[clue-talk] How do CLUEbies vote?

[Dan Poler]

On Fri, 2007-09-21 at 13:19 -0600, David Rudder wrote:
> CLUE members seem to be primarily gun owners and liberatarians.  Not me, 
> but many of you.  Personally, I'm a big fan of the nanny state, but 
> that's just me.
> 
> I don't see any political figures that match the general CLUE 
> sensibilities.  Who did y'all vote for in 2004?  Who will you vote for 
> in 2008?  I bet it's the Republican candidate, even though it was GWB in 
> 2004, because you won't vote for the Dems.

I'm a registered independent. I voted for Kerry in 2004, because he
wasn't GWB. I didn't figure he'd win, given that he really had no
concrete plan of getting us out of Iraq. I've voted mostly for Democrats
on the national level and Republicans on the local level.

I think of myself as a fiscal conservative, social liberal. Too bad the
same doesn't seem to exist in candidates. I generally find myself voting
for who I think will do the least harm.

> Personally, my top choice isn't running yet.  Michael Bloomberg.  Second 
> would be Richardson, then Obama, then Hagel, then Gore, then Edwards and 
> if none of those people are available, I'll hold my nose and vote for 
> Hillary.

Having lived 20 years in NYC (just moved out here about a year and a
half ago, to Clinton and Bloomberg I have to say dear god please no. :)
Same for Giuliani -- I enjoy my civil rights, thank you very much. 

I have no idea who I'll vote for in 2008. I've heard some interesting
things out of McCain, but I disagree with his social agenda. 

> For all of the liberatarians in the group, will you hold your nose and 
> vote for someone who wants to tell you who to marry?  What religion to 
> practice?  How you can die?  Has eight years of being spied on, lied to 
> and ripped off been enough? 

Hear, hear - I'm not a libertarian (as someone else said, I like having
paved roads to drive on). I believe in small government, individual
responsibility, and the government minding their own damn business. I
don't believe its anyone's business but your own who you marry, where
you live, what faith (if any) you subscribe to, etc.

I find the subversion of the Republican party by business interests
(Haliburton et al, no bid contracts, etc), evangelicals, and
neoconservatives to be extremely troubling. What the GOP is today is not
the ideals upon which it was founded. I think they've lost their way
(much as the Democrats did in the late 80's-early 90's). I hope they
figure it out. 

For the record - I am a gun owner and concealed carry permit holder. I
don't know what that tells you statistically; it scares the hell out of
the rest of my east-coast family though. :-) I very much enjoy shooting
at the range or out in the boonies, but my primary reason far and away
for owning guns is because it's my right as a citizen of this country. 

I suppose since we're talking politics from my work account I have to
say -- the opinions expressed herein are no one's but my own and not
representative of my employer. There -- backside covered. :-)
dap

-- 
Dan Poler, RHCE
Senior Consultant
Red Hat, Inc.
E-Mail: dpoler at redhat.com

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