Has your vote changed over time during this primary season here in the US?

I literally leapt with joy and had a brief teary moment when Bernie announced his candidacy.

I’m feeling the Bern all the way.

I’m between Bernie and Hilary – haven’t really read up on their plans so am not sure which one is for me. My one concern about Bernie is how he will get his plan accomplished with Congress not “for” him and how all these things like socialized education will be paid for.

I am very surprised Trump has made it this far. In the beginning he was like a joke, and he still may be a joke to many but he’s not going away, so it’s not funny anymore.

Congress can easily flip this year, too. All of the House seats are up for grabs and enough of the Senate to change the whole flavor of things.

Also, Bernie has laid out his economic plan better than any other candidate. It has the benefit of being an actual plan as opposed to just an insistence that whatever he does will be “great”.

I changed my vote from “batman” to rubio to take away delegates from trump. None of these candidates represent us.

@seek except that his plan sucks. Same empty talk just in an outline form, some of it is not even based on reality it’s just political pandering to his base. Many parts of this I’m in full support of I must add, especially infrastructure. I will say though that if it came down to bernie vs Trump I’d take a couple steps over to the left, Bernie is likely going to do less damage. He is probably not going to be able to do much of anything. Trump could be a train wreck because he likely will manage to ramrod some crazy shit through.

From Bernie’s website:

As president, Senator Bernie Sanders will reduce income and wealth inequality by:

Demanding that the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes. As president, Sen. Sanders will stop corporations from shifting their profits and jobs overseas to avoid paying U.S. income taxes. He will create a progressive estate tax on the top 0.3 percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million. He will also enact a tax on Wall Street speculators who caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, homes, and life savings.

Increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2020. In the year 2015, no one who works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.

Putting at least 13 million Americans to work by investing $1 trillion over five years towards rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, railways, airports, public transit systems, ports, dams, wastewater plants, and other infrastructure needs.

Reversing trade policies like NAFTA, CAFTA, and PNTR with China that have driven down wages and caused the loss of millions of jobs. If corporate America wants us to buy their products they need to manufacture those products in this country, not in China or other low-wage countries.

Creating 1 million jobs for disadvantaged young Americans by investing $5.5 billion in a youth jobs program. Today, the youth unemployment rate is off the charts. We have got to end this tragedy by making sure teenagers and young adults have the jobs they need to move up the economic ladder.

Fighting for pay equity by signing the Paycheck Fairness Act into law. It is an outrage that women earn just 78 cents for every dollar a man earns.

Making tuition free at public colleges and universities throughout America. Everyone in this country who studies hard should be able to go to college regardless of income.

Expanding Social Security by lifting the cap on taxable income above $250,000. At a time when the senior poverty rate is going up, we have got to make sure that every American can retire with dignity and respect.

Guaranteeing healthcare as a right of citizenship by enacting a Medicare for all single-payer healthcare system. It’s time for the U.S. to join every major industrialized country on earth and provide universal healthcare to all.

Requiring employers to provide at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave; two weeks of paid vacation; and 7 days of paid sick days. Real family values are about making sure that parents have the time they need to bond with their babies and take care of their children and relatives when they get ill.

Enacting a universal childcare and prekindergarten program. Every psychologist understands that the most formative years for a human being is from the ages 0–3. We have got to make sure every family in America has the opportunity to send their kids to a high quality childcare and pre-K program.

Making it easier for workers to join unions by fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act. One of the most significant reasons for the 40-year decline in the middle class is that the rights of workers to collectively bargain for better wages and benefits have been severely undermined.

Breaking up huge financial institutions so that they are no longer too big to fail. Seven years ago, the taxpayers of this country bailed out Wall Street because they were too big to fail. Yet, 3 out of the 4 largest financial institutions are 80 percent bigger today than before we bailed them out. Sen. Sanders has introduced legislation to break these banks up. As president, he will fight to sign this legislation into law.

@ARE_you_kidding_me you should have gone to Kasich rather than Rubio. He seems to be the most grounded of all the R candidates. just grateful you didn’t go to Cruz

And no, I haven’t changed my mind.

I haven’t changed my mind. I decided early on that for my mental and financial health I wouldn’t get too heavily invested in which Democratic candidate won the nomination since I know I’ll support whoever it is. And not being in a early primary state, I can’t influence that outcome. And I see flaws in each of the Democratic candidates. If Warren were running, she would get a heap of money from me.

@rojo At the time I thought Rubio had a chance to knock off Trump. I view Cruz about the same as Trump but I trust him even less. I was shocked by the number of delegates Cruz was able to net. The kind of Republican I want as a candidate would be too moderate and not “GOP material” I don’t care to split the vote either. I don’t want any of them in office.

I was behind Hillary until I learned about Sanders (I had no idea who he was when he first announced his candidacy). Now It’s Bernie all the way.

I’ve been waiting for a Social Democrat with some moxy since Wimpy McGovern lost to Nixon. I’ve been for Bernie since he was elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont. That was a big deal in my circle. Anytime a member of the Liberty Party/Citizens Party got elected to anything anywhere was a big deal. I’m still in shock that Bernie has gotten as far as he has. Times they are a-changin’.

@Espiritus_Corvus Do you think that Sanders candidacy is a knee-jerk reaction of the Left to the obvious leap the the right that conservative candidates exhibit?

@rojo Maybe. Somewhat. But we’ve been living with neo-cons since Reagan, so by your theory, this “knee jerk reaction” should have happened long ago. I think it is more likely that more Americans, especially the young ones facilitated by the internet, are seeing other capitalist democracies with better services for their tax money. A significant portion of America no longer believes that the system as it is today will provide upward mobility for themselves and a better life for their children, but they see other systems, Social Democratic systems abroad, that do. So, for them, Sanders is the only show in town.

And the fact that the other side is acting like a bunch of irresponsible juvenile sociopaths on a pre-school playground pretty much kills any confidence the potential crossovers may have in them.

Sanders’ success is just proof that even to Liberals Clinton is a horrible idea.

Clinton is a continuation of the status quo.

Regarding national socialized healthcare:

It is unconstitutional for the Federal government to force citizens into “acts of commerce.”

All I can say as an outsider looking in is, what a fucking desperate selection of candidates to pick from.

I agree, and that is what we have and it is inefficient, ridiculous and corrupt on the most elementary level. But Single Payer Healthcare, which was taken off the table in initial committee, makes it a government service paid for by taxes, not a business transaction forced upon the citizenry punishable by fines for the non-compliant. What the US presently has is a government mandated captive market laid into the hands of the libidinous health care industry. It’s designed to fail, and possibly even designed so badly that Americans will never, ever ask for national health care again.

No, I voted for my original choice of Democrat—although, I admit, it was an unenthusiastic choice—and I would vote for Peewee Herman if it denied Trump a vote.

@Espiritus Corvus I disagree on it being designed to fail. It was designed to keep the insurance corporations in business, and deflect the country from single payer healthcare which is in the long run inevitible.

@stanleybmanly Yes, well, maybe I’ve confused the intention with the effect.

All I’ll say is that a continuation of the status quo is looking pretty damned good, given the alternatives presented.

Every 4 years, I hold out hope that in 4 years someone will run for president that I can support.
I had high hopes for McCain, and he proved that being a career politician doesn’t mean you have good (Palin) sense.

Romney lost primarily because he was the RATIONAL candidate from the party. What Trump demonstrates is that A RATIONAL CANDIDATE FROM THE RIGHT IS NO LONGER ELECTABLE. The southern strategy now bites the right in the ass. The chickens have come home to roost!

And now we get to see if an irrational candidate will succeed.

Nope. I’ll never vote Republican and if I don’t vote for a Democrat I always vote Green.
Berning this time around.

^ So your vote is not based on values. It is based on labels.

While it is the right of many groups of people, some just shouldn’t vote.

Yeah, sure. That’s exactly what I said. You got me.~

The Republicans stand on a platform that I WILL NEVER support. Anyone who chooses to be a Republican obviously does not hold my values.

People who jump to conclusions shouldn’t vote. People who assume facts shouldn’t vote.People who think they are better than everyone and can choose who they think should and should not vote, shouldn’t vote.

Don’t bother with me. I will henceforth never bother with you.

@tinyfaery Eat a Snickers

@stanleybmanly The most rational candidate in the Republican Party was probably Kasich. To me Cruz and Rubio are part of the irrational Christian Right, repeat the party line, have that monotone schtick, with a false smile.

@tinyfaery I wasn’t even thinking in terms of party, just individuals within your party. My mind was in the primary mode. I know some states people can vote outside of their party.

@tinyfaery

How is the Democratic party motivated to innovate if it can, no matter what, always count on your vote?

@SecondHandStoke Because the election between the parties is the last hurdle, not the first one.

@Seek

I was speaking about the last hurdle. It might not be fully the subject of the OP but @tinyfaery and I both spoke more broadly.

She used the word “never.” Logically that was in reference to all elections.

I don’t know how old you are, @SecondHandStoke , but I’m 30. I registered to vote when I was seventeen. My first opportunity to vote was Bush vs. Kerry. I have voted in every single gorram election I’ve been allowed to since then. Yes, including midterms, primaries, and locals.

I’ve always been willing to cross party lines to vote in the primaries for the candidate I preferred. I switched to Team R to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries back when I was young and bushy-tailed and had a fuckton of money in the bank.

But really… ever since then, and really for a long time before, Team R has been in a downward spiral of violence, ignorance, and hate wrapped in a flag and carrying a Bible.

There’s nothing left to even tempt me to vote for that side of the aisle.

@Seek

I was going to challenge @tinyfaery to describe to us what exactly is this “Republican” platform that she will never support.

Just one rule. She may not use vague inaccuracies such as “hate”, “ignorance” “racism”, as blanket descriptions of solutions she does not agree with lest she be stung by wasps.

In other words, she will have to work to gain my understanding.

You seem to have done it for her, I hope she will engage in serious debate anyway.

(Insert wasp joke below).

No, I’ve supported Bernie Sanders the whole time, and my chances of changing are slim to none.

What did change was going from thinking Hillary Clinton was a problematic but tolerable generic establishment Democrat, to being appalled by all the attempts to cover up the Sanders campaign and force Clinton to be the candidate. I’m currently feeling like even if Sanders withdrew, I’d pencil him in, even though I think all the Republican candidates are horrible. I might swallow my pride and change that mind again to vote Clinton in the final election anyway, but only because I think it would be slightly better than having an even worse character elected.

@SecondHandStoke I would agree that there is little motivation to change (or perceived need for it) in the democratic party as long as the circus on the right rolls toward self destruction, because as the DNC fully appreciates “where else have they to go?”

How about you not write about me. That’s against fluther guidelines.

@rojo I’m vegan. I’d never eat a snickers. :)

@JLeslie I am only a registered Democrat to vote in the primaries. I’ve been a voter since 1992 and I’ve only voted for a Democrat for POTUS 3 times—Clinton once, Obama once and John Kerry. I usually vote Green. To me, the major parties are just corporate puppets who care nothing about the American people. Since Bernie is running as a Democrat I will vote Democrat this year. I’ve disliked Hillary since the 90’s. I would have rather had O’Malley than her.

@tinyfaery If that is the case that I sincerely apologize, to you, fellow Flutherites and the moderators.

That said, If your approach to responding to questions is to not respond,

Why are you on the Internet at all?

Seriously, you said that you would never, never vote for a Republican candidate. Never? Really?

What if a candidate’s assurances were exactly what you desire but they run as a Republican?

How old are you? How much have you yet to experience that might cause you to reconsider your position?

At this point what I’m getting at is that absolutes like you offer are harmful, counterproductive.

This reinforces my notion that you are motivated by labels rather than content.

Since Bernie announced his candidacy, I’ve been for him. I’ll vote for whoever wins the Democratic primary, though.

@SecondHandStoke, @tinyfaery is under no obligation to answer your questions if she doesn’t want to. Please stop badgering her.

As for me, I’ve voted for Republicans in local positions if their Democratic opponent was corrupt. But I’d never vote for anyone who espoused the current R platform for president. It has nothing to do with the ‘label’, and everything to do with their actual policies: pro-life, pro-capital punishment (holding these first two views simultaneously is completely irrational to me), pro-privatization of social welfare (education, poverty assistance, social security), anti-equality, anti-universal healthcare, wrong-headed economic policies, and more. That’s what I won’t vote for. The platform may change in the future (as it has in the past), and in that case I’d reconsider my position. I’m 48 years old, in case that matters to you.

^ She still has the whip!! :-)

Again, sincere apologies to all. I will consider this matter closed.

Of course, as IRL @tinyfaery cannot be compelled to reply. I appreciate this fact.

@augustlan is a honeee.

The whip stings good…

@SecondHandStoke Feel free to question me if you like. I’ll be happy to whip you some more. ;)

I’ve supported Bernie the entire time. I didn’t like Hillary before she even ran for president. I wasn’t comfortable with a lot of the laws she tried to have passed and I don’t think she’s interested in taking the country forward the same way that Bernie is. Even if Bernie doesn’t achieve it – and he won’t, because he can’t, which he’s already voiced multiple times – it’s a step in the right direction. Hillary thinks “America never stopped being great” and that, to me, illustrates that she’s not the right candidate since America could be so, so much better.

I haven’t been supportive of any candidate. No need as I can’t vote in primaries in my state because I refuse to be a “registered” anything. When the general election gets here I will have made a decision. Everything up to now has been crazy and entertaining on the Republican side and horrifying on the Democratic side. God help us.

The one thing I knew going into this election season is that there was that there would be snow on the hills of hell before I voted for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

Latest forecast.

Barring any new candidates entering the race or any stellar running mates my decision will be between which foot steps first.

I supported Hillary in 2008 and I waited for 8 years to hear if she was going to run again. She would have received my vote up until 3 months ago when I changed my mind. It’s a done deal for me. I just took advantage of early voting in Illinois and voted for Bernie Sanders.

^^What did it for you? Why the change?

I agree with him on most issues. More so than I do with Hillary.

I’m so conflicted right now.