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How do you vote?

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  • 27-05-2010 12:52am
    #1
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭


    Just been reading the thread entitled 'Why I'm remaining a staunch FF supporter' and I'm trying to get a handle for peoples motivations to vote the way they do.

    The logic of this m defies me- its seems to be parish pump politcs at its best- 'Our family has always been FF/FG so I'll vote that way too'. Asd impl someone said in the other thread its not football teams we're following here.

    For me personally I'm the type of voter that political parties hate- the floating voter. I have no allegiances or preferences, family related or otherwise. I judge each election as it comes and make up my mind based on the policies of the parties foremost and the quality of the local candidate secondly. I guess for me all politics isn't local, I'm more concerned with the national element than local issues.

    But how do other people tend to form their decision- is it widespread that people vote for a candidate based on civil war politics, family allegiances, etc? And then just re-elect the incumbent and possibly his sons/daughters further down the line?

    And do people feel that this way of deciding to vote is affecting the quality of candidates available to the electorate ?


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    #2
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Think it's a colouring pencil, still not sure why they don't provide a pen.


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    #3
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    I vote with my conscience, as well as ignoring all the posters (on poles, not on boards) and seeing if I can remember a candidate saying or proposing something worthwhile, and also ensuring that they haven't voted in favour of something objectionable or voted confidence in some inexcusable behaviour or with a party whip against their public utterances or conscience.

    Oh - and someone looking longer-term at the bigger picture of how I'd like society to be; then again maybe that was a dream, because I can't really remember any politician doing that.
    amacachi wrote: »
    Think it's a colouring pencil, still not sure why they don't provide a pen.

    <conspiracy theory>That's probably just in case they need to get an eraser and another coloured pencil later ;) </conspiracy theory>


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    #4
    oppenheimer1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,084 ✭✭✭oppenheimer1


    RATM wrote: »
    Just been reading the thread entitled 'Why I'm remaining a staunch FF supporter' and I'm trying to get a handle for peoples motivations to vote the way they do.

    The logic of this m defies me- its seems to be parish pump politcs at its best- 'Our family has always been FF/FG so I'll vote that way too'. Asd impl someone said in the other thread its not football teams we're following here.

    For me personally I'm the type of voter that political parties hate- the floating voter. I have no allegiances or preferences, family related or otherwise. I judge each election as it comes and make up my mind based on the policies of the parties foremost and the quality of the local candidate secondly. I guess for me all politics isn't local, I'm more concerned with the national element than local issues.

    But how do other people tend to form their decision- is it widespread that people vote for a candidate based on civil war politics, family allegiances, etc? And then just re-elect the incumbent and possibly his sons/daughters further down the line?

    And do people feel that this way of deciding to vote is affecting the quality of candidates available to the electorate ?

    I doubt you'll get many to admit they vote for a certain party because their parents did here on boards. Most likely you'll find that if people have a certain constant preference for a particular party its because they agree with their core ideology. One could say upbringing has a huge influence on that though.

    When I vote I put the quality of the candidate on an equal footing as the national policy of the party. It is a personal belief that the Dáil should consist of top quality highly educated professionals from every field. Hopefully one day that will be the case.


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    #5
    danman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 583 ✭✭✭danman


    I will vote for the candidate that tells me he will get a new parish pump for my parish.
    The old one is knackered.

    That last boy fixed it up great, but we realised that he didn't use cast
    iron fittings. The pump didn't last long. He spent ages working on it too.

    So I want a new man in the dail to fix our pump.


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    #6
    loldog
    Registered Users Posts: 634 ✭✭✭loldog


    I will vote for the candidate who played in an All-Ireland winning team. That would be my first preference.

    .


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    #7
    murraymarmalade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 218 ✭✭murraymarmalade


    loldog wrote: »
    I will vote for the candidate who played in an All-Ireland winning team. That would be my first preference.

    .
    hehehe :D


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    #8
    rasper
    Registered Users Posts: 795 ✭✭✭rasper


    loldog wrote: »
    I will vote for the candidate who played in an All-Ireland winning team. That would be my first preference.

    .



    Its so true , its scary


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    #9
    scr123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 234 ✭✭scr123


    My favourite political conversation in the real world

    " Did you vote FF in the last election ? "

    "Noooooooooooooooooo !!! "


    "Did you ever vote FF ? "

    " NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!! "


    "Would you ever vote FF ? "

    " Noooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!! "

    Then you ask " who did you vote for ? "


    " I didnt vote ! " No 1 answer

    No 2 answer is usually Lab, SF, SWP or some other extremist

    Extraordinary is FG people NEVER admit what way they vote but you can always tell them by the puzzled look on their faces when you question their beliefs, thay cannot understand why someone might think they are wrong.

    Personally I cannot understand why people are reluctant to show their political allegiance. In fact I believe in many cases it should be obligatory for commentators to make it clear who they vote for. I would exempt newsreaders as its obvious they should never allow political bias to show.

    As far as message boards are concerned I find them amusing. At least 95% of posters eventually expose their political allegiance but continue to make efforts to hide things.

    As a matter of interest, is it against rules to ask someone who they vote for ?


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    #10
    danman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 583 ✭✭✭danman


    scr123 wrote: »
    As a matter of interest, is it against rules to ask someone who they vote for ?

    not against any rules, but it's not socially acceptable.
    It's too much of a personal question.

    If someone asked me, I'd politely refuse to answer.


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    #11
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    scr123 wrote: »
    Personally I cannot understand why people are reluctant to show their political allegiance.

    Personally I cannot understand why people have any "political allegiance", or more specifically a "staunch" political allegiance.

    I also notice (and it's ironic given your preference for asking questions about who people voted for, and why) you didn't answer the question posed by a few of us in another thread.

    What would FF have to do in order for you to rethink your "staunch" support ?

    Or is it possible that nothing whatsoever would sway you from your "staunch political allegiance" ?


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    #12
    rcecil
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭rcecil


    No 2 answer is usually Lab, SF, SWP or some other extremist

    Sinn Fein is the oldest party on the island, is now the largest in the north and doing a credible job in government. Even with the neverending assaults by corporate media and its allies, Sinn Fein continues to increase its vote.

    SF predicted the economic collapse and is a party that works for the interests of the average worker, farmer, fisherman and public employee as well as the less fortunate among us.

    The elected officials do not make above the average industrial wage, do not accept "perks" and have no "Golden Circle" friends.

    But the nonextremists bow to corporate interests regularly. And the "Labour" Party crossed the picket line at the Dail and is willing to get in bed with a rightwing party.

    I think I'll stick with the party that represents my interests. SINN FEIN


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    #13
    kev9100
    Registered Users Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭kev9100


    rcecil wrote: »
    Sinn Fein is the oldest party on the island, is now the largest in the north and doing a credible job in government. Even with the neverending assaults by corporate media and its allies, Sinn Fein continues to increase its vote.

    SF predicted the economic collapse and is a party that works for the interests of the average worker, farmer, fisherman and public employee as well as the less fortunate among us.

    Is this the same SF who are willing to take Westminister expenses and refuse to sit in their seats? Is this the same SF party who lied, stole and murdered for generations? If so, why would you vote for them?


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    #14
    sceptre
    Registered Users Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    kev9100 wrote: »
    Is this the same SF who are willing to take Westminister expenses and refuse to sit in their seats? Is this the same SF party who lied, stole and murdered for generations? If so, why would you vote for them?
    That's nothing to do with the thread so kindly don't take it off into one of those tangential discussions. Please re-read the opening post, even the first sentence would do...

    /mod


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    #15
    oppenheimer1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,084 ✭✭✭oppenheimer1


    rcecil wrote: »
    No 2 answer is usually Lab, SF, SWP or some other extremist

    Sinn Fein is the oldest party on the island, is now the largest in the north and doing a credible job in government. Even with the neverending assaults by corporate media and its allies, Sinn Fein continues to increase its vote.

    SF predicted the economic collapse and is a party that works for the interests of the average worker, farmer, fisherman and public employee as well as the less fortunate among us.

    The elected officials do not make above the average industrial wage, do not accept "perks" and have no "Golden Circle" friends.

    But the nonextremists bow to corporate interests regularly. And the "Labour" Party crossed the picket line at the Dail and is willing to get in bed with a rightwing party.

    I think I'll stick with the party that represents my interests. SINN FEIN

    Just want to point out that Arthur Griffiths Sinn Fein, was a totally different organisation to the Sinn Fein that exists now. Its looking to history to create legitimacy. Its relationship to old Sinn Fein would be about the same if I set up a party in the morning and called it Sinn fein.


    But to the topic at hand, people often identify with the core policies of a party, thus become loyal supporters. Its much like a football team, people don't stop supporting a team when the manager chooses a formation they don't like.


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    #16
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    oppenheimer1 wrote: »
    Its much like a football team, people don't stop supporting a team when the manager chooses a formation they don't like.

    Only a football team doing badly doesn't impact on your right to earn a living and have a life.

    I'd also be hard-pushed to find any party in Ireland that had any strong "core policies" that they weren't prepared to sell out on in order to get into power.


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