Policy, Party or Person?

[last1standing]

Simple poll.

In cases where the person or party you prefer does not support the policies you support, which of the three gets your vote? I won't include an "other" category because I don't think there's a need.

Edited to say that there's nothing that says you can't explain your choice below.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. Depends....

No two cases are alike. In some cases, I will vote for the person, because that person may support the polices I support even if the party did not.

The parties are not the same, no matter what some people say. In domestic, non-imperial policy, Democrats will always come closer to polices I endorse than Republicans. When voting for Congressmen or Senators, there is no single policy that demands my vote. (Imperial policy is the same no matter what party.)

Except in a very few local cases, third parties are spoilers in this country, so unless I feel it is critical to punish a Democratic party incumbent, I will vote against the Republican Party. If I am going to punish the incumbent, I will write them a letter and tell them so, and then vote third party or write in a name.

Finally, if there is a woman and a man on the ballot, and both are equally qualified, I will vote for the woman. Men have screwed things up for a long time and I think women deserve a chance to screw up everything in their own way.

[Lasher]

2. It's all pretty much the same thing, isn't it?

I support the Democratic Party because I like its policies are superior to those of any other party.

[last1standing]

4. I don't think it is.

To me the party has drifted from their stated platform and intent on many major issues.

[salguine]

6. It's not the same thing at all.

[Lasher]

7. OK so enlighten me. What's the difference?

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Person.

"Policy" is too singular just like "party." Despite what idiot "biographers" of mine on this site may think, I am not a single "policy" voter, though there are some things which are much more important to me than other things so I have to include all those things into my decision. I guess living in Louisiana has changed me some. When we have elections there is more than one "party" representative on the ticket. If there is no majority, then there is a run-off. Then again, it really does depend, who is on the ticket.

[quaker bill]

5. Person

You don't actually get to vote for the policy, and party is the organization the person belongs to. This is why the ballot lists names for offices, not policies, and only notes party after the name in partisan races.

Of course, I only vote for persons who happen to be democrats. But I have abstained in a race or two where the dem was not the right person. (No, I did not consider third party or republican, and don't).