I Am Voting For...

[gkIrish]

The election is one week away. The purpose of this thread is to (a) give everyone a chance to vote one last time; and (b) provide ONE post in which you lay out the reasons you are voting (or not voting) for a candidate.

My intent is to create a place where people can summarize all of the stuff we have been talking about in main thread into one post. Treat your post as if you are trying to convince the rest of us to vote for your candidate.

Please do not reply to anyone else in this thread. The debating and arguing can stay in the main thread. I will delete any posts that do not follow these guidelines.

Feel free to specify the state you are voting in and mention any senatorial, gubernatorial, or congressional candidates you are voting for.

 

[IrishLax]

I'm voting for HillDog.

1. I agree with more Hillary supported policies than Trump supported policies.
2. I think Hillary is a known quantity, and while I'm convinced she is corrupt to the core, I'd rather have Claire Underwood as President than someone who seems grossly unqualified.
3. I think Hillary has a higher "floor" than Trump. And if Hillary sucks and things go bad for four years, we can just vote her out. If there's a catastrophe with Trump in office, then we might not really recover.

 

[wizards8507]

As a matter of conscience, I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein. None of them pass even my basic standards that would qualify one to be president of the United States. Their fatal flaws are corruption, temperament, intelligence, and insanity, respectively. I fully understand the argument that a no-vote is an abdication of my duties as a citizen, but my decision to abstain this year is a matter of conscience.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

I'm voting for HillDog.

1. I agree with more Hillary supported policies than Trump supported policies.
2. I think Hillary is a known quantity, and while I'm convinced she is corrupt to the core, I'd rather have Claire Underwood as President than someone who seems grossly unqualified.
3. I think Hillary has a higher "floor" than Trump. And if Hillary sucks and things go bad for four years, we can just vote her out. If there's a catastrophe with Trump in office, then we might not really recover.

Pretty much this.

I'll also throw in that I believe that Trump's Supreme Court nominees would be bad for the country.

 

[NorthDakota]

The Don....if I even go vote. He will win ND by 15-20%

Time to shake things up. If he does bad, I'm not too worried that it'll be all that terrible. his Supreme Court selections alone make this a very easy decision.

Hillary feels entitled to the job, and wiping that dumb smile off her face would make me very happy.

 

[Domina Nostra]

I am voting for Trump.

1. Both candidates are "bad people," based on their words/actions. But while politicians can have a lot of bad characteristics that don't interfere with their duties, they can't sell their office. That is the cardinal sin. It's pretty clear to me that the Clinton Foundation, the $500,000 speaking fees to the Saudis, Goldman, etc., the countless favors for shady characters, etc. are exactly that. Access to power in exchange for all kinds of things...

2. Hilary is paranoid, just like Nixon, and lives in a bubble. She will use her office (DOJ, EPA, etc.) to go after her political enemies. It's not great to have a President who sees everything as a right wing conspiracy. Trump was a democrat most of his life. He might be at war with the democratic party, but he's also unloved by the Republican party. He obviously can co-exist with normal people on both sides. He'll be MUCH more centrist and non-partisan in attitude--if not always in policy.

3. I am tired of the spread democracy thing. The Democrats convinced me that Bush was wrong about that in Iraq, then they go and do it in Egypt, Libya, and now Syria. No more dumb, unending wars. This means someone outside of the Foreign Policy establishment (both Repub. and Dem).

4. I don't think we need a narrative about Russia being evil, if we want to avoid unnecessary conflicts. I like their encouraging the Russian Orthodox Church in an attempt to counter-act the nihilism that 85 years of communism bred.

5. Trump is not going to run the day in and day out. More than others, he will delegate to people that know what they are doing. I like the idea of Guilliani as head of Homeland security, some un-PC general running DOD, etc.

6. The Supreme Court is the key. Clinton has proven she is lawless (i.e., she will do what she thinks needs to be done, regardless of the law), and the executive branch can push policies that ignore the law. Only the court's can stop them. She owes a lot of social-issue warriors a ton for their support and will use the court system to push the liberal agenda as if it were a constitutional imperative.

7. If you are part of the well-educated class of people who live off international investment (dfirectly or indirectly), the economy has been good for you. Otherwise it has not. America needs to protect its own interests (not international progressive ideals) at the bargaining table.

 

[Ndaccountant]

No vote. I actually feel really bad for women that the historical element of electing a woman president will be wasted on someone as vile as Hillary. Politics is a dirty game, but she takes it to a whole different level.

 

[gkIrish]

I Am Abstaining

I Am Abstaining

I am a registered voter in Ohio, so my vote matters. And that is what makes my decision particularly difficult and upsetting. If I still lived in New York, I would vote 3rd party or abstain without hesitation. So here's why I am still choosing not to vote despite being in a swing state:

1) Donald Trump is unfit to be President from many perspectives. He doesn't have the temperament. He makes enemies, not friends. He is likely racist and demeans women. He is the human equivalent of a circus. I believe if he is elected we will see increased violence and rioting in many areas of the country. I believe race relations will continue to deteriorate. Most importantly, I do not trust him with our nuclear weapons as I believe he is unstable and reactionary. If my (future) children ask me who I voted for in this election I could not look them in the face and tell them I voted for Donald Trump.

2) Hillary Clinton is unfit to be President for various reasons. She is a liar and a snake. She does everything she can to gain the advantage, even if it's illegal and immoral. I believe she would rig the election if she could get away with it. I believe she wants to be President for all the wrong reasons. I honestly can't look her in the face without wanting to vomit. From a policy perspective, her opinions change depending on how the general public feels about a particular issue. She was against gay marriage until the public was for it. She was for Iraq until the public was against. it. She stands for everything I hate about politics and our federal government. I am vehemently against her stance on abortion and basically all of her economic policies. I do not believe I could look my children in the face and tell them I voted for her.

3) I believe the winner of this election will be a one-term President. I'm sure most people agree with that. Therefore, I believe the impact the President will have on this country will be relatively small. I believe Hillary will win the election so I will be voting Republican across the board in every other race besides President. I hope that the Senate and House will remain in Republican control and Hillary will be unable to accomplish anything she wants to accomplish.

4) The one area that the President may leave his or her mark on is the Supreme Court. As a lawyer and constitutionalist, I believe it is dangerous for the Supreme Court to be imbalanced in terms of judicial and political beliefs. While I do not have any big problems with Obama's nominee, I am worried Hillary will be able to nominate an additional justice during her term and this is very problematic.

5) I do think Hillary winning would be better for the stock market as she is more of a sure thing.

6) My political beliefs align with Gary Johnson but I cannot take him seriously because he is a moron. I truly wish Ron Paul was running this year.

Edit: 7) I think there is a material chance either candidate could get impeached. I am 10x more comfortable with Mike Pence as our President than Tim Kaine. This further pushes me away from affirmatively voting for Hillary.

I will go to my polling station, vote Republican across the board (other than some local races) and not vote for a Presidential candidate. I believe affirmatively voting for one candidate or the other would be against my personal beliefs. I do not agree that abstaining is a vote for Trump, as he is actually polling even or ahead of Hillary in Ohio. I believe it is our obligation as citizens of this country to vote for neither candidate to send a message to the major parties. If we all did not vote, neither of these yahoos would win.

I leave you with this my friends:

If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will

<iframe width="525" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OnxkfLe4G74" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Henges24]

I was voting for Gary Johnson all day...and then I heard him speak...

Voting Trump seems crazy or even voting at all seems crazier, however, Trump's party won't let him make the terrible mistakes that people will expect from him. The country will be lead by multiple people behind the scenes, IMO, if Trump is elected. Which may be a positive.

 

[ginman]

Jack Bauer

 

[Meatloaf]

Abstain Zero faith in the potential leadership of this country from both parties. The two party system needs to go.

 

[tussin]

I live in PA, so my vote still "matters" somewhat. My thinking:

1. Donald Trump is a cancer to the Republican Party. He is an offensive, demeaning individual, does not have the temperament to hold the highest office, and has not demonstrated an understanding of the political issues of our day. As a fiscal conservative, he is the worst case scenario.

2. Hillary Clinton is a snake and a terrible person. She is the ultimate hypocrite and would quite literally sell her soul to become President. Her policy positions change with the wind and to hear her trumpet unrealistic liberal platitudes with such insincerity literally makes me sick to my stomach. She runs on an agenda of political convenience and I think it's despicable.

3. About 9 months ago, I voted in the IE Poll for Gary Johnson. I have since learned that he is an utter moron and I cannot vote for him. I align with Libertarians on quite a few issues, but that Party needs to lose the "crazy" if they ever want to be taken seriously on the national stage.

4. Jill Stein... pass.

5. So where does that leave me? I will most likely be voting for Evan McMullin for President. If the polls tighten to the point where I think Trump has a strong chance to win PA / the election as a whole, I will hold my nose, close my eyes, and vote for Hillary. Hamilton said it best: "If we must have an enemy at the head of the Government, let it be one whom we can oppose & for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures."

 

[Cackalacky]

As a matter of conscience, I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein. None of them pass even my basic standards that would qualify one to be president of the United States. Their fatal flaws are corruption, temperament, intelligence, and insanity, respectively. I fully understand the argument that a no-vote is an abdication of my duties as a citizen, but my decision to abstain this year is a matter of conscience.

Pretty much this. Trump will be a nightmare and I strongly believe (much like the Brexiter's) those who vote for him will have voter's remorse two weeks into January. I think those that vote for Trump are so overly concerned with making a statement that they do not fully understand the damage that he will do and will, in time, regret it. IMO those voting for Trump are like a 17 year old kid who thinks he knows better than their parents. It sounds good in your head and you are unconcerned with the long term damage you will cause in your relationship with your parents but ultimately 10 years down the road regret being a giant dick.

Although I agree more with the democratic platform and acknowledge that HRC is establishment through and through, if elected, HRC has no intention of doing anything according to the democratic platform and will be a corporatism shill with neocon hawkish foreign policy. No thank you.

I am not abstaining in practice though in reality, my state will most likely go with Trump and it has been a red state as long as I can remember. Anyway a non-Republican vote in SC is a no vote AFAIAC. I am writing in Bernie as a matter of conscience.

 

[GowerND11]

Registered Libertarian in PA. Living in a swing state means my vote matters. I've thought about voting for Hillary solely on the belief that, as others have mentioned, she is a known quantity and we could get her out in 4 years. However, I cannot vote for her. I cannot vote for Trump. Both make me ill when I hear them talk and read anything of "substance" from them.

I will do what I did in 2012. I will vote Johnson. I know he isn't the best candidate for the Libertarian Party, but I cannot in good faith vote for anyone else. I know I could abstain, but I want to be a part of the movement that sees the Libertarian Party grow in vote %.

Hopefully someone like Ron Paul comes along in the party within the next four years (Rand?) to strengthen it.

 

[ginman]

I agree with the sentiment here that none of the candidates are worth a damn. I too wish that the Libertarian party would become a serious party with serious candidates moving forward.

 

[IrishLion]

Gonna be voting for Hilldog in a state where it won't matter one bit (Kentucky, where the local Facebook is a party for all of the closet racists to out themselves during election season), but I'll feel a bit better for trying to do my part to stop Trump.

After watching the debates, and educating myself more than I thought I would during the election cycle, and taking that "I side with..." quiz several times at different points, I have come to more or less the same conclusions that LAX listed above.

Hillary is a vile politician that is undoubtedly corrupt, but I have faith that she will more or less uphold the current status quo in the country, which, despite what some fear-mongering and overly-paranoid people would say, isn't a bad place for our country to be at all; we're doing pretty good right now, so the status quo is cool with me.

Hillary is at least experienced in the political world, whereas I believe that The Donald's inexperience would get him eaten up behind the scenes. I also believe that he is just generally unfit to be president because of what a terrible human he is.

I'd rather vote for the status quo, where things are actually pretty okay for the country, than to vote for a dude that could truly harm the country, both domestically and in the eyes of world at large.

There will come a point where it is time to upset the system, and to vote for someone that isn't PC, or isn't a life-long politician... but now is not the time, and Donald is not the person.

 

[Domina Nostra]

There are a lot of good, honest, thoughtful posts on this string. Interesting stuff.

 

[ACamp1900]

Abstain Zero faith in the potential leadership of this country from both parties. The two party system needs to go.

I abstained, obviously my electorates are going to Clinton but I'll sleep well at night FWIW... I voted in everything else and just left that portion blank... My wife wrote in some guy I never heard of last mintue

 

[GowerND11]

I abstained, obviously my electorates are going to Clinton but I'll sleep well at night FWIW... I voted in everything else and just left that portion blank... My wife wrote in some guy I never heard of last mintue

Voting early, huh? Voter fraud.

 

[BeauBenken]

I won't be voting, but honestly, I have seen enough reason to not trust Hillary, that I'd rather vote for Trump.

It truly saddens and scares me that people can literally be shown a political criminal as a nominee and still think that they're the better candidate. It seems as though Hillary is about to be exposed for even more than before, and yet people are still likely to turn a blind eye to her corrupt and arrogant actions because they've been lead to believe they (or others) are in a constant state of victimhood that only the Dems can fix, or they just really see Trump as that bad of a person -- largely over-exaggerated by a Clinton-biased media that's so hypocritical sometimes that it's unbelievable. It's people believing what they've been conditioned to believe it seems.

 

[dad4aa]

I am voting for Trump.

1. Both candidates are "bad people," based on their words/actions. But while politicians can have a lot of bad characteristics that don't interfere with their duties, they can't sell their office. That is the cardinal sin. It's pretty clear to me that the Clinton Foundation, the $500,000 speaking fees to the Saudis, Goldman, etc., the countless favors for shady characters, etc. are exactly that. Access to power in exchange for all kinds of things...

2. Hilary is paranoid, just like Nixon, and lives in a bubble. She will use her office (DOJ, EPA, etc.) to go after her political enemies. It's not great to have a President who sees everything as a right wing conspiracy. Trump was a democrat most of his life. He might be at war with the democratic party, but he's also unloved by the Republican party. He obviously can co-exist with normal people on both sides. He'll be MUCH more centrist and non-partisan in attitude--if not always in policy.

3. I am tired of the spread democracy thing. The Democrats convinced me that Bush was wrong about that in Iraq, then they go and do it in Egypt, Libya, and now Syria. No more dumb, unending wars. This means someone outside of the Foreign Policy establishment (both Repub. and Dem).

4. I don't think we need a narrative about Russia being evil, if we want to avoid unnecessary conflicts. I like their encouraging the Russian Orthodox Church in an attempt to counter-act the nihilism that 85 years of communism bred.

5. Trump is not going to run the day in and day out. More than others, he will delegate to people that know what they are doing. I like the idea of Guilliani as head of Homeland security, some un-PC general running DOD, etc.

6. The Supreme Court is the key. Clinton has proven she is lawless (i.e., she will do what she thinks needs to be done, regardless of the law), and the executive branch can push policies that ignore the law. Only the court's can stop them. She owes a lot of social-issue warriors a ton for their support and will use the court system to push the liberal agenda as if it were a constitutional imperative.

7. If you are part of the well-educated class of people who live off international investment (dfirectly or indirectly), the economy has been good for you. Otherwise it has not. America needs to protect its own interests (not international progressive ideals) at the bargaining table.

Voting for Trump for all of these reasons as well, mostly number 6.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Writing in Evan McMullin in hopes that the more votes he garners throughout the country, the better chances a new conservative movement can be born with him as the face. He can't win POTUS and my vote won't even be counted as he's not eligible in Indiana, but I'm voting my conscience.

I voted for Bernie in the primaries because he seems like a decent human being and even though I disagree with some of his policies, he was the only competition to over throw the apple cart that is the democratic established, headed by HRC. I'm saddened it didn't happen and we may be stuck with her now.

HRC, as others have mentioned, is literally everything that is wrong with American politics and she's dialed corruption up to a 10 in her lifetime. That should not be tolerated by the electorate.

Trump is arguably the worst candidate I have ever heard speak. His statements and positions have been well documented in the presidential thread. Morally, I don't see how anyone among the electorate could tolerate him.

BOTH of these main candidates are THE WORST in history. Americans deserve better representation.

In the end, my state will probably vote Trump, but I will sleep soundly at night knowing that I didn't vote for either of these jackwads.

*Great posts from some of you above.

 

[Shamrock Theories]

Ohio.

Hilary sucks, but she hasn't said she is going to nuke our enemies, ban entire ethnic groups, deport 11 million people etc.

So she gets the vote. She will be out in 4 years anyway but at least our country will still exist more or less, and we can get a do-over.

 

[Cackalacky]

Regardless of the presidential victor, I would like to add as a corollary that this election is now more importantly all about congressional makeup. Its highly probable the R's lose their large majority in the HOR and the Senate is up for a 50/50 setup. I would encourage those saying they are not voting for a president still vote for your Congressmen.

 

[kmoose]

I am writing in Betty Montgomery, former Attorney General of the State of Ohio, former State Auditor in Ohio, and former next-door neighbor of my brother. I have met the woman a few times, and she is actually a genuine person who happens to be a politician, not a politician pretending to be a genuine person. I'm writing her in because I won't vote for either of the mainstream clowns. One is just a flat out disgusting pig. And the other one is Donald Trump.

I think gk was on the right path(right group), but out of step a little(wrong song), so I will leave you all with this:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FpsyrfoX8zw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let go grow
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance

Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise

The hypocrites are slandering
The sacred Halls of Truth
Ancient nobles showering
Their bitterness on youth
Can't we find
The minds that made us strong
Can't we learn
To feel what's right, and what's wrong

Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise
Can't we raise our eyes
And make a start
Can't we find the minds
To lead us closer to the heart

 

[IrishBroker]

Still voting for Gary. If not now, when?

I mean, Gary gets slammed for some gaffes, but look at the other two candidates?

I'd argue that Gary and Bill have a much more impressive resume in what they've accomplished at the political level, than Hillary...and certainly Trump. And the gaffes? I don't care. Maybe it's time we had a candidate that cares more about our home field than playing world police?


One cannot vote for Clinton and say they want "change" or "Hope" or to "Move forward". She's a liar and a fraud and the very definition of all that is wrong in Washington. To deny this is simply exposing your party bias.

One cannot vote Trump and say they want an "outsider". He's the guy that has been throwing money at people like the Clinton's for years. Aside from all the crude comments...is this guy really fit to lead our country? Hell no.


However...Hillary is going to load the SCOTUS with more Politically correct morons. So that scares the crap outta me. You wanna talk about a country being morally bankrupt?


So, despite his faults, sticking with Johnson.

 

[ShawneeIrish]

I am voting Stein with no enthusiasm. I do not think she has come across as well informed or completely qualified. However, I prefer the Green platform and she has zero chance to win so I do not have to worry about her governing. The reson for my vote is the off chance she hits 5% and Green Party qualifies for federal funding. It is more that I cannot support Hillary because of her support for the Iraq war, general hawkish foreign policy, and unqualified support of Israel and their occupation. Trump may be bad enough for me to look past Clinton corruption, but there is still the problem that I have very few policy positions where I agree with Hillary. If I was in a swing state I would vote Hillary out of sheer disgust of the xenophobia and bigotry that has powered the Trump campaign but living in a solid red state I will vote Stein. This election is the worst.

 

[Irish#1]

I won't be voting, but honestly, I have seen enough reason to not trust Hillary, that I'd rather vote for Trump.

It truly saddens and scares me that people can literally be shown a political criminal as a nominee and still think that they're the better candidate. It seems as though Hillary is about to be exposed for even more than before, and yet people are still likely to turn a blind eye to her corrupt and arrogant actions because they've been lead to believe they (or others) are in a constant state of victimhood that only the Dems can fix, or they just really see Trump as that bad of a person -- largely over-exaggerated by a Clinton-biased media that's so hypocritical sometimes that it's unbelievable. It's people believing what they've been conditioned to believe it seems.

Ditto

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

Also not voting here but if I had to choose someone from the list above, then it would have to be Trump.

 

[NDRock]

Johnson. This country needs a viable 3rd party as the D's and R's have turned our system into a corrupt clusterfuck.