"Republican Voter Guide"

[Ben]

Just got around to looking at yesterday's mail. I got a "Republican voters guide". I generally don't refer to voters guides as I prefer to do online research on issues and candidates, but I do like to look at the different guides I get in the mail to see what groups are supporting the various props and candidates.

This guide encouraged me to vote pretty much the opposite of what a conservative would vote, and even went so far as to list anti-gun, statist Democrat Bill Lockyer for CA Treasurer (without listing his political affiliation). If you look at the (very) small print on the guide, it indicates it was paid for by the candidates represented. So good old honest Bill Lockyer is advertising himself on a "Republican" voting guide without listing his political affiliation.

I always wonder how many idiots too lazy to do their own research will take guides like this to the polls with them.

[Boomhauer]

Just got around to looking at yesterday's mail. I got a "Republican voters guide". I generally don't refer to voters guides as I prefer to do online research on issues and candidates, but I do like to look at the different guides I get in the mail to see what groups are supporting the various props and candidates.

This guide encouraged me to vote pretty much the opposite of what a conservative would vote, and even went so far as to list anti-gun, statist Democrat Bill Lockyer for CA Treasurer (without listing his political affiliation). If you look at the (very) small print on the guide, it indicates it was paid for by the candidates represented. So good old honest Bill Lockyer is advertising himself on a "Republican" voting guide without listing his political affiliation.

I always wonder how many idiots too lazy to do their own research will take guides like this to the polls with them.

Plenty. Just like there are plenty of idiots who vote "straight party" in my state (you can do it with one touch of a button for everything except President and Gov, I think)

[Ben]

Plenty. Just like there are plenty of idiots who vote "straight party" in my state (you can do it with one touch of a button for everything except President and Gov, I think)

I actually don't even mind the "straight party" people that much. Though they obviously aren't thinking for themselves, they're doing less damage than people who allow themselves to get snookered into voting for a candidate or proposition that they probably wouldn't vote for if they bothered to gather a few facts.

I especially feel that way with propositions. Candidates come and go, but these propositions stick around for decades to forever. I never vote propositions by party line. My general methodology with them is to immediately expect to vote "no" on all props. I then do research on each one and the research has to strongly convince me that a new law or regulation will be beneficial.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Who sent it to you?

[Monkeyleg]

I'm sure that whatever organization sent the mailer wasn't the Republican Party. Then again...

Being new down here, I only know a couple of candidates' records. I'm just going to pull the R lever. There's no way I'd vote for a Democrat these days, no matter how moderate or conservative he or she might claim to be.

[Ben]

Who sent it to you?

"California Voters Guide"

They are registered with the CA Fair Political Practices Commission, but who the hell knows what that means?

http://www.fppc.ca.gov/

[Perd Hapley]

I actually don't even mind the "straight party" people that much. Though they obviously aren't thinking for themselves...

Not a well-thought-out position there, either.

[Monkeyleg]

Straight party this time around is a pretty valid position. A Democrat can say he won't vote for (government health care, tax and cap, or insert other program here), but when the leaders say jump, all of the Democrats ask how high.

There are no independent Democrats, so voting straight Republican is a thought-out choice, unless you're prone to third-party.

[bedlamite]

Straight party this time around is a pretty valid position.

Not necessarily. I'll be writing in either Milo Bloom or Steve Dallas for 25th district Assembly. Yes, it's that bad.

-Ziegelbauer has gone essentially unchallenged for years as a D. This year he changed his affiliation to I.  
-Trask is the candidate for the D's.
-Wisniewski is on the ballot for the R's. The problem is that he's not an R, he's been a Union D for years, and he's on the ballot just to screw up Ziegelbauer (not that I actually like Ziegelbauer, but this is BS)

http://www.htrnews.com/article/20101014/MAN0101/10140593/Manitowoc-County-Republicans-endorse-independent-Bob-Ziegelbauer
http://www.wtaq.com/news/articles/2010/jul/25/manitowoc-co-gop-chair-wisniewski-candidacy-proble/
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100725/GPG0101/7250664/Wisconsin-Assembly-candidate-Andrew-Wisniewski-put-back-on-ballot

We have our choice of a D, a D masquerading as an I, and a D that shanghaied the R nomination. Got any suggestions?  (legal ones) 

[Monkeyleg]

Got any suggestions?  (legal ones)

When faced with a "none of the above" choice, I've always found Bugs Bunny to be a good write-in candidate.

[Tallpine]

Someone once suggested that for legislative office vote straight party, and for executive/other office vote for the best person.

The rationale being that which party controls the legislature pretty much dictates how things are run.

[sanglant]

i like to, vote for Richard Pryor.


may he rest in peace.

[HankB]

Reminds me of the "Chicago Voter's Guide" that we used to get in the city where I grew up. Nicely illustrated with pictures of the voting machine, carefully highlighted so you'd know exactly what to do to cast your ballot . . .

* Enter booth.
* Pull lever to close curtain.
* Push "Democratic Party" switch. (This was a "straight party" vote on the machine.)
* Pull lever back to open curtain. (This cast the ballot.)

If you were in the booth too long - suggesting you did NOT vote straight party - some of the judges would really give you the stink eye. (Good luck in getting that pothole in front of your house fixed.)

I really wish there were some viable alternatives, but I'll be voting straight GOP for the major offices . . . though in the past, I've cast a few "Libertarian" ballots when the incumbent - ANY incumbent - had no major party opposition.

[Jamisjockey]

I heard rumors one one of the talk shows that in the North East several unions (SEIU in particular) have entered candidates under the "tea party" party affiliation.  Obviously in hopes of stealing the votes of the stupid away from the (R) and (I) candidates.

[MechAg94]

i like to, vote for Richard Pryor.


may he rest in peace.

You are supposed to get dead people to vote, not vote for dead people.

[MechAg94]

I've voted straight party once or twice.  When I go down the voting list and I can't find anyone but R's to vote for, why waste time?  It is not that there is "no thought" in it, it is just that it fits what I would do anyway were I to hit the button for every race.  At least down here, there aren't many R's that would drive me to vote 3rd party.

The problem I have with straight ticket and why I don't do it anymore is there are a lot of down ticket races that I have no clue who the people are so I normally just vote for the candidates or races I know and leave the other races alone.

[Monkeyleg]

I don't know many of the candidates, but by voting straight Republican I'll be voting for Young Boozer for state treasurer and for Twinkle Cavanaugh for public service commissioner.

[HankB]

The problem I have with straight ticket and why I don't do it anymore is there are a lot of down ticket races that I have no clue who the people are so I normally just vote for the candidates or races I know and leave the other races alone.

Too true - most of the time, it's actually pretty hard to make an informed choice about someone like the "District 334 Justice of the Peace" or the "Place 5 Board of Education" races. I'll usually try to do a little research - see if the League of Women Voters (yeah, I know it's basically a leftie/Democrat group) sent them a survey and what they had to say in response, but when on candidate says "I support A and B" and the other guy says "Unlike my opponent, I support B and A" . . . how do you choose? 

[Strings]

>-Trask is the candidate for the D's.<

Actually got to talk to Trask for a bit after an ABATE meeting (he was trying to drum up support).

Although he was pushing the "I'm for more freedom" thing, he fell apart when I asked him about CCW: kept popping sound bites at me (I had lots of fun shooting them down)...