Why I voted the way I did

[Drew 2222]

And that's fair.

[DigglerontheHoof 20449]

Straight ticked Dem for the first time ever.  Trump makes me embarrassed to be an American.  He also wants to be a dictator and a great percentage of Reps seem okay w/ that.  Hell, not just okay but enthusiastically for it. 

Fuck every Rep out there; it will take damn near a miracle for me to ever vote R again. 

['stache 21489]

1 hour ago, slorch said:

I felt pressured by Surly...  lolz.

Voted for a woman for POTUS for the first time.  Let's be real, the candidates are total shit, and I don't dig the "Hooray for my team" style tactics.  Regardless of who wins, life will go on.  Solutions come from citizens, not the fucking President.  Not looking forward to the tax bill, should Biden win, but oh fucking well.  I deserve to be punished, I reckon.  What was I thinking by earning a fucking living?  I need to help those who are less responsible to ease my conscience.

It's only a matter of time before Texas turns blue.  The people moving here are dead-set on turning it into the hellholes from whence they came.  Again, I need to be punished for being a productive citizen.   It's coming.  Still voted for Cornyn.

Voted against a bond issue in Amarillo regarding the civic center.  Need to take another cut at it.  Also not sure we need it right now with businesses being shut down.

This is another reason the republican party is not appealing. This mindset that taxes are "punishment" for completely self-made "success" and that people who need social programs are just lazy and irresponsible. It's false but persists within the party and its voters.

Edited October 22, 2020 by 'stache

[Longhorn94 2404]

I voted straight ticket Republican until 2002. I split my ballot in every election since, until 2020. I voted straight D because Fuck Trump, Fuck Cornyn, Fuck the Rs on the Texas Supreme Court, and FUCK every single Republican candidate in this election, and for so long as they continue to act against our Nation's best interests, deny science, and continue to play to the dumbass Fox News and Q crowds. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Longhorn94

[elfenix 34000]

straight D all the way on down

1) republicans lied us into a war of choice that killed thousands of americans, severely wounded tens of thousands more, broke who knows how many families, killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, with maybe millions wounded, and cost the US treasury trillions of dollars and counting (and that number is just going to get bigger as time goes on, thanks compound interest!). 

2) republicans intentionally slowed the economic recovery from the 2008 crash they'd birthed in order to gain political power.  fuck them.  "fiscal responsibility" is a code word for fuck the poor, particularly when democrats are in office.  the fact that they've conned the middle (including plenty of democrats, see obama's we're broke speech) into thinking that they're somehow the party that's responsible on the budget is absolutely jaw dropping considering the evidence of the last 40 years.  trillions of dollars to spend on wars and subsidizing the extraction industry but if some poor kid needs a lunch we're going to shame him as if an 8 year old has any fucking control. 

3) republicans are shit on the environment. 

4) everything about trumpism, though i think it less of a sudden shift in republican policy and more the culmination of what's been brewing since the 1960s.  he says (and does) the quiet part out loud, but the quiet part has been there for decades. 

5) 3rd parties don't exist in the real world, in either ideas (libertopia) or in terms of power.  the only practical alternative is shifting the democrats back left.  as hugo said, there's plenty of centrist dems who will check the left and do a better (for lack of a better term) of it than the right (see: nancy pelosi's love of paygo). 

29 minutes ago, 'stache said:

I'm open to arguments that the federal government tries to do too much and that state and local governments should be better funded and be doing more. But the republican party in my lifetime has shown zero interest in that, they just spew the words "big government" over and over and then do nothing but push for tax cuts while conveniently doing nothing to cut spending. I'd support federal tax cuts if it meant shifting more responsibilities to state and local governments which could step in to take that revenue, but local republicans are also always talking about tax cuts. There is zero intellectual honestly coming from republicans these days, just buzz words, smears on the opposition, and inaction. Again, literally nothing about the party appeals to me.

because the federal government is a currency issuer and states aren't, the states really can't step in to take over for large chunks of federal spending. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by elfenix

[Chet Steadman 940]

I’ve voted for a democrat, at most, five times in my entire life.  Yesterday I voted D from top-to-bottom.

And I couldn’t have been happier doing so.  

[We’reTexas 1467]

In San Francisco and voted straight D. Living in Texas my vote never mattered - really wish I were there this year to contribute. 
 

Big measures here were Prop 15 (repealing Prop 13 for commercial - for), Prop 22 (keeping Uber drivers independent contractors - for) and locally Prop H (streamlining commercial permitting - absolutely for). 
 

 

[Kilgorehorn 308]

Voted straight D and would have done it twice if I could.

[TornACL 7652]

Even if the current administration had been effective, I would have voted against them simply due to the absolute lack of any positive human quality from the POTUS.

Add in their shocking levels of ineptitude on every matter, and it was an easy decision. The harder decision was to vote straight ticket against the R party to send a message all the way down to the local level. 

That was a harder decision, but I quite enjoyed doing it. Fuck them.

[USMCHorn 1369]

Williamson County, Straight Dem 

Purge the GOP, save the country.

[mchookem 15429]

straight D for first time ever b/c Trump is fucking gross and his grossness has infected everybody and everything in the entire R party.

[UpperWestside 5990]

1 hour ago, TexArcher said:

and your soul.

Gonna be kind of hard to get something back that they sold to Satan 50 years ago. 

[CO Horn 151]

1 hour ago, Goredho said:

Am in Colorado.

• For Biden (D): An America shaped by Trump and his ideology is not where I want to live
• For Hickenlooper (D):  An America shaped by Trump and his ideology is not where I want to live
• For every other (D) on my ballot:  An America shaped by Trump and his ideology is not where I want to live
• I did not vote in any races where the Rs were running unopposed.  When faced with a GOP or Libertarian choice, I voted Libertarian.
• For judges up for renewal, I voted yes for all.
• Ballot measures: Voted to preserve all the tax related things that keep Colorado running as is.  I think its a pretty damn well-run state.  I voted to allow an expansion of gambling in some areas that have it already, against reintroduction of wolves because they are moving into the state from the NW already, against an abortion limitation, and against a requirement for electors to follow the national public vote as I think they should vote the interests of the majority of Coloradans and not the majority of the rest of the nation.

In CO, and voted as did Goredho.  Voted for every Democrat, and against any GOP/Conservative ballot amendments/propositions, save one, the National Popular Vote.  A no vote was for the conservative side of things, but CO is a solid blue state now and should be in the future.  I'd hate to see the Dem win the CO Popular Vote, and have the electoral votes go to the GOP candidate should they win the National Popular Vote.  Again, don't see that happening, but not going to risk it.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, 'stache said:

This is another reason the republican party is not appealing. This mindset that taxes are "punishment" for completely self-made "success" and that people who need social programs are just lazy and irresponsible. It's false but persists within the party and its voters.

It is not false.  Many on the left feel entitled to what I earn.   It's bullshit.

I support a certain level a 'safety net.' It needs to have real limits. I have shared how my family utilized it during my childhood, while working our asses off to get out of it. I do not agree with subsidizing bad decisions.  yes that includes the business side of things. I am anti-bailout too.

I will never agree with the mentality that my earnings are better spent by the gov't.  Everytime it touches gov't hands, it erodes.  That's my problem with it.

I do strongly support private charities, and recognize they are imperfect, as well.  I am selective as hell on that front.

Edited October 22, 2020 by slorch

[CO Horn 151]

Double Post

Edited October 22, 2020 by CO Horn
Double Post

[4th&Five 41055]

Just now, Kilgorehorn said:

Voted straight D and would have done it twice if I could.

underachiever.

[Neonmoon 38126]

1 hour ago, TexArcher said:

Preface: I am extremely socially liberal, moreso than many liberals.  But I agree with the right wing talking points on things like fiscal conservatism and state's rights over large federal government (I do wish they'd actually give a shit about these things instead of just talking about them, but that's another conversation).  I'd listen to a moderate Republican who didn't want to strike down women's right to govern the insides of their own bodies, if such a Republican existed.  The point of all of this is that I'm not a straight-line liberal.  Socially liberal, fiscally conservative, but not a libertarian.  I'm a man without a party.

I used to think this way, I truly did, but as I got older I realized the fiscally conservative narrative is a lie. No party has ever been fiscally conservative. It sounds reasonable, don't get me wrong. Why would anyone be against responsible spending? It's logical. I don't spend more than I make, I have to keep my shit together, why would i vote for anyone who isn't responsible like me? It's a lie. Each party spends a shit ton of money, you really are just voting on how it gets spent. Corporations and military, or to social programs. It's that simple. 

[BrazilHorn 6552]

For those in Central Austin that Shoal Creek Rec center by House park was a ghost town. In and out in 15mins

Voted Biden because Trump is an absolute ass clown.

No on Prop A (I have zero faith in Austin City Council not fucking that up and I think homeless already have nice library to use and don't need a light rail line to shit on)

I also think CV19 has fundamentally changed downtown work life for a good long time.

Voted Littlefield for AISD as her main challenger doesn't even have kids in Sec 5 so to me that is a non-starter.

 

 

[Tuco 5003]

Omaha Nebraska. Straight D.  I think I have a few thousand posts on this board that explains why. 

 

[elfenix 34000]

It is not false.  Many on the left feel entitled to what I earn.   It's bullshit.
I support a certain level a 'safety net.' It needs to have real limits. I have shared how my family utilized it during my childhood, while working our asses off to get out of it. I do not agree with subsidizing bad decisions.  yes that includes the business side of things. I am anti-bailout too.
I will never agree with the mentality that my earnings are better spent by the gov't.  Everytime it touches gov't hands, it erodes.  That's my problem with it.
I do strongly support private charities, and recognize they are imperfect, as well.  I am selective as hell on that front.

Federal taxes are a hedge against inflation, not spending your money.

[TexArcher 36903]

17 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

I used to think this way, I truly did, but as I got older I realized the fiscally conservative narrative is a lie. No party has ever been fiscally conservative. It sounds reasonable, don't get me wrong. Why would anyone be against responsible spending? It's logical. I don't spend more than I make, I have to keep my shit together, why would i vote for anyone who isn't responsible like me? It's a lie. Each party spends a shit ton of money, you really are just voting on how it gets spent. Corporations and military, or to social programs. It's that simple. 

Of course it's a lie.  I said I agree with certain conservative ideas, in theory, but they've never been more than talking points to the Republican Party.  They babble about individual liberties, but they want online poker to be illegal and gay people to not have the same marriage rights as everyone else.  They babble about states' rights to govern themselves, but they keep marijuana federally illegal in spite of a growing number of states' wishes.  They babble about protecting the unborn, but they don't care if that baby starves minutes after it's born -- Mama's on her own.  They babble about family values, but they elect a guy who fucked a stripper/hooker behind his pregnant wife's back and probably raped at least 15 women.  And they babble about balancing the budget, but look at the deficits of the last three years.

Conservative political theory has some merits.  But Republican political practice is a gigantic lie.  All they actually care about is legislating Baby Jesus's version of morality and making more money.

Edited October 22, 2020 by TexArcher

[thepop 4383]

As a millennial, the Republican Party I’ve grown up with are Bush’s and Trump’s. Why anyone my age would ever vote for a republican having grown up with those 2 presidents, I don’t know. I have yet to vote for a republican in my short voting eligible life and I can’t see myself voting for one at any point in the near future. 

[Underdog 27966]

59 and have never been deep into politics, not sure if just lazy, apathetic or just plain ignorant about it(most likely the latter) but have mostly voted R for most elections, 2008 changed that as I thought it was time for change and felt why not give a Black man a chance at the Presidency, feel the same about a Woman President today(Warner).  These last 4 years have just been a complete shitshow and with the likes of the Trump gang, Senate, Fox, Shapiro, Kirk, Owens, Bongino, Rush, etc...  these fucksticks can't get their comeuppance soon enough for me.  Biden's not my preferred candidate but feel he'll bring back decency, normalcy to the WH.  The wife and me will vote straight Dem, early voting starts on Saturday here in NY. 

 

PS - Other than Trump, Graham losing their races, looking forward to seeing Loeffler, Collins, McSally lose theirs as well.  

Edited October 22, 2020 by Underdog

[BehoId, The Underminer! 11486]

21 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

I used to think this way, I truly did, but as I got older I realized the fiscally conservative narrative is a lie. No party has ever been fiscally conservative. It sounds reasonable, don't get me wrong. Why would anyone be against responsible spending? It's logical. I don't spend more than I make, I have to keep my shit together, why would i vote for anyone who isn't responsible like me? It's a lie. Each party spends a shit ton of money, you really are just voting on how it gets spent. Corporations and military, or to social programs. It's that simple. 

 

word

[formermav43 4599]

7 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

Conservative political theory has some merits.  But Republican political practice is a gigantic lie.  All they actually care about is legislating Baby Jesus's version of morality and making more money.

They don’t really care about that one either.

[High Plains Drifter 10915]

2 hours ago, immamac said:

Voted libertarian for all texas supreme court seats because I believe in their legal ideology to leave me the fuck alone. 

 

 

except their ideology is more about letting corporations run amuck (because "freedom!") than actually leaving individuals alone.

so no, dems even for supreme court seats.

 

[DaysOff 7671]

Straight ticked Dem for the first time ever.  Trump makes me embarrassed to be an American.  He also wants to be a dictator and a great percentage of Reps seem okay w/ that.  Hell, not just okay but enthusiastically for it. 
Fuck every Rep out there; it will take damn near a miracle for me to ever vote R again. 

Brother

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

I used to think this way, I truly did, but as I got older I realized the fiscally conservative narrative is a lie. No party has ever been fiscally conservative. It sounds reasonable, don't get me wrong. Why would anyone be against responsible spending? It's logical. I don't spend more than I make, I have to keep my shit together, why would i vote for anyone who isn't responsible like me? It's a lie. Each party spends a shit ton of money, you really are just voting on how it gets spent. Corporations and military, or to social programs. It's that simple. 

agree with your post regarding spending, bigtime; save for this part.

There is absolutely a difference in how much each party wants to tax people.

Edited October 22, 2020 by slorch

[RexWilson 1341]

Round Rock Wilco resident. Voted straight Dem or left blank/other if no Dem candidate.

I think Trump is an embarrassment to our country. Can't stand guys like Coryn and Cruz who pick and choose when to use religion as a shield for their justification.

Hardest races for me to decide were for RRISD school board. One place, the candidate supports Chody (who I oppose). The other, my Trumper neighbor supports.

Russell Collins probably jerks off to Trump ads

https://communityimpact.com/austin/round-rock-pflugerville-hutto/election/2020/10/08/november-2020-election-meet-the-candidates-for-round-rock-isd-board-of-trustees-place-6/

[4th&Five 41055]

Well, I paid more taxes this year than ever before so I'm glad I voted that party out.

[Lurch 5916]

Florida. Straight D. Further, I scoured all of the candidates FB and Twitter pages for races that don’t show party affiliation. Was pretty easy to determine who has shown poor judgment in supporting this POTUS and voted for their opponent. We also vote if we want to keep judges, so I looked to see which governor nominated them and nixed any brought in by a GOP governor.

My Rep choice will lose significantly, but the threat of her at least made the incumbent act like he was a centrist for a few months.

Had a mail in ballot but dropped it in a dropbox on Monday and the county site confirmed it was counted today.

Fuck the GOP. Anyone that enabled this piece of shit will never get my vote again.

[TXSG8R 3325]

13 minutes ago, Underdog said:

59 and have never been deep into politics, not sure if just lazy, apathetic or just plain ignorant about it(most likely the latter) but have mostly voted R for most elections, 2008 changed that as I thought it was time for change and felt why not give a Black man a chance at the Presidency, feel the same about a Woman President today(Warner).  These last 4 years have just been a complete shitshow and with the likes of the Trump gang, Senate, Fox, Shapiro, Kirk, Owens, Bongino, Rush, etc...  these fucksticks can't get their comeuppance soon enough for me.  Biden's not my preferred candidate but feel he'll bring back decency, normalcy to the WH.  The wife and me will vote straight Dem, early voting starts on Saturday here in NY. 

This is a missing part of my answer.  I was apathetic about the impact of a president beyond very simple mechanics when it came to the government.  I voted for Trump in 16 because I assumed the party was bigger than him and would surround him with people to keep him and the country largely on track.  I thought no matter who the R is, the Rs will do things this way and when the D comes in, things will swing in small ways the other direction.  Neither really rocking the boat, just tacking with the wind while staying largely on the same course.  I believed the party could keep Trump in check.  I thought congress could keep the president in check.  I thought the SC could keep congress and the WH in check.  Trump, and more importantly the republican party blew all that shit up.  They put party and clinging to power over everything.  The supposed party of principles showed that when push came to shove, they had none.  They capitulated to a wanna-be tyrant and his very vocal minority.    

[Neonmoon 38126]

5 minutes ago, slorch said:

agree with your post regarding spending, bigtime; save for this part.

There is absolutely a difference in how much each party wants to tax people.

That is true. I would argue the difference is worth our country having better education/infrastructure/social programs/etc. 

But obviously paying that extra 10K is a bitch. or whatever the number is for middle class Americans. I wasn't being sarcastic, I mean it's a bitch. 

[Sawbonz 26735]

8 minutes ago, slorch said:

There is absolutely a difference in how much each party wants to tax people.

If there were a difference in how much each party wants to spend you would have a point

[TexArcher 36903]

22 minutes ago, slorch said:

agree with your post regarding spending, bigtime; save for this part.

There is absolutely a difference in how much each party wants to tax people  corporations and the obscenely wealthy.

Right

[TexasEd 8011]

I voted to rebuke Trumpism/Nationalism and to restore accountability and decency.

Anyone who voted not to impeach or acquit Trump of crimes that were worse than Nixon's has no morale character and no place in government.

First time I voted straight party in my life.

[David Dennison 17659]

I have one rule: never vote for a Republican.

[elfenix 34000]

20 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

That is true. I would argue the difference is worth our country having better education/infrastructure/social programs/etc. 

But obviously paying that extra 10K is a bitch. or whatever the number is for middle class Americans. I wasn't being sarcastic, I mean it's a bitch. 

now this is how you humble brag

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

2 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

I wrote in Hitler for every single office on my ballot. I figure 75 years roasting in hell teaches a man wisdom.

Even if it didn't, Hitler always made stuff happen.

Al Davis once said he admired Hitler's ability to get his point across. 

[BradInATX 9208]

30 minutes ago, slorch said:

agree with your post regarding spending, bigtime; save for this part.

There is absolutely a difference in how much each party wants to tax people.

So you acknowledge that both parties spent like drunken sailors, the difference is that you would rather debt spend and push the burden onto your kids and grandkids vs. pay for it yourself in taxes? I'm not trying to take a shot here, I'm really not. But if you acknowledge that the Republicans are no more fiscally conservative (which is undeniable at this point) then it's just a matter of who pays for it and when.

[TXSG8R 3325]

1 minute ago, BradInATX said:

So you acknowledge that both parties spent like drunken sailors, the difference is that you would rather debt spend and push the burden onto your kids and grandkids vs. pay for it yourself in taxes? I'm not trying to take a shot here, I'm really not. But if you acknowledge that the Republicans are no more fiscally conservative (which is undeniable at this point) then it's just a matter of who pays for it and when.

No, I think hes saying he would rather have his hard earned money go to defense companies like Raytheon or farmers via subsidies after Rs lose trade wars than social programs because he believes in the welfare queen mythology.  

[Michael Knight 12663]

1 hour ago, TexArcher said:

Pretty sure the Surly Republicans are all hiding in Daily Texan; they know if they come in here they'll get dismantled and called out for covering for the worst human being to ever hold the presidency.

They are also hiding on the football board.

I voted straight D and for Prop A and B in Austin. It probably won't matter tho, Trump has done so much damage to every single institution of our republic and to our standing in the world that I have sincere doubts that America in its current form survives into the next decade. We will live in interesting times 

[4th&Five 41055]

Just now, Michael Knight said:

They are also hiding on the football board.

I voted straight D and for Prop A and B in Austin. It probably won't matter tho, Trump has done so much damage to every single institution of our republic and to our standing in the world that I have sincere doubts that America in its current form survives into the next decade. We will live in interesting times 

True.  Unfortunately for them nothing regarding The Eyes of Texas is on the ballot this year.

[David Dennison 17659]

5 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

They are also hiding on the football board.

I voted straight D and for Prop A and B in Austin. It probably won't matter tho, Trump has done so much damage to every single institution of our republic and to our standing in the world that I have sincere doubts that America in its current form survives into the next decade. We will live in interesting times 

The football board is where they are allowed to get all their aggression out with profane name calling. It's gotten a tad homophobic over there lately.

[Continental Op 3934]

Voted for all Democrats as I did in 2018.  The GOP in its current state is rotten to the core and needs a reboot. 

[BearSchlong 7965]

Lifelong Republican, I'm voting straight ticket Democrat on Saturday. For all the reasons mentioned above.

Also under the Trump "tax breaks"  my marginal tax rate increased by 3.06% even though my tax bracket dropped by 4%.

I used to accuse pointy-headed east coast liberals of ruining our country, now I blame uneducated white males.  No idea who I'm gonna blame in 2022.  Ideas?

Edited October 22, 2020 by BearSchlong

[David Dennison 17659]

Just now, BearSchlong said:

Lifelong Republican, I'm voting straight ticket Democrat on Saturday.

Also under the Trump "tax breaks"  my marginal tax rate increased by 3.06% even though my tax bracket dropped by 4%.

I used to accuse pointy-headed east coast liberals of ruining our country, now I blame uneducated white males.  No idea who I'm gonna blame in 2022.  Ideas?

Tom Herman.

[Neonmoon 38126]

4 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Tom Herman.

Fuck you for bringing that cunt's name up in my safe space

[David Dennison 17659]

2 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Fuck you for bringing that cunt's name up in my safe space

Fair.

[Poe It Up 126]

This thread should be changed to why I voted Democrat.