Do you ever vote for the best candidate, or do you just run down your party column?

Question

Let me be crystal clear. When I say "run down your party column", the candidate that shares your ideals may very well be there. That is fine. Basically what I want to know is if you have ever crossed party lines because you liked the other guy better for whatever reason?

Wow, great answers people! Thanks!

Here is the tally so far. Of 12 real answers, 10 showed that they would cross the line depending on who is running, one dem and one rep admitted the straight party ticket.

Based on my experience here in Yahoo Answers, I would have thought the results would be opposite! You guys and gals are truly awesome, thank you!!

Answer 1

You should, and I do, vote for the best candidate. Running down the party column is crazy. Years back David Duke, a KKK member, ran for a government seat in a southern state? Just think about running down the party column would have meant for that state....

Answer 2

I neither vote for the best candidate nor just run down the party column.

I vote for the candidate that will upset the spin meisters and the campaign managers the most. I vote all the elections and do so to be a maximum thorn in the side of the system as I can be.

I didn't like that bad tempered banty-rooster Perot, for example, and I voted for him twice! I got a federal budget balanced on a cash basis for 1998, 1999 and 2000 out of that --it's called "tactical voting."

In state elections, I SPECIFICALLY vote for governor and state attorney general from DIFFERENT parties --every time. Generally, I vote third party if I can. In a tight race, I vote for the candidate who is sociall liberal and fiscally conservative.

I split tickets, lie to telephone polsters if they call, and do everything I can think of to drive campaign managers nuts. And I think you should do the same.

Answer 3

I have not crossed party lines in a National Election, however, I did not vote for my parties main guy either in two occasions.
I have crossed party line in one State election because I felt the candidate was the better of the two running.

Answer 4

I have always voted for the person that I thought would be able to do the best job in whatever office they are running for. I have voted for another party when I feel the candidate was more suitable or more qualified for the position. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

I'm registered as "Decline to state." I never vote party lines, I vote the person and their convictions. I used to be a registered Republican, but Bush and the Senate with their destructive stance on illegal immigration, along with the continuation of the war, drove me to drop my party affiliation. But I've never voted along party lines anyway.

Answer 6

I definitely vote for the individual.
I am a firm believer that anyone in politics is not qualified to represent me to begin with so I vote for the least of the evils presented to me on my ballot.
If you don't expect much from a politician, you can't be disappointed...although many lately have surprised even me.

Answer 7

I am a registered dem... and that bothers me.... but I tend to lean 'lib' on the scale.... like maybe a 'baby-step' to the left of 'moderate'..... and No, I haven't crossed party lines yet... but I will if McCain gets 'the nod' from the Republican Party... because it looks as though any 'dem' that will get the nod is as much of a bastard as you can get.... so....

Answer 8

I cross party lines often; mostly on local and state politics.

Answer 9

I stay true to my party since I'm a party member and fully support what they stand for.

Answer 10

Absolutely. I don't see why someone feels the need to elect an official based solely on political affiliation, especially if they don't know their platform.