JREF Presidential Poll

[CORed]

3 people actually like Romney?

Some people would vote for Bozo the Clown if he was their party's candidate.

At this point, I think Bozo might be a better candidate than Romney.

 

[NotJesus]

With 100 votes cast:

Obama -- 69
Stein -- 10
Mouse -- 8
Johnson -- 6
Romney -- 5
Anderson -- 2
Goode -- 0

I know there are more than five Romney supporters here. They need to vote and at least get their guy above the imaginary rodent.

And Mickey Mouse.


(No, that joke doesn't really make sense but I like it anyway.)

 

[Dani]

(No, that joke doesn't really make sense but I like it anyway.)

Me too.

 

[Manopolus]

I'll give this one more bump, and then let it fall in the background naturally if it does so. I'm not surprised at all that Romney isn't coming in second. I think a lot of Republicans dislike him but will vote for him anyway in the election, due to a lack of viable alternatives for the Obama haters.

I did expect more alternative-party selections than what I'm seeing. I know that my instructions to ignore "who has a chance to win" considerations were not universally followed, so that explains some of it.

I also predict that if the Republicans and Democrats keep going the way they are going, The Green Party could easily become a viable party. Both of the major parties are moving strongly to the right, leaving a bit of a void on the left. Once the Republicans go so far that they have no chance in hell, perhaps the Greens will come in and even it up again. Then again, there's no reason to believe that current trends will continue indefinitely.

 

[SezMe]

Loooked up Rocky Anderson and liked what I found, so I voted for him.

Your quoted result is exactly why I would not vote for Rocky although I like his positions. In that quote, he makes the same mistake that all the presidential candidates make: I'll do this. I'll do that. The problem is that the president usually doesn't have the power to do "this" or "that" and so the stance of the candidate is meaningless. There is a congress to deal with, you know.

I voted Stein. In the real world, I'm in the same but opposite position as Manopolus. California will go Obama no matter how I vote so there is no price for voting my real choice.

 

[Foolmewunz]

You guys are really hurting the JREF, you know. The pro-Obama PACs aren't going to spend any money wooing us because the vote is overwhelmingly in his favor, and the moneybags PACs on the right fare even worse.

I blame it on the OP. There needs to be an "undecided" option to attract the electioneering lucre.

PACs of America, hear me! We can be bought! Yes, we can! A nice little junket to Bali and most of us could be convinced to vote your way - whatever way that is.

 

[Childlike Empress]

Your quoted result is exactly why I would not vote for Rocky although I like his positions. In that quote, he makes the same mistake that all the presidential candidates make: I'll do this. I'll do that. The problem is that the president usually doesn't have the power to do "this" or "that" and so the stance of the candidate is meaningless. There is a congress to deal with, you know.

I voted Stein. In the real world, I'm in the same but opposite position as Manopolus. California will go Obama no matter how I vote so there is no price for voting my real choice.

While I see your point, "meaningless" is a vast exaggeration. The US presidency is a very powerful position compared with other "leader" positions in democracies, especially after the last 12 years. And I doubt that Stein would have answered to such a hypothetical question with "well, likely nothing would have changed as the republicans would have blocked me on every step".

 

[oddball]

I'm not surprised at all that Romney isn't coming in second. I think a lot of Republicans dislike him but will vote for him anyway in the election, due to a lack of viable alternatives for the Obama haters.

A definition of "viable alternative" is required. I would think that the most vital criteria to making a candidate "viable" in a national election is being on the ballot in enough states to get the requisite 270 electoral votes. The only one aside from the D and the R who will be on the ballot in every state is Gary Johnson.

Running as a Republican in an overwhelmingly blue state, and as a newcomer to politics, Johnson won election as governor of New Mexico and was re-elected. In my book, that makes him more electable than Romney (who was not re-elected). Too bad he had to spend so much time, energy and campaign cash fending off Romney's challenges to getting on the ballot in so many states.

I guess Romney was afraid that Johnson would be discovered as a viable alternative, because with a campaign that's over $11m in debt, he sure didn't have money to waste chasing after Johnson.

BTW I am not an "Obama hater" but I sure won't ever vote for him, as he's got two major flaws - he lies, and he's way to much of a left-winger. I wish more people knew how deep the lying goes and how far to the left he'd really like to take the USA. I didn't know the full extent until I saw Joel Gilbert's new biopic, Dreams from My Real Father.

Last paragraph discussion split to this thread.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Tricky

 

[Tricky]

Don't know anything about the "third party" candidates.......
But the American two party system is just ohh soo broke.

So will be casting a vote for one of them.

Sooner or later the message will resonate.

Yes, like it resonated when Ralph Nader held the door open for George W. Bush. That resonated into a pointless, multi-trillion-dollar war and the country spiraling into recession.

I'd like to change it so that third party votes actually help the causes you care about, but as it stands, it is exactly the opposite.

 

[Manopolus]

A definition of "viable alternative" is required. I would think that the most vital criteria to making a candidate "viable" in a national election is being on the ballot in enough states to get the requisite 270 electoral votes. The only one aside from the D and the R who will be on the ballot in every state is Gary Johnson.

Running as a Republican in an overwhelmingly blue state, and as a newcomer to politics, Johnson won election as governor of New Mexico and was re-elected. In my book, that makes him more electable than Romney (who was not re-elected). Too bad he had to spend so much time, energy and campaign cash fending off Romney's challenges to getting on the ballot in so many states.

I guess Romney was afraid that Johnson would be discovered as a viable alternative, because with a campaign that's over $11m in debt, he sure didn't have money to waste chasing after Johnson.

BTW I am not an "Obama hater" but I sure won't ever vote for him, as he's got two major flaws - he lies, and he's way to much of a left-winger. I wish more people knew how deep the lying goes and how far to the left he'd really like to take the USA. I didn't know the full extent until I saw Joel Gilbert's new biopic, Dreams from My Real Father.

Odd, and I had the impression that Obamacare was essentially a conservative (as in Republican, as in copied from Mitt Romney's plan as governer) alternative to socialized medicine, which just about every other industrialized nation other than the U.S. has. One of the notable conservative aspects of it is that it is designed to help big pharma rather than to control it.

I would not consider Obama to be particularly liberal... not fiscally, not socially, not at all. He's a true moderate. I know the Republican congress has moved severely to the right in order to portray him as such, but in doing so they've moved so far right that they've lost track of reality in the process. For most liberals, Obama isn't nearly liberal enough! (Thus, my support for Jill Stein -- but only in locations that it won't hurt Obama's chances in the 2 party system).

I don't know about Johnson, but I do know that Libertarians have generally tended to suggest eliminating the Department of Education, including Pell Grants/Stafford Loans, which would be a complete disaster for American competitiveness in a global economy. In the short term, it would also have the effect of booting a lot of college students back into the jobs market prematurely, increasing unemployment. So, yeah... it's a ridiculous position that may sound good to some (why, I don't know... I can't force myself to think that way), but has some serious practicality issues.

There's no point in trying to suggest secret agendas here. If Obama means to do anything other than what he tells us he wants to do, it is in no way apparent and belongs in the conspiracy theories section, as noted above. I've seen no reasonable evidence that this is the case. I would also say the same of Romney... but what he's told us he will do is bad enough in and of itself (cutting taxes further, increasing military spending, and somehow expecting to also be able to magically balance the budget -- which is completely impossible if you look at the numbers).

 

[oddball]

Romney's worried about an 11 million dollar debt? You're kidding, right? Did you see his tax returns? How long would he have to work (wait) until he has another 11 mil in pocket change?

My post didn't suggest the Romney is worried about his campaign's debt. However, a candidate who purports to be a solid and responsible businessman having a campaign that can't stay afloat financially should certainly be concerned.

 

[mumblethrax]

I don't understand strategic voting. It's like someone hands you a $0 bill (with Obama's face on it naturally), and you worry about how to spend it.

I'd vote for Jill Stein, if the white man let me vote.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Interesting results. I predict the actual election will not be too far off.

Except for Obama's votes on JREF, I could bet my life the vote proportion of the other candidates will be very differently proportioned.

Given that the Libertarian candidate has historically gotten 0% of the vote, I suspect all four will get that percentage, with Johnson being the "winner".

 

[Loss Leader]

Some thing on Facebook told me I was a 97% match with Jill Stein. So, I'll be voting for Obama.

 

[FreshHat]

Hey. Don't be dissing my Boy Bozo. He's just very misunderstood.

I like his commitment to the space program:

He's a clown for christsakes.........

Explains why he thinks Venus is a star?

 

[leftysergeant]

I also predict that if the Republicans and Democrats keep going the way they are going, The Green Party could easily become a viable party.

They may be after this election, if the GOP goes into total melt-down, blaming each other for screwing it up.

The majority of the GOP has gone so bat crap crazy that even some of the life-long stalwarts are jumping ship. Expect the Libertarians to pick up what few sane Republicans are left while the cranks and crazies march the GOP over a fascist cliff with the Bible thumpers.

I voted for Obama in 2008 and will vote for him again, then send a whole lot of letters criticising his weak points and making suggestions for things he could do better, like Public Option health care and removing the cap on payroll taxes so that social Security stays solvent until the whole country collapses decades down the road.

How on earth does anyone decide to vote for such arrogant twits as Swiss Mittens and that smug little punk from WI?

 

[Loss Leader]

I voted for Obama in 2008 and will vote for him again, then send a whole lot of letters criticising his weak points and making suggestions for things he could do better, like Public Option health care

I like the fact that something about health care got done, but I don't give Obama credit for it. Pelosi dragged him the entire way kicking and screaming.

 

[DDWW]

I have but three criteria this year;

1. Who would I trust running my business?
2. Who is the best golfer?
3. Who does Madonna want as president? (She wants the “……black Muslim (already) in the White House”)

Obama wins two out of three!

DDWW

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Don't know anything about the "third party" candidates.......
But the American two party system is just ohh soo broke.

So will be casting a vote for one of them.

Sooner or later the message will resonate.

Yes, like it resonated when Ralph Nader held the door open for George W. Bush. That resonated into a pointless, multi-trillion-dollar war and the country spiraling into recession.

I'd like to change it so that third party votes actually help the causes you care about, but as it stands, it is exactly the opposite.

Luckily I live in Massachusetts so my vote is meaningless.

However.....................


There does come a time when you need to stand up.
And if no one does then things never will get better.

Ping-Ponging back and forth every 4-8 years hasn't worked.
We need more voices at the table and we need to quit supporting a system that...........

Well rewards incumbents and the status quo.
And the machine to keep people perpetually in office.

Pee Wee Herman or bust in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!