Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Poll Results – 2/23/2010

Here are the results of the Republican vs DINO poll.

Poll0223

And here are your comments.

From Oso on February 21, 2010 at 12:51 pm

 

I'm with Lisa G. We need an Other. I'd vote for a rotted dead dog over a blue dog. I'd campaign for a rotted dead dog over a blue dog.

 

From Kevin Kelley on February 19, 2010 at 11:29 am 

My selection was "I'm a Republican - The Dino"... with my logic being that the DINO would be closer to what the Republican party used to be and give an excellent balance, while hopefully lacking the crazy social conservative religious garbage that has polluted the GOP.

If congress was filled with Blue Dogs and Democrats, I think America would do just fine...

 

From Lisa G. on February 16, 2010 at 8:33 am

 

We need another category (like there aren't enough choices already) for Other. You always include the Other, but not on this one and I don't think I've used it yet. This time I need it.

 

From TomCat in reply to Lisa G. on February 20, 2010 at 6:28 am 

Then put it in a comment. :-)

From TWM on February 16, 2010 at 7:25 am.  

 

As an independent I don't find any answer acceptable regarding my stance on the question ergo I will forgo voting in this poll and watch with shallow eyed disgust at whatever the outcome of the elec...errr poll is.

 

From Diane on February 15, 2010 at 2:30 pm

 

Wow, I'm the first one to vote, so right now it reads 100% Independent Party (of course that will change quickly, I'm sure).

Diane - Laughlin

I posed this question to make a point about strategic political thinking.  I am a Democrat, and I voted DINO.  Why would I, one who rants regularly and vehemently against DINOs vote that way?

In the polling booth we have at most three choices.  We can vote for a Democrat, vote for a Republican, or vote for a third party candidate.  I did not include third party candidate in the poll, because the electoral deck is so stacked that they can’t win.  Therefore, third party candidates only split the voters on their side of the political spectrum.  As such, any vote for a third party candidate becomes an effective vote for the opposite side of the spectrum.  Voters for third party candidates are actually voting against their self-interest.  I learned that lesson the hard way.

That leaves the Republican or the DINO.  Now, it the Republicans were to put up a progressive candidate here who would not hesitate to work and vote with progressive Democrats and there was a DINO in opposition, I would vote for the Republican.  However, since progressive Republicans are as common as flying pigs, I don’t see that happening anywhere in the foreseeable future.  As much as I would hate voting for a DINO, I see it as critical that the Republicans not get control of either body in Congress, where they can control committees and sub-committees.  That makes the DINO the strategic choice.

The new poll will be a quick one.

7 comments:

Mauigirl said...

I'm with you, TC. The DINO would always be preferable to the Republican unless the Republican was one of those flying pigs you mention. As one of your other commenters said, a DINO nowadays is what a Republican once was. Think of GOPers like Rockefeller or Eisenhower, and they look pretty good nowadays!

TomCat said...

Goldwater was far more liberal then Ben Nelson, Mimi.

otis said...

DINO or Republican... Really, what is the difference? Numbers on the tally sheet for the evening news crews?

I know that a third party vote is a 'throw away' vote, but I am hoping that one day enough people say "Screw it. I'm voting 3rd party. Can't be any worse." Suddenly, there is a 3rd party. I will continue to vote 3rd party if my 'selection' isn't actually one.

I did not partake in the poll because A) I don't want to identify myself with any party and B) I would pull the 'other' lever. The one with all the dust on it. Someone should clean it off. There could be voter with allergies, if nothing else.

Tom Harper said...

I'd vote for the DINO. As useless as DINOs and Blue Dogs seem, it makes a difference whether Democrats or Republicans make up the majority. This is true for Congress and state legislatures.

The majority party controls committees, appointments, the legislative agenda, etc. This makes a difference.

Lisa G. said...

I hate to say it, but I needed an 'other' choice on this. I most likely would vote for the DINO, unless the Repub candidate was more liberal than the DINO. Unfortunately though, all the liberal Repubs have been chased out of the party.

TomCat said...

Otis, I appreciate your feelings, but disagree. The Republicans constitute such a dire threat to our way of life that removing them from power has to be priority number one.

That's exactly it, Tom.

TomCat said...

Sorry Lisa. I pushed the wrong button. Too true.