Do you usually vote along party lines or mix it up when you vote? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Massachusetts Street on October 19, 2012

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“ Typically party lines because of the tenets of the Democratic Party.”

— Cody Henry, bartender , Lawrence

“ I vote down party lines. I agree with one party.”

— Erica Norris, associate director of a preschool, St. Louis

“ Party lines. The belief system I have pertains to one party line. ”

— Michael Amick, self-employed, Lawrence

“ Just straight down party lines. The lines are more publicized. No one really talks about the other parties. ”

— Christian Dean, student, Kansas City, Mo.

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WesleyWillis 7 months ago

Does voting for Roseanne count as mixing it up?

Agnostick 7 months ago

You sort of don't know much about math, do you?

The four OTS respondents indicate that they go into the voting booth, click on the "Democrat" or "Republican" box, and leave. That's 100% of their votes for a single party. "Party line."

Anything less than 100% is not "party line." That would include 1%... 20%... 50%... even 99%. Key point: 99% is less than 100%. So, autie does not contradict himself.

Please try to keep up. As we all know... it's just math. ;)

iknowright 7 months ago

she's like: "yes, autie, you pooped your pants. again."

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 7 months ago

Used to do a lot of writing, now I do a lot of typing.

tomatogrower 7 months ago

I used to mix it up, but the Republicans have gotten too radical.

I do thorough research on local, state and national candidates that I have the opportunity to vote for. I generally end up splitting my vote pretty much down the middle, with some third party thrown in, as my views vary greatly - on one topic I may be very much on the left, while on another I may be very much on the right. I do not have blanket views so I cannot vote just for a party...I vote for a candidate.

If someone says "I only vote Dem" or "I only vote Republican", I immediately start wondering if they have any idea who they are actually voting for or what they actually "say" they stand for.

Frankie8 7 months ago

You got that right! A political party is not quite like a church where you may be considered a heretic if you believe differently. Some people may say they vote by party because they don't want to get into a long discussion about it.

Bill Hoyt 7 months ago

I generally vote Democrat at the local level, Republican at the state level, and third party at the national. Part of that's because I live in a Democratic area so most of the best locals tend to be Democrat. Part of that's because it's hard to find a party at the national level that does not enjoy lobbing bombs at other countries as soon as they find an excuse. But generally always has exceptions - I have a single Republican I'll be voting for this time around (state senate) and a single Democrat (state rep) and frankly I don't know how I'll vote the rest of the way.

rockchalker52 7 months ago

You want paycheck? Vote the party line.

"I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections," the GOP hopeful told a group of small business owners this summer on a conference call organized by the conservative-leaning National Federation of Independent Businesses.

"Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids as well."

He does 'Lean on Me' but 'He ain't Heavy, He's my (big) Brother.'

ohjayhawk 7 months ago

I remember him! I'm a bit disappointed he didn't decide to run again this year.

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 7 months ago

"After that I write-in stupid names" - T_O_B

Are you voting early or by mail, because I have to type all my choices.

Trumbull 7 months ago

Used to voted mixed. Will be very hard to vote for a Republican ever again after how they conducted themselves during the debt ceiling crisis. They were willing to risk the US credit rating for sake of party.

toe 7 months ago

The products of our bubble test education system is desperate to have a right answer on the "test". No critical thinking here.

Liberty275 7 months ago

I'll vote for any libertarian then split the vote from there. One year I didn't vote for anyone, but just wrote "no more taxes" in big letters on the ballot.

jafs 7 months ago

How well did that work out?

Liberty275 7 months ago

As well as making little black dots.

rockchalker52 7 months ago

I'm voting Big Bird. Have you seen what happens to the quality of privatized 'learning' channels?

http://www.themysteryworld.com/2012/10/how-tlc-has-changed-24-pics.html

rockchalker52 7 months ago

// edit //

jonas_opines 7 months ago

I try to vote for split power, for the most part, without voting for particular people who seem too crazy. That last part is difficult sometimes.

CWGOKU 7 months ago

Happy national mammogram day!

beatrice 7 months ago

I'm not really interested in politics, but if I were to vote, I would vote heads / tails.

Ronnie24 7 months ago

I don't believe in voting straight party. I vote for the person I feel will do the best job according to my believes.

somedude20 7 months ago

This gal gets my vote every day of the week and 5-6 times on Sunday!

by somedude20

MarcoPogo 7 months ago

When Def Leppard's "Hysteria" album came out, they completely dominated the top spot on "Dial MTV"; viewers just kept calling in and voting for them over and over. Have things improved since then?

tbannwarth 7 months ago

I may lean towards one party but have mixed it up. Usually at least once per election. I tend to go R nationally and D locally. Only lemmings vote straight D or R.

labmonkey 7 months ago

The last Democrat I would have considered for President was Joe Lieberman. Democrats could have won by a landslide in 2004 had they nominated him. The Democrats have been taken over by the loony left. The Republican Party is about to split in two with the moderates vs. the Tea Party. The Tea Party needs to realize they cost the Republicans the Senate in 2010 and are going to again this year thanks to Missouri's wonderful Republican nominee of Todd Akin.

As for state, I voted for Kathy the first time over Schallenberger because I was angry with the hatchet job Kansans for Life did on Knight in the primary and for the fact it looked like Kathy was a moderate and Schallenberger was a rightwing nutjob. I was very angry when Kathy dined with Tiller and made her bed with Obama so I decided to never vote for a Democrat again in the state level. Locally, party doesn't mean much... have to go by the person.

I guess the short answer is yes, I more or less do vote straight Republican.

rtpayton 7 months ago

Sarah Palin supported Steelman not Akin. Akin was never supported by the tea party.

beatrice 7 months ago

I tend to vote Democrat on the national level largely because of social issues, but I don't worry too much about party lines on the local level. Republicans on the national level have gone completely over the edge in recent years with their pledges to Grover Norquist over concerning themselves with what is best for the nation. The social conservativism of the Republican party is backward thinking that rational people should not support.

I might also vote for more Democrats locally if more of them were truly liberals. Too many are just Republican-lite these days.

xyz 7 months ago

Did you know that Americans for Prosperity has set up an office at 9th and Hillcrest? Hopefully the Koch boys are smart enuf not to step foot in Lawrence.

Frankie8 7 months ago

Just curious, xyz as in the xyz affair?

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 7 months ago

"Did you know that Americans for Prosperity has set up an office at 9th and Hillcrest? Hopefully the Koch boys are smart enuf not to step foot in Lawrence." - xzy

Meaning?

rtpayton 7 months ago

Mix it up on all levels local, state and national.

CWGOKU 7 months ago

I vote based upon the candidates height

CWGOKU 7 months ago

I vote based upon the candidates height

75x55 7 months ago

No surprises here at the purple stain of Kansas.

Agnostick 7 months ago

Been eatin' blueberries again?

Agnostick 7 months ago

I vote for candidates, not parties.

Agnostick 7 months ago

Smart words from a smart man...

"I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

"This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

"Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

"It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

"There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp