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With the elections coming up, even though some of us aren't old enough to vote this question arises.

Democratic or Republican, and why?

Please discuss and state your reason.



I'm a democrat because the US needs quite a bit of change, Bush was a terrible president, with the LOWEST approval rating since Nixon. He also drove the country into serious debt. Obama is the kind of change we need, opposed to McCains oldness and screwed ideals. Plus McCain's running mate is one of the stupidest human beings ever to grace the earth, Palin claims Obama doesnt have experience? She was the governor of a state with a combined population of like 10,000. Thats like her extended family and a few moose.

What happened to the "neither" option?

I don't like either major party in the United States at the moment. I like the GOP of old, when the Republican party was socially liberal, but I can't stand them anymore. I want a party that will appropriately shrink the size of the federal government!

I also dislike both. There's no party really suited to my beliefs, so I'll probably just vote for the candidate who is least likely to screw America over.

I know Dave's explained it many times before, but not voting either Democrat or Republican is basically throwing your vote away. Were I of legal age before the election (I'm a month off) I'd vote Democrat, due to their opposition to continuing the Iraq War and other such 'liberal' ideologies. I'm down with the concept of a black president, too. Could stir some right ol' sht.

http://politicalcompass.org/test
http://politicalcompass.org/test
http://politicalcompass.org/test
http://politicalcompass.org/test

Take the test, find your place. I'm down and to the right, very deep in the purple--more down than right. I found that I am closer to the Democrat ideal, if only by a smidge, though both parties are far to "up" for me and Democrat is a bit "left".

Anyhow, because I'm closer to Democrat, that tends to be how I vote. But I look at the issues, of course.

In this day and age, both Democrats and Republicans spend the same amount of money. It used to be that Republicans promised lower taxes and more economic freedoms, while Democrats forused on social freedoms. Nowadays, neither party promises economic liberty; one wants to spend your money on community stuff and the other on a defense budget.

So, again, now it's not about how much money gets spent, but what it's being spent for. Because of this, I go with the Democrats (more social liberty at the same economic cost). I used to think that the GOP was cool, because it was big on liberty and small government. Heh heh. They've really changed their game, haven't they?



Of course, they say Democrats are bad with the economy:


(Thanks to Suki for finding this pretty revealing chart.)

Compass score.

I took that test in AP government. I don't have a screenshot, but it was about the same level of libertarian as Demonz, but instead right on the middle line of left/right. I tend to favor Democrats though on most major issues (environment, foreign policy, etc.).

Me, by the way:

And mine:

I'm Australian so my views don't count. I would vote Democrat because McCain as president would just be more of the same and the same isn't good enough.

Edit: scythe's other tests:



Apparently I'm most compatible with Social Democratism and Jimmy Carter:

Bah. Political compass is a poster child for leading questions.
"Because corporations cannot be trusted to protect the environment, must they be regulated?" contains the inappropriate presumption "corporations cannot be trusted to protect the environment".
This is superior. Admittedly, even that is somewhat biased, but not as bad as political compass. For yet another version, but with a more conservative-leaning bias, take a look at this test. In fact, take all three and compare your positions.
I'll just describe the first one: I'm at the corner of "Libertarian", "Liberal", and "Centrist".
I'd end up voting Democrat this election, most likely. Barr's just not a good choice and Nader's too old. Also, your vote doesn't count either way, especially not if you don't live in a swing state. Your vote does, however, somewhat help the process; the election works best if everyone votes and if everyone votes honestly, so if you identify more with a third-party, vote for them!
...though, most third-party Presidential candidates don't have the skill required for the office and really aren't good choices. How well would Nader handle foreign policy? It makes sense to vote third party for, say, Congressman, though.

Although I don't agree perfectly with them, I'm far in support of the democratic party. I think that change really is what we need right now, and it seems that we'll be getting a lot more from the democrats than the republicans.

And I, too, yearn for the GOP of old.

John McCain is a maverick.

I'd live to vote Republican, but the closest thing we have here is Canadian Conservative. :(

I have little care for either Democrat or Republican parties. I would much rather vote for the canidate that would beast lead our country.


However, I tend to side with Democrats more often.

My result was pretty close to KingAlex's

I became more left than I was last time... and by about 2 points as well.

Just took the test... My results were one notch above maestros.

so, what does this mean?

isaacx, that doesn't look like a test result.

The graph itself is supposed to model your political positions based on two dimensions (social and economic). More economic freedom is to the right, less is to the left. Less social freedom is up, more social freedom is down.

I don't know what I'd vote for if I could; both have their positives, and both their negatives.

With McCain, he's got the experience, and some ideals as well (and a smokin-hot Vice President pick). However, the justices of the Supreme Court are nearing the end of their service, and more then half of them are going to leave in the midst of his presidency. The replacing justices are appointed by him, and he will choose them through a religious stand point. I don't want the legal system to be stacked, biased in the ways of a religion; that's not "fair".

With Obama, his change and beliefs are great, and I like the idea of having a black president (contrary to popular belief, I'm white myself). There is a likely chance that he would be assassinated, or tried to be, if he won the election. This brings Joe Biden into the picture, who is a good politician, with the experience Obama's ticket needs. When it comes to Obama's experience, that's when it goes downhill. He ran in the senate for some +/- 153 days, and doesn't have much executive experience. When and if he goes to Russia, he will be eaten alive by their dictator. I don't know if I a president who I can't trust to fend for himself, or his country.

Either way, we'll have a good president, but I can't tell you which one I want more.

That's why I can't vote yet.

I'm something of a demoblic republocrat. Basically, I'm a democrat because liberal chicks are hotter, but I'm also selfish and insane.

scythe33 wrote:Bah. Political compass is a poster child for leading questions.
"Because corporations cannot be trusted to protect the environment, must they be regulated?" contains the inappropriate presumption "corporations cannot be trusted to protect the environment".
This is superior. Admittedly, even that is somewhat biased, but not as bad as political compass. For yet another version, but with a more conservative-leaning bias, take a look at this test. In fact, take all three and compare your positions.
I'll just describe the first one: I'm at the corner of "Libertarian", "Liberal", and "Centrist".
I'd end up voting Democrat this election, most likely. Barr's just not a good choice and Nader's too old. Also, your vote doesn't count either way, especially not if you don't live in a swing state. Your vote does, however, somewhat help the process; the election works best if everyone votes and if everyone votes honestly, so if you identify more with a third-party, vote for them!
...though, most third-party Presidential candidates don't have the skill required for the office and really aren't good choices. How well would Nader handle foreign policy? It makes sense to vote third party for, say, Congressman, though.

Leading questions are the point of it, though. If you feel like you're being led, you're probably largely against the statement. Not the premise of the statement, but--like--you wouldn't say it yourself.

The political compass isn't biased at all, in my opinion. I've found people that hate how the questions are leading, but the people always say it in response to a specific different question. Like, the ones you think are leading, they wouldn't, and vice-versa. I just view it as a better test.

I'd vote Obama, if my vote counted. But i'm too good for American politics.

Condog wrote:I'd vote Obama, if my vote counted. But i'm too good for American politics.

Grmff.

I'm neither Democrat or Republican. I think being adherent to a single party is silly and counter-intuitive. I'll vote for the best man for the job, regardless of what side he's on.