What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Have you ever voted for a Republican presidential candidate in the general election? (1 Viewer)

Have you?

  • Yes

    Votes: 124 67.0%

  • No

    Votes: 61 33.0%
  • Total voters
    185
Juxtatarot

Juxtatarot

Footballguy
You might think this is an oddly random question.  

I predict a lot of people with be surprised with how many yes votes there will be.  It’s suggested sometimes how nearly monolithically liberal this forum is, but I believe there is a lot more nuance, particularly with political histories.

 
Juxtatarot said:
You might think this is an oddly random question.  

I predict a lot of people with be surprised with how many yes votes there will be.  It’s suggested sometimes how nearly monolithically liberal this forum is, but I believe there is a lot more nuance, particularly with political histories.
Click to expand...
I get what you're going after, and I'd really tend to agree that it's not as monolithically liberal as people say, but I think the premise you're going after is flawed. To wit: I was a old leftist at the age of eighteen, and never would have imagined by the time I was a certain age that I would have the political outlook I have. It doesn't mean that if I were debating someone now and I was at a right-wing site that I could somehow use my past as somehow indicative of a broader political nuance today. One doesn't necessarily follow. In addition, one could be as dogmatic now as one was then, it doesn't change the outlook in the present. 

 
I don't vote R or D. I vote for who I think is the best candidate to lead our country. I pick my doctor, or mechanic, or any number of people based on the belief that they are the best for my needs.

I'm am however, registered Independent. Because I don't claim either of these parties. 

 
Juxtatarot said:
It’s suggested sometimes how nearly monolithically liberal this forum is, but I believe there is a lot more nuance, particularly with political histories.
Click to expand...
I voted no, but that's kind of misleading on this score. I preferred George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton, but voted for Ross Perot. (In hindsight, I am embarrassed about this.) I preferred Bob Dole to Bill Clinton, but voted for Harry Brown. I preferred George W. Bush to Al Gore, but voted for Harry Brown again. I was largely undecided between McCain vs. Obama and Romney vs. Obama, and didn't vote in either election. In 2016, I had a hard time deciding between Clinton and Johnson. (I had ruled out Trump immediately for obvious reasons.) I ended up supporting Johnson, but would have voted for Clinton if I'd been in a swing state.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maurile Tremblay said:
I voted no, but that's kind of misleading on this score. I preferred George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton, but voted for Ross Perot. (In hindsight, I am embarrassed about this.) I preferred Bob Dole to Bill Clinton, but voted for Harry Brown. I preferred George W. Bush to Al Gore, but voted for Harry Brown again. I was largely undecided between McCain vs. Obama and Romney vs. Obama, and didn't vote in either election. In 2016, I had a hard time deciding between Clinton and Johnson. (I had ruled out Trump immediately for obvious reasons.) I ended up supporting Johnson, but would have voted for Clinton if I'd been in a swing state.
Click to expand...
I, too, voted no but followed a similar path to Maurile.  Registered independent, desirous of a legit third party voted libertarian in 1992 (Marous?) in the first presidential election in which I was able to vote.  In 1996 my dislike of Bill Clinton had grown immensely EVEN as I felt he was unfairly attacked by the Newts of the world.  Voted libertarian again (Browne).  In 1998 voted Gore as I thought Bush was a dolt and didn't understand the "vote for the guy you can have a beer with" POV.  By 2000 I could see the writing on the wall and was looking forward to voting against Hillary and keeping my streak alive for having NEVER voted for a Clinton.  In 2004, abstained but as I live in MA my vote wasn't gonna change anything.  In 2008 I liked McCain up until he announced his VP selection and so happily voted Obama.  Abstained in 2012.  In 2016, having giddily sworn off ever voting for Hillary I RAN to the polls and eagerly voted for Clinton.  Living in MA and STILL not taking ANY chances with a Johnson vote was my POV.  

So no, have NEVER voted for a Republican in the presidential election, but have voted for plenty of GOP senators (Romney) and Governors (Baker, Weld).  FWIW, in some ways I feel like as I am becomng more traditionally conservative the GOP keeps moving FURTHER away from me.  Do any others of you have this experience/feeling?  

 
No.

I'll vote R's in the local and Congressional votes from time to time.  Delaware's Republican Party was officially destroyed though when outside money and people like Sean Hannity pushed Christine "The Witch" O'Donnell in the R Primary over the very popular on both sides of the aisle former Governor and House member Mike Castle because he was too much of a Centrist/Non Tea Party type.  

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maurile Tremblay said:
I voted no, but that's kind of misleading on this score. I preferred George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton, but voted for Ross Perot. (In hindsight, I am embarrassed about this.) I preferred Bob Dole to Bill Clinton, but voted for Harry Brown. I preferred George W. Bush to Al Gore, but voted for Harry Brown again. I was largely undecided between McCain vs. Obama and Romney vs. Obama, and didn't vote in either election. In 2016, I had a hard time deciding between Clinton and Johnson. (I had ruled out Trump immediately for obvious reasons.) I ended up supporting Johnson, but would have voted for Clinton if I'd been in a swing state.
Click to expand...
I voted for GHWBush in ‘92.  I can’t imagine voting for another Republican Presidential candidate for the rest of my life.  

 
No, but have voted GOP in local elections a few times and have voted Libertarian twice for President. The GOP is going to have to show me a lot for me to even consider voting for them ever again

 
Morton Muffley said:
 FWIW, in some ways I feel like as I am becomng more traditionally conservative the GOP keeps moving FURTHER away from me.  Do any others of you have this experience/feeling?  
Click to expand...
Yes, but I think it might be your libertarian leanings that are really at odds with today's Party. There's actually a unique tension between conservative thought and libertarian thought, and trying to synthesize them into a core ideology of the Republican Party never really enmeshed well after Reagan. The conservative wing, that which envelops the religious right and simple living, never quite made peace with the dynamism of economic libertarianism, and this incoherence ideologically did the Party major damage in the Rust Belt and in other swing states where programs and entitlements are needed. That's why someone speaking the language of economic populism was able to resonate so thoroughly with people, even as a Republican. The strains were there already, it just took someone to bring them to the fore. 

So, the Republican Party, with William Buckley pushing Goldwaterism and Reaganism, was different than the Republican Party of 1952, and certainly different than the one we see today. It was actually, this winning proposition/electoral cocktail of conservativism mixed with economic libertarianism, a brief moment in time, all things considered.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Henry Ford said:
I can’t believe you remember that. You can’t have been over 75 years old at the time. 
Click to expand...
100% true story:   Back in ‘76 Dole was in town stumping for Ford.  My mom, who had just recently divorced my dad, went out to dinner with a bunch female work friends.  After dinner they went into the restaurant bar.  There they met a group of Secret Service guys who were on the Ford/Dole detail.  

The whole group decided to head to another bar a mile away.  One of the agents offered to drive my mom in his govt issue car.  My mom had no interest in this guy but figured that she would never have the chance to ride in a Secret Service car again.

Thats pretty much it.  Nothing happened between the two of them but I always thought it was a pretty cool story.

 
As noted, having a third option (no, but have voted for libertarians, independents, third parties) would likely provide some important nuance.

In my case, I have not... I had been a registered Dem, though with a good smattering of libertarian leanings that had grown stronger through the years. Even so, felt the Dems were the lesser of two evils, though I've voted for any number of Republicans at every other level of government.

After voting Gary Johnson twice (although I would have voted Hillary had I been in a purple state up for grabs, holding my nose as I had never voted for her for Senator and really did not like her at all), I left my party affiliation. Until this past election, the ability to vote in primaries, especially at the local level, was too important to me.  After the Dem party just kept doing what they did leading up to the last election, I went non-affiliated.

I had always thought by now I'd be Republican. Figured they'd eventually soften a bit on social issues that were utterly important to me (they have a little, but some strong factions still support discriminatory policies among other issues that I see differently); didn't think they'd just go in the bag NRA-indebted guns above all extremists that wouldn't even act after a mass murder of children; didn't think they'd look to so ease the tax burden on those who least need in and in a manner that seems to help the economy overall the least.  The party just ran away from me just as I was really ready to transition after being a longtime registered Dem. 

Now, I have no home.

 
OrtonToOlsen said:
100% true story:   Back in ‘76 Dole was in town stumping for Ford.  My mom, who had just recently divorced my dad, went out to dinner with a bunch female work friends.  After dinner they went into the restaurant bar.  There they met a group of Secret Service guys who were on the Ford/Dole detail.  

The whole group decided to head to another bar a mile away.  One of the agents offered to drive my mom in his govt issue car.  My mom had no interest in this guy but figured that she would never have the chance to ride in a Secret Service car again.

Thats pretty much it.  Nothing happened between the two of them but I always thought it was a pretty cool story.
Click to expand...
I’m afraid whether or not something actually happened is on a need to know basis. 

 
My presidential voting record:

1996: Dole

2000: Bush ( this was in Palm Beach Co, FL, on the infamous butterfly ballot).

2008: McCain

2012: Romney

2016: Clinton

The only times I voted  not (R) was 2004 when I decided the country was not in a better place in 2004 than 2000, and 2016 when I chose the lesser of two evils.

I don't regret any vote.

 
KCitons said:
I don't vote R or D. I vote for who I think is the best candidate to lead our country. I pick my doctor, or mechanic, or any number of people based on the belief that they are the best for my needs.

I'm am however, registered Independent. Because I don't claim either of these parties. 
Click to expand...
This guy has the right idea. Even those who currently run with one of the 2  parties to get elected can also be the change that party needs to get better.

 
OrtonToOlsen said:
100% true story:   Back in ‘76 Dole was in town stumping for Ford.  My mom, who had just recently divorced my dad, went out to dinner with a bunch female work friends.  After dinner they went into the restaurant bar.  There they met a group of Secret Service guys who were on the Ford/Dole detail.  

The whole group decided to head to another bar a mile away.  One of the agents offered to drive my mom in his govt issue car.  My mom had no interest in this guy but figured that she would never have the chance to ride in a Secret Service car again.

Thats pretty much it.  Nothing happened between the two of them but I always thought it was a pretty cool story.
Click to expand...
:thumbup:

My uncles buddy who was a Detroit cop drove George H. Bush around Detroit in 1980 when the Republican convention was in Detroit. Bush was going to be Reagans VP running mate and nobody really knew who he was at the time so he did not need a big security detail.  Said he was a great guy..when a hot lady was crossing the street he claims that Bush was saying "Yow check her out"  I told my mom the story and she did not believe me.  Said he would never do that.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I voted for W in 2004, I think Barr in 2008, don't remember who in 2012,  and Johnson in 2016. I'll vote for both D and R at local and state levels, but I will not be voting for a Republican presidential candidate at any point in the foreseeable future.

 
I have not...and this election will be the first time I vote for a Dem candidate.

Voted for a few in primaries though.

 
Maybe it's time to bring back the Democratic Republicans.  Merge all the moderates together.  I never really found the moderates from both sides all that different.  Seemed to be more talk to appease their bases.

 
KCitons said:

Could we move away from the party system? What would that even look like?
Click to expand...

I don't think we'll ever move away from the party system, because there's too much power at stake.

If political parties were banned, we'd still have a system where a majority of people form an alliance to control the government.
 
Nope.

Clinton, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, Obama, Obama, Clinton

In 1992 I was attracted to Clinton's appeal as a centrist candidate. I guess that's what some liberals criticized him for. His triangulation. It just made sense to me. The Democratic platform has always just spoken to me more. I wonder how different a world we would live in now if Gore had prevailed in 2000. I was willing to give Romney a listen in 2012 but in the end he did nothing for me. I held my nose and voted for Hillary in 2016 because there was no way I could vote for Trump and a vote for Gary Johnson was basically a vote for Trump IMO.

I have voted a mixed ballot of Ds and Rs for local, state, and Congress. Lately the Republican party has turned me off as they are becoming the party of Trump no matter what that I've been voting straight Ds.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
 No but 2018 was the first time I ever voted (straight Dem ticket).  I’ve always leaned Democratic but if anyone but Trump was running in 2020 I’d probably be going republican over the awful candidates the Dems are trotting out there 

 
Bush twice and McCain

And Ive never voted for a Democratic candidate in the General Election.  That changes next year.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Good poll Juxt - I think it gets the point across that this Presidency feels different than all the others I voted in.  I won’t say I’ll never vote for a Republican for President again - it seems that way but I want to reserve the right in case they nominate someone I respect and think can do a good job and the Democrats nominate someone who I think is unqualified.

 
I haven't in a presidential, but I have a few times in local elections.  I was for McCain in 08 until Palin opened her mouth.  I was so disappointed that he chose her, I wound up voting for Obama.  I think had Kasich been the nominee in 16 I may have considered it again.  I am admittedly center/left, but I don't consider myself locked in Democrat.  I could easily support a center/right candidate if the opponent was too far left.

 
krista4 said:
I voted for Bob Dole.
Click to expand...
Me too. That was the first election I could vote. I remember going to vote and wondering what it was going to be like. Then I just remember waiting in a long line (maybe over an hour?) and voting and leaving and thinking, “That wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be.” 

Two years later, I voted for a Republican for VA governor because he said he was going to get rid of the personal property tax on cars. We still have that tax, but it is a lot less than it used to be. 

Those are the only two elections in which I have voted. 

 
dgreen said:
Me too. That was the first election I could vote. I remember going to vote and wondering what it was going to be like. Then I just remember waiting in a long line (maybe over an hour?) and voting and leaving and thinking, “That wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be.” 

Two years later, I voted for a Republican for VA governor because he said he was going to get rid of the personal property tax on cars. We still have that tax, but it is a lot less than it used to be. 

Those are the only two elections in which I have voted. 
Click to expand...
I’ve lived for six years now in a state where voting is by mail.  I think a lot of young adults miss out on that anticipation, followed by that disappointment, that you describe.   :)  

 
Voted twice for GOP in general.  Tons would have to change for me to even consider it again. 

 
krista4 said:
I’ve lived for six years now in a state where voting is by mail.  I think a lot of young adults miss out on that anticipation, followed by that disappointment, that you describe.   :)  
Click to expand...
I get my ballots by mail but drop them off on election day at the polling station.

 
Nope, but this group of dem candidates may force me to vote independent.  Biden being the exception, but he appears to be fading.

 
krista4 said:
I put mine in the dropbox at the fire station a couple of weeks ago.  Felt more “real.”   :lol:  
Click to expand...
Plus you can get the "I voted" sticker and wear it proudly. It does feel more real. It makes me feel gratitude to live in America where we have free and fair elections. I love that feeling.

Sidenote:

I just took my 10 year old daughter to see The President's Own United States Marine Band.

I highly encourage anyone to go see them if they come to your home town. They put on a great show full of great music and patriotism. My favorite part was when they played the music for each of the branches of the military and asked audience members who have served or are serving in each branch to stand when their song came up and we all gave them a loud ovation. Just a great feeling of pride and thankfulness for such awesome sacrifice.

Bonus: the concert is free as your tax dollars already fund them.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
bananafish said:
Bill Clinton in '92 was the first vote I cast, and I was a big fan of his "New Covenant" shtick. But by the time '96 rolled around I was severely disillusioned and was happy to vote for Bob. I'm still fond of that vote and of Bob and Jack Kemp, too, probably because they didn't win and never had a chance to prove how wrong I'd been  :lol:

Little did I know that that feeling of disillusionment would be the norm rather than the exception over the years. Ah, to be young and stupid again.

...

I lean hard left and am a registered Democrat, but I don't feel any particular allegiance to the party or the people in it.

Well, except for my deep and abiding love for Pete Buttigieg  :wub:  , but besides that I mean.
Click to expand...
You and I have had exactly the same experiences, from the excitement and then disillusionment over Clinton, to the hard-left leaning but Mayor Pete love today.

Oh, except I didn’t vote for Dubya. ;)  

 
Last edited by a moderator:
One thing I find interesting about this poll and the change that has taken place in these forums over the last 10 years is typically you hear that it goes the other way.  The when you are young you are liberal and then you become conservative as you age.  Taking this poll plus other polls around what folks currently think of the GOP it seems we distinctly go in the opposite direction.  I'm not sure if that's atypical but it's at least interesting to me and probably one of the reasons why folks feel unwelcome here.  Hopefully that changes and we get to more of a balance over the upcoming years.  It would be fantastic if we could go in to an election thinking - man, I may not agree with everything from either of these people but they at least seem to be qualified and trying to do their best.  That's how I felt for years when I first starting voted and I think we could get there again one day.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

SwampDawg
How does a moderate candidate get nominated, would win the general election in a landslide.
Replies
43
Views
811
(HULK)
(HULK)
GordonGekko
Revisiting The Young Turks 2016 Election Meltdown Over Trump's Stunning Victory (7/7/2022 9:35 PST)
Replies
16
Views
453
GordonGekko
GordonGekko
GordonGekko
Disturbing SPLC Poll On Partisanship & Violence - Rubio Campaign Violently Attacked (6/17/22 10:21 PST)
2
Replies
83
Views
2K
squistion
squistion

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top