"I Will Vote for the Person Who Helps My Wallet the Most." Is That a Typical American Voter?

Question

whether it be:

taxcuts
free healtcare
lower property taxes
prescription help
bigger IRA deduction
Less federal spending
More help to illegals
Less help to illegals
Free abortions
More food stamps

union
teachers union

Answer 1

some voters probably do think that way.

Answer 2

It describes some of us - certainly myself included. Your economic freedom IS your freedom - - - how many times a day do you make an economic decision? Yet some people seem to think "oh, that's just money, that's not your rights" - - you might protest twice in your life, you make an economic decision twice an hour.

Old money though, including people who, while they have real jobs and work for their income, inherited a lot from their parents, and got a head start because of their parents - i.e., lawyers whose dads were partners in major law firms - you can guilt them into supporting socialism, because they don't feel like they earned their way.

Of course, the people they screw in the process are the people two offices down, whose parents were ham and egger lawyers, teachers, farmers, miners, etc... - and who generally vote Republican.

Michael, below me, is dead wrong. The logic that "low income Republicans vote against their interest" because high income people benefited MORE from the tax cut, is flawed on two counts - - (1) better to benefit less than someone else than to not benefit at all, and (2) "low income" and "high income" are NOT PERMANENT CLASSES. Michael doesn't seem to grasp that a lot of those waitress are grad students who 10 years later will be high income people assuming the economy continues to produce high-paying jobs - - which it is.

Also with respect to Ohio, there's the fact that Bush's weak dollar policy stemmed the tide of job losses in '03 and '04 - - I have no idea what the Democrats would have done on that issue.

I'm not saying I AGREE with that weak-dollar policy, in fact I don't - I think it magnifies the returns American investors get on foreign investments, thus inducing more Americans to invest overseas, and policy should be neutral in that respect.

Answer 3

I can't speak for the 'typical' voter but, for me, you hit the nail on the head.

The bottom line is the bottom line. In this country, quality of life is in direct proportion to your wallet, like it or not.

So, the candidate that demonstrates the most fiscal responsibility gets my vote.

If it were a binary issue, I would put national security right up there with it. There is no sense in having a pocket full of money in a country that is about to be attacked.

Answer 4

Well, to a point. Not necessarily money, but which candidate is going to make my life better. And that is how I will always vote. If a candidate says I will give every American $10,000 I would like that, but I won't vote for him, because in the end things will be worse. But I do like tax cuts, I am not too many social programs, particuallarly for those who don't want to work hard. A gay person will vote for a candidate who is pro-gay rights, and that is fine. Me personally, I don't care either way, I am not gay there for being pro or anti-gay rights doesn't matter to me. Domestic wiretaps don't bother me either, if the government wants to listen to my phone calls be my guest. They are probably funnier than what is on TV. While to some people that is important.

We each vote to what we think is important in our lives to make us happier. If money makes you happy more power to you, if driving a hybrid makes you happy good for you. Just don't judge why I vote the way I do, and I won't judge you.

Answer 5

Not me. I make a decent living but I would happily pay more taxes for things I will not personally benefit from, ie more health care for the poor. I am not arrogant enough to think that my money is a perfect reflection of how hard working or intelligent I am, I accept that some of it came with luck and having a good start to life, and we aren't all so lucky.

Wish more people could think this way.

Answer 6

I'd say that's a fair assessment of many, the other side of the coin being those who vote to change a single law/issue (i.e. abortion, guns, the war, immigration, health care...)

Let's face it, most voters are blindly pushing buttons in the voting booths without knowing the first thing about any of the candidates beyond which party they represent.

Answer 7

Government is business and business is money. If you don't care about your money you don't have your best interest. Anyone who doesn't vote as a good business venture is not concerned with what happens here. Tax dollars comes from tax payers and what we decide or allow to happen with them decides our way of life. I vote for helping our own not the world of out sourcing or passing laws to ban certain freedoms mingled with religious favor.

Answer 8

You give the American voter too much credit.

It's all about charisma perception. Most Americans just want to like the person they're voting for.

Answer 9

Actually, that IS the typical American Voter, sad but true

Answer 10

I vote who can help the country the most money is not a issue ,but Most people do vote for their wallet

Answer 11

as a nurse i can tell you that this ''free healthcare'' you speak of is a nightmare...wanna wait 2 years for an MRI? want to wait 4 days to get into the ER??? and as a Christian, abortion is wrong....if you dont want it, keep your legs shut or give it up for adoption.