showing... which was traced in large part to his sharing the same line as the D party local office candidates in certain CT precients, and people who just blindly checked everyone on that line)

As the serious responders are saying, go do some research. Read about the candidates, especially what they have to say on their own pages (their own campaign statements can often tell you tons about what they have to say), check newspapers, etc. The key is to look at many different sources so you can sort out all the spin.

Only you can decide what's important to you and what candidate fits the bill.

As the serious responders are saying, go do some research. Read about the candidates, especially what they have to say on their own pages (their own campaign statements can often tell you tons about what they have to say), check newspapers, etc. The key is to look at many different sources so you can sort out all the spin.

Only you can decide what's important to you and what candidate fits the bill.
Excellent post... making sure you can get multiple sources on the issues is always good, barring that always read and try to filter out the spin, allowing you to make your own decision rather then letting the editor/author make the decision for you.

Unfortunately it will never change, until more people stop blindly checking the box next to the guy who has an R or the guy who has a D next to their name.. and start actually paying attention to what the candidates say and stand for.
One bit that would help would be to open up the debates a bit more. It always ticks me off when, say, the Libertarian candidate in an election can't get in on the debate (which happened here in North Carolina during the last Governor election). That's a key way they keep the 2-party system in place, and so for me is a key place to start attacking it.

Scott, the fallacy of your argument that a candidate must tow the party line and once elected, as in Congress, it is all about voting however the party leaders tell you to vote. The only "representative" thing is how much clout do they have to bring home part of the pork pie but that's a short-term gain at the expense of long-time financial viability.

In my 25+ years of voting, I perceive that one either 1) votes the party or 2) votes for the lesser of two evils. If anyone thinks that voting for a person because of promises of being a knight in shining armor going to fix the problems in Wash DC, that person is a fool. He/she will become part of the problem.

in the Presidental race, I personally don't get too caught up in voting for issues, unless someone is severly out there. I like to vote for the person I deem to have the best leadership qualities.

I DO vote for issues in Congressional races.

Go ahead! THROW YOUR VOTE AWAY!!!!




:p

Go ahead! THROW YOUR VOTE AWAY!!!!




:pIf enough people throw their vote away, all of a sudden it matters. Vote for who you want to vote for, not who you dislike the least.