Hi I have never voted but feel that I DEFINATELY should be voting in the next election! I am confused.... When will we know who will be running for president? Also do you just go with the one you think best or that you feel strongets about... for example my first instinct tells me I'm a democrat.
I think gays should be able to be as miserably married as the rest of us.
I do not think this is a just war.
I am concerned about the environment and global warming all of which are very important to me.
But...
I strongly oppose abortion!!!!!!!!!!
How do you work that out?
2006-11-07 17:17:36 · 7 answers · asked by megs 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
Most Presidential candidates will begin running about a year from now, in late 2007. The party primaries will be held in the first few months of 2008, and the two major-party nominees will be known by the summer of '08.
You can vote for anyone on the ballot in a general election. For example, you can vote for the Democrat in an election whether you are registered Democrat, independent, minor party, or even Republican. The difference is that in many states, you have to register with a party to vote in its primary -- that is, you would have to register Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary for deciding which Democrat gets the party's nomination for each office.
As far as issues go, you can compare candidates' stands on issues and decide which candidate is closer to you on isses of most importance. You probably won't find a candidate who matches you exactly, but you might come close. Also keep in mind what issues will actually be affected by that candidate: for example, abortion should matter less to you in a race for a federal office, because abortion issues are most likely to be decided by state governments, to the degree that courts allow action on the issue.
Also with issues, you can sometimes vote on issues directly, regardless of what candidates want. Find out what issues are on your state's ballot, if any, and vote the way you believe. If you are not sure, talk with people who know. And if you are still not sure, it's okay to skip a vote on an issue or a candidate. No one can make an informed choice on everything.
Lastly, issues aren't always best addressed by laws. If you are strongly opposed to abortion, you might support candidates who oppose it, but that is unlikely to do much about the situation. You would be better off supporting organizations that deal with the underlying problems leading to abortion, so that fewer abortions are chosen. For example, you might donate money or volunteer time to a group that provides educational assistance for women. (Better-educated women will be, on average, more likely to afford children and less likely to consider abortion as a financial necessity.) Politicians often respond to a problem by just trying to pass a law against it, but that doesn't really solve most problems.
In short, vote for the candidates you prefer, and support organizations that address the issues that are important to you. Best of luck, and thanks for choosing to participate!
2006-11-07 18:05:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
We won't know for sure who will be running for president until primary season in Feb-Apr of 2008. We'll start to learn the primary candidates probably around the beginning of the year with some people joining the race (a la Wesley Clark in 2003) in the fall.
I can't tell you or anyone else how to vote. I'm a Dem, but I sometimes (not that often but sometimes) vote Repub. I try to judge on the candidates because even though I identify as a Dem there are some Repubs out there that do a good job and support many of the same things that I do. What I can recommend is that you learn as much about each candidate as possible and choose who you think will do a better job.
And I can give an example. I had a roommate in college who was adopted; her birth mother wanted to abort her but she was too far into her pregnancy. However, as strongly as my roommate was personally against abortion and as much as she would try to sway those not to have an abortion, she did not support outlawing the procedure -- for practical reasons. She felt that outlawing abortion would not stop it, only drive it underground where it would be less safe and harder to prevent (as it was less visible and pregnant women wouldn't probably have the counseling that they do now before aborting). She also found it highly unlikely that there would be a change in the status quo as far as the legality of abortion goes and decided to focus on other issues.
2006-11-08 01:36:21 · answer #2 · answered by Jamir 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Have to (sadly) agree, probably democrat. But you should do lots of investigating before you decide for sure. As far as who is running for president in '08, no one knows for sure yet. But after tonight, they will be crawling out of the wood work. Look for Hillary Clinton to run for the dems. Republicans....who knows...Newt Gingrich maybe? But have fun, try to keep an open mind and enjoy the "wonderful world" of politics.
2006-11-08 01:26:07 · answer #3 · answered by Cinner 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Democrats have come around to opposing abortion as well, they want to fight it with education, repugnicans just want to criminalize it!
2006-11-08 01:22:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
YES i agree " YES TO PRO - CHOICE! NO TO GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES AND THEIR RIGHTS!! as a women you make me sick!"
2006-11-08 01:53:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
dem probably. you can oppose abortion without favoring criminalizing anyone that has one.
2006-11-08 01:19:37 · answer #6 · answered by David B 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋
YES TO PRO - CHOICE! NO TO GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGES AND THEIR RIGHTS!! as a women you make me sick!
2006-11-08 01:23:24 · answer #7 · answered by anyways_fukitol 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋