What kind of voter are you?

[Ashliana]

I see people constantly making assumptions about other's type of voting mindset. So.. what do you actually fall under?

I'll state mine to start.

I'm a "liberal, socially," "libertarian/conservative, fiscally" voter.

My personal reasoning? The social aspects take priority for me.

[Gan]

Socially liberal. Fiscally conservative.

Fiscal/Economic aspect takes priority for me.

I vote Independant in that I do not vote straight ticket for either party.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Socially liberal, but on fiscal matters I'm more of a moderate.

[Daniel]

I vote almost exclusively on Foreign Policy.

[Kranar]

I vote on method/integrity rather than ideology. In Canada, the Liberal Party is incredibly corrupt and they always campaign on trying to make Conservatives look like they're the devil and if you vote for them they will strip everyone of their freedoms, but in practice the Conservative Party has maintained a very high standard of responsibility, so I support them.

I can not vote in the U.S., but based on 8 years of what I consider an absolute atrocity from the U.S. government, I would hope that the Democratic Party wins.

I think it's more important to ensure that no ideology, whether it be liberal, or conservative get too powerful and manage to have a monopoly over the government or politics, so I tend to support and vote in a way that would shift the balance of power under the assumption that when a new party gets it, they tend to be a lot more cautious and appreciative of their responsibility.

[Gelston]

Eh, I guess I am what I am.

[Sean]

I'm liberal across the board.

[Parkbandit]

Less than "liberal" but certainly not conservative on social issues.. but pretty much conservative economically.

[Valthissa]

I tell anyone that will listen the political lesson of my adult life is:

Whenever one party holds all branches of government (and this holds true for local, state, and federal government) they seem unable to serve the interest of the electorate.

I therefore vote for divided government. Divided government is not necessarily good government, but I have found it better than the alternative.

C/Valth

[Clove]

I tell anyone that will listen the political lesson of my adult life is:

Whenever one party holds all branches of government (and this holds true for local, state, and federal government) they seem unable to serve the interest of the electorate.

I therefore vote for divided government. Divided government is not necessarily good government, but I have found it better than the alternative.

C/ValthI tend to agree with Valthissa on this principle, but I can't bring myself to vote "contrarian". I vote for a balance of Democrats, Republicans and Green.

[Drew]

I'm fiscally liberal. But I think in your poll what you meant was fiscally Liberal. As in Democratic.

[Hulkein]

Fiscally conservative and socially moderate.

[Stanley Burrell]

The kind who votes.

[Gan]

Stan. Quit being a screwball. We know you're both fiscally and socially liberal. Just cast your vote in the poll and get it over with. The pain will only last a few seconds.

[Stanley Burrell]

Stan. Quit being a screwball. We know you're both fiscally and socially liberal. Just cast your vote in the poll and get it over with. The pain will only last a few seconds.

Ack, alright. Sorry :weird: Voted.

[BigWorm]

I'm fiscally liberal. But I think in your poll what you meant was fiscally Liberal. As in Democratic.

I used to tried to say classically liberal but people still don't understand. And Neoliberals are much closer to neoconservatives than lefty liberals, so it just got more confusing. Most people in America will never see past the two party system and a simple left and right division of every issue.

[Apathy]

In my ideal little world, i'm way left socially and way right fiscally. But when I actually cast a vote I base it largely on which candidate seems to be the most in touch with reality.

[ClydeR]

I don't quite understand what "fiscally liberal" means. What's an example of a president or two who has been fiscally liberal? Have we ever had one?

[Gan]

I don't quite understand what "fiscally liberal" means. What's an example of a president or two who has been fiscally liberal? Have we ever had one?

For the purpose of this poll and this thread. Fiscally liberal means a candidate who spends more on social programs.

You can interpret that fiscally liberal means someone who spends liberally or alot - but that characteristic tends to be associated with the opposite parties simply due to the nature of spending during wartime.

[ClydeR]

For the purpose of this poll and this thread. Fiscally liberal means a candidate who spends more on social programs.

More than what? More than the other candidate, so that there's always one fiscally conservative and one fiscally liberal candidate in each campaign? Or does it mean more than we currently spend?

[Gan]

It can be either or both. This is America - you have a choice.

Figure it out and quit asking stupid questions.

[TheEschaton]

FDR was fiscally liberal in that he proposed the New Deal - George Bush is not fiscally liberal despite his massive spending.

Clearer?

[Ashliana]

FDR was fiscally liberal in that he proposed the New Deal - George Bush is not fiscally liberal despite his massive spending.

Clearer?

Bush is neither--he's fiscally irresponsible. Traditionally, government spending used to fall under one of the two:

1) High taxes, high spending
2) Low taxes, low spending

What do we have now, under Bush?

Low taxes, absurdly high spending. It makes no sense--we're running the country deep into the red. But Bush is definitely not a "fiscal conservative," and neither are the lawmakers giving him blank checks to wage wars.

[ClydeR]

FDR was fiscally liberal in that he proposed the New Deal - George Bush is not fiscally liberal despite his massive spending.

Clearer?

What about McCain and Obama? Are they fiscally liberal or conservative?

[TheEschaton]

Obama is generally fiscally liberal. Universal healthcare is an example of a fiscally liberal program.

As for McCain, in the past he was relatively fiscally liberal too, but he's moved more to the center recently. :P

[Gan]

How would you describe Obama's latest news not to eliminate the tax cuts right away if he should get elected? (He's still not intending to renew them once they expire in 2010).

[Ashliana]

How would you describe Obama's latest news not to eliminate the tax cuts right away if he should get elected? (He's still not intending to renew them once they expire in 2010).

As far as I understand, even though the IRS is part of the executive branch, the President cannot just make tax legislation "go away" at will. No?

[Gan]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama says he would delay rescinding President Bush's tax cuts on wealthy Americans if he becomes the next president and the economy is in a recession, suggesting such an increase would further hurt the economy.

Nevertheless, Obama has no plans to extend the Bush tax cuts beyond their expiration date, as Republican John McCain advocates. Instead, Obama wants to push for his promised tax cuts for the middle class, he said in a broadcast interview aired Sunday. "Even if we're still in a recession, I'm going to go through with my tax cuts," Obama said. "That's my priority."
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080907/D93228880.html

I dont know. It looks like he thinks he has the power to do something to the infamous Bush tax cuts...

Maybe someone else knows WTF Obama means.

*Unless he thinks he can get them removed with majority control in both House and Senate...

[ClydeR]

As far as I understand, even though the IRS is part of the executive branch, the President cannot just make tax legislation "go away" at will. No?

The Bush tax cuts go away automatically after December 31, 2010, unless Congress votes to extend them and the President signs the law extending them.

Because the tax cut expiration is already written into the law and because the Democrats will almost certainly control both houses of Congress when the Bush tax cuts expire at the end of 2010, taxes are more likely to increase across the board if McCain is elected than if Obama is elected.

It would take a filibuster proof majority in the Senate to stop the automatic tax increase. The Democrats are likely to want to embarrass a President McCain. They will either make him sign a tax increase on high income taxpayers or allow the Bush tax cuts to disappear entirely. If Obama is elected, he is likely to get most of the tax plan that he wants.

The dividend tax is a counterintuitive example (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/business/07view.html) of what is likely to happen. Before the Bush tax cuts, dividends were taxed just like other income at the taxpayer's marginal rate. The Bush tax cuts created a special 15% rate for dividends. Obama wants to increase the dividend rate to 20%. McCain wants to keep it at 15%. Most Democrats in Congress want to let the special 15% rate expire and go back to what it was before the Bush tax cuts. If Obama is elected, the rate will likely go to 20%. If McCain is elected, the rate will likely return to the much higher rate that existed before the Bush tax cuts.

So says Clyde, the logical (music) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBAasek8NR4).