Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    I've voted in the presidential elections for as long as I've been
    eligible to.  And, sadly, in the past election or two, I felt I was
    voting for "the lesser of two evils" in the election - not a heartfelt
    support of the perfect candidate, but a vote AGAINST the candidate I
    felt would do the most damage to the country.  I voted against Reagan,
    and against Bush. Always.  And, truth be told, I can't imagine why 
    I'd want to support Bush in the upcoming elections.  Unless the
    candidate seems even less suited to the post.
    
    -Jody
    

Voting, hmm...

well,  ( as I put my suit of armor on)

  In 1972, I voted for Nixon.  Didn't really care for Nixon, but liked
McGovern even less.  (I really wanted Scoop Jackson (Sen. from Washington)
I even registered as a Democrat to vote for him in the primary).

  In 1976, I voted for Ford.

  In 1980, I voted for Anderson.  Didn't care for Reagan and felt Carter had 
not done a good job.

  In 1984, I voted for Reagan.   I liked Mondale even less that Reagan.

  In 1988, I voted for Bush.  (sorry, but the thought of the Duke as Pres.
really made me want to check job openings in Canada.)


ken

    I've always voted Democrat at the presidential level except once: 
    Anderson...though in the last election I construed it as Jody did:  a
    vote *against* Bush.

    In 72 I voted for Nixon and I would do it again...
    In 76 I voted for Andeson
    In 80 I votes for the Gipper!!
    In 84 I voted for the Gipper again
    In 88 I voted for Bush, the Duke was/still_IS a very bad joke!
    
    REK

    
    with the sole exception of one senator, no candidate i have ever
    voted for has ever won.
    
    i will never vote republican again.
    

    In 72, I voted for Nixon. I also picked Criminal Type to win the
    televised horse race last week and he did.
    
    In 76, I voted for Carter, I really liked Billy Beer.
    
    In 80, I didn't vote. I couldn't forgive Carter for the Panama Canal or
    for the Iranian hostage situation and his way of solving it seemed to
    be, hide out in the White House and maybe it'll go away. I couldn't in
    all good faith, support Ronald Raygun.
    
    In 84, I voted for Mondale/Ferraro. Again, I couldn't stand Reagan and
    I seriously hoped that a woman VP would help to bring a much needed
    different perspective to the executive branch.
    
    In 88, I voted for Jesse Jackson (write-in). I like Spook Bush even
    less than Reagan and the only thing Dukakis has going for him is his
    anti-Seabrook stance. I, again, was hoping that a minority viewpoint
    would help this country. Goddess knows, it needs something.
    
    Phil

    Carter, Carter (holding my nose), Mondale (I still think a Mondale /
    Ferraro administration would've been great even if the dope _couldn't_
    campaign for doodah), nobody (if Dukakis had won, the Republicans
    would've ended up with control of the White House for the next 10
    elections afterwards).
    
    I kind of enjoyed not voting. 
    
    Ray

    Didn't vote in '72, would have voted for Nixon if I had.
    
    Voted against Gerry Ford in '76, I consider that a mistake now. Jimmy
    Carter was a decent human being but an ineffective president, IMO.
    
    Voted for Reagan both times, though he's a little too far to the right
    for me. I thought it was too bad the Democrats couldn't come up with a
    candidate that I could consider voting for.
    
    Voted for George, personally I like him better than Reagan. If Dukakis
    had won, I would have considered moving to Canada.

McGovern

Carter  I sometimes think of the movie "The Candidate" when I think of
        Carter...one day he announces he's running then gets caught up
        in the hoopla and suddenly he's President.  While I got upset with
        him over the hostage thing, in retrospect they did come home alive.
        Today, I have more respect and admiration for Mr Carter than just
        about any American.

Reagan  If I could retract my vote I would

Mondale As a vote against Reagan

Ron Paul Libertarian..most closely reflected my political views.



Jim

I've voted in every election in which I've been eligible to vote.

In 1988 I voted for Dukakis for president -- not much of a choice there.
But more importantly, I have voted for Barbara Pressly and Kevin Mulligan and 
Cissy Farenthold and a host of folks closer to home that had/
have a more immediate effect upon my daily life.

So, Atlant, what's so embarrassing?

  Ann

I voted for John Anderson (really a vote against Carter's ineptitude and
Reagan's reputation for "warmongering" - those were my reasons *at that time*)
I liked Carter, personally, but I thought he also wasn't doing the job well.
I didn't know a thing about a guy named Reagan so listened to my college-friend.
Remember that Anderson wanted to tax imported oil at $20 more per barrel?

I voted for Reagan's re-election.  I was happy with the way things were 
going and voted my wallet.  Walter Mondale (nothing against him personally)
didn't cut it.

I voted for George Bush.  It was actually a *definite* vote against
Michael Stanley Dukakis.  I ain't proud of the vote for, but I am
very relieved at my vote against.

-----
I always voted against Kennedy at any opportunity.
-----

I voted in Democratic primaries in MASS (when I lived there) against the 
worst (IMO) democrat, then voted republican (against the establishment0
in the state elections.

    Every year I become more and more convinced that local election are
    the more important ones. Those are the issues that hit me closed to
    home. I spend as much effort, if not more, checking out selectmen,
    school board, state house/Senate, governor, etc candidates as I
    do Presidential ones. I've generally been more pleased with the
    people I've voted for in these races then in national ones. Local
    people tend to be more like they say they are. It's also easier to
    vote them out when they've "been bad". Do others follow their local
    races as well?

    In the Presidential races I've always voted for the Republican. Below
    that level it's a mixed bag. I vote for the person not the party. It's
    just that there hasn't been a Dem I've felt was better for me or the
    country then the Republican in any election I've voted in.

    		Alfred
    
    	The other nice thing about local elections is that if you don't
    like any of the candidates you can run your self. I've done that more
    then once (won some lost some).

    
    I've voted in most national elections since being eligible...Carter in 76
    Anderson in '80, Mondale in '84 (though it was more a vote AGAINST 
    Reagan), and as someone said earlier...no vote in 88...just couldn't
    vote for the Duke, and I thought George was too much like Reagan (turns
    out he's better than i expected, but I still don't like him....)
    
    Local election have been on/off depending on my mood.  
    
    I keep waiting for someone to run who i like---such as Sam Nunn ,
    or Howard Baker, ---someone I could have a little tiny bit of 
    confidence in to do 'the right thing' rather than the politically
    expedient thing.  Oh well, I gave up on that dream long ago...
    
    deb
    

    I have also voted in every election I've been eligible to, at least
    on a national level.  Consistently, my choices have been the
    Republican, as fewer of their views and approaches were anathema
    to me than those of the Democrats.  (I will always vote for less
    government as opposed to more.  We need to learn to do for ourselves,
    and I say that with deep compassion for the 'have nots' of our 
    society.)
    
    This has meant that I am usually voting against someone, rather
    than for someone.  Local elections in my experience have been pretty
    pointless, even to the state rep/senator level, simply because there
    haven't been any choices on the ballot. 
    
    Alison

    on the national political scene, Mark's position (.15) explains my 
    votes in the 84 and 88 elections.  I don't really know what I'll do 
    over the next few rounds because while those (economic and foreign 
    policy) issues are still very important to me, for the first time a 
    domestic issue is probably more imortant to me; and the republicans 
    are in pretty sad shape on a woman's right to choose.
    
    I also have recently begun attaching much importance to local
    elections.  This can be painful in California; my voter's pamphlet for
    the June 5th ballot just arrived, with text of, analysis of, arguments
    for, arguments against, rebuttals to arguments for, and rebuttals to
    arguments against, Propositions 107-121; with another supplementary
    pamphlet for Propositions 122 and 123 due shortly.  The pamphlet is
    over 140 full-size pages.  So far I've analyzed and made decisions on
    two of the issues, a $150M bond measure and a $1B bond measure, about
    20 pages worth of the material.  Argh.  This goes on in California
    because (I think that) one of the tax-revolt propositions in years past
    made it mandatory for voters to approve any major new spending passed
    by the state legislature.  So we all get to review the things that the
    legislature wants to do that would require increased tax collections.
    Plus, any group can get a ballot measure put up for a vote if they get
    enough signatures.  Makes going shopping interesting; somebody's always 
    got a table set up and streetwalkers with clipboards asking you to sign 
    this petition and that petition to get their measures on the ballot.
    
    One of the problems we've got is that a clever monied group can dilute
    and distort populist petitions by putting forward a separate measure
    with overlapping laws.  If both measures pass, then the courts and the
    associated regulatory bodies wrangle out "the voters' intent" from
    their approval of the contradictory measures.  A year ago, 5 separate
    measures were voted upon that dealt with automobile insurance reform.
    One was populist, two were insurance-industry sponsored, one was 
    backed by consumer advocates (like AAA and CSAA) and one was sponsored
    by a bunch of trial lawyers!  I don't remember how many were approved,
    but the legal battles aren't yet done on it, and auto insurance out
    here is still a total mess.  This can be done because the groups that
    back the contradictory measures cash in on the original populist wave
    ("yes, we're all concerned about the high costs of auto insurance.")
    It takes a very well-informed voter to cut through the morass and most
    people don't make the effort.
    
    DougO

    I've voted in every national election since I've been "of age". Except
    for Barry Commoner and John Anderson I've voted democratic.

    I vote in most local elections but find few candidates in my town that
    I care for. However, I do think that's where my vote counts the most. I
    don't generally vote in special issue votes unless the outcome
    interests me. I voted against English as our official language but
    don't vote on school issues since I have no kids. I know I pay taxes
    for it anyway but don't pay much attention to whose on the board.

    This notesfile is probably not where you will find the non-voters. I'll
    bet that most of the writers here are also voters. Afterall, when have
    you know US not to have an opinion? :*) liesl

   > This notesfile is probably not where you will find the non-voters.I'll
   > bet that most of the writers here are also voters. Afterall, when have
   > you know US not to have an opinion? :*) liesl
    
:) As a mostly read only, I have to speak up this time...  I've voted in 
    every national election since 72 also...except the last one, when I got
    to the polls ten minutes after they closed.  I sometimes have trouble
    finding candidates and issues to vote _for_...but I feel it is better
    to vote against a candidate or policy I disagree with than it is to be
    silent.
    		-Bobbi

    this past election i voted against both reagan and dukakis....don't
    remember who i voted for, but definitely a third party.
    
    same for the locals....third party when one was represented, neither
    if that was not the case.
    

    Nixon (I regret this vote)
    Ford
    Anderson
    Reagan
    Bush
    
    Yesterday my 1990 Curmudgeon Calendar offered the following by Ambrose
    Bierce:
    
    	Conservative. n. A statesman who is enamored of existing
    	evils, as distinguished from a liberal, who wishes to 
    	replace them with others.
    
    aq
    

    Yes, I've voted in each national election since '68.  
    
    In the NH primary of '79, I worked for and voted for Bush.  Reagan was
    nominated by the party, so I voted for Anderson in the general election
    as he had run a clean race and needed 5% of the vote to receive
    matching funds and clean up debts.
    
    In '84, I wrote in George Bush and Elizabeth Dole.  Bush was on the
    ballot for v.p., obviously, but I couldn't bring myself to vote for
    Reagan.
    
    In '88, I voted for George Bush and wrote in Elizabeth Dole for v.p.
    I couldn't bring myself to vote for Quayle.
    
    card-carrying GOP member,
    Marge
    

re: -< It's (Election) Morning Again in America >-


>In the last few elections, did you vote?
    
    Are you depressed yet  ?  After almost 30 days of exposure, less than 25
    people of the thousands of daily_reads actually  Admit  to voting in
    any of the elections ?
    
    In a recent voe (for a by-law change) of  a club I belong to, 48% of
    the  club  voted  92%  in  avor of the proposal, which  backhandedly
    removed the fiscal resonsibility from the members and placed it into
    the hands of few boardmembers.
    
    Most election officials (except Gorbachev) only dream about such a 
    response in a public US election.

>Who'd you  vote  for?   (*SOMEBODY* must have voted for Reagan, Reagan,
    and Bush, all denials to the contrary.)
    
    Is there a difference ? All who chose NOT to vote, voted to defer
    their choice to the ones who DID vote.
    
    I am  constantly amazed by our elected officials, and the commonness
    of purpose that  they  show in self-promotion regardless of what the
    economy is actually doing,  in taking more pay raises, avoiding real
    issues (like the economy) with  red-herrings  (like the  flag burning
    issue), and both parties pretending it  is  the  fault  of the other
    party, when i reality it is the VOTERS problem, who by apathy and 
    trust let the politicians do what they want.


>Atlant

    Congratulations  folks,  Is New Hampshire finally getting their much
    needed Income  Tax, and will the 1st Amendment really get changed to
    disguise the current  Congress's  inability  to  control  Government
    spending (or unwillingness to  do  so , as they have for the past 50
    years ?).
    
    (I have tried very hard  to  keep  this  as  neutral  politically as
    possible, since all congressional failures are the responsibility of
    the individual voters acting collectively.)
    
    -BobE