Are You a Single-Issue Voter?

[mrplunkey]

How driven are you by any one single issue in politics?

For me, I'd say my major issues are:

1) Reducing government size (yes, including the military)
2) Reduced taxation (but no deficits... so cut, cut, cut)
3) Nationalization of health care (I'm dead-set against it)
4) Support fighting terrorism overseas (but agree diplomacy is part of the fight)

I'm probably 25% / 20% / 20% / 15% in those areas = 80%

My minor issues would be:

1) Abortion (I'm pro-choice, but against partial-birth abortions)
2) Education (I'm pro-education, but very much against the teachers unions and against dumping fresh money into a broken system)
3) Gay Marriage (I'm against it, but just because I don't want to hand-out more entitlements. I'd rather eliminate the marriage benefit if we all need to be "equal")
4) Environment (I'm all for making real improvements, but there needs to be hard science driving every single regulation)
5) Big Labor / Organized Labor (I'm very much against it... one of the biggest drivers of jobs away from the US IMO)

So even then, those issues would only add-up to about 20%... so 4% each.

I'd be curious to see if we have people who's priority list is more skewed toward one issue or the other...

 

[needtogetarmy]

The economy is #1 for me. It effects everything from health care, to employment, to education, to crime and so on. Compare any two nations and the differences in virtually everything are based on economic development.

I disagree with Republicans on abortion, stem cell research, gay marriage and other social issues but when it comes to the economy and equality in general they have the best policies. (BTW Bush did not follow the traditional Republican platform so I do not agree with what he has done.) People are NEVER going to agree on abortion etc. The economy, tax policies and economics have solid theory and empirical evidence to back up policy decisions. The Democrats are on the fringe when it comes to those issues and their policies are not conducive towards solid economic development.

 

[AAP]

I vote based on looks alone.

 

[mrplunkey]

I vote based on looks alone.

Give us an honest answer here...

If John McCain was massively pro-gay (even had his life-partner with him during campaigning) but retained all of his other positions, would you vote for him?

Could that one single issue outweigh any other issue you have against him?

 

[txbondsman]

1)national security
2)small government (welfare, the biggest enslavement of people the world has known)
3)personal taxs and tax breaks for ALL business, "a rising tide raises ALL ships"
4)healthcare, totally against socialized medicine
5)fair trade agreements and outsourcing, we should trade equally dollar for dollar as we can and businesses that outsource should have some penaly levied to keep jobs here, but we like cheap products, so there's the rub

pro choice, not for abortions as a means of birth control, but I'm not going to tell another woman what she can or can't do
pro stem cell research, will be a mute point as technology advances using skin cells
gay marriage, pro civil unions but marriage is between a man and a woman

 

[AAP]

Give us an honest answer here...

If John McCain was massively pro-gay (even had his life-partner with him during campaigning) but retained all of his other positions, would you vote for him?

Could that one single issue outweigh any other issue you have against him?

Probably not. There are too many other issues that act the entire nation as a whole than to worry about gay stuff. That would be the same as voting on "jewish" issues.

 

[mrplunkey]

The economy is #1 for me. It effects everything from health care, to employment, to education, to crime and so on. Compare any two nations and the differences in virtually everything are based on economic development.

I disagree with Republicans on abortion, stem cell research, gay marriage and other social issues but when it comes to the economy and equality in general they have the best policies. (BTW Bush did not follow the traditional Republican platform so I do not agree with what he has done.) People are NEVER going to agree on abortion etc. The economy, tax policies and economics have solid theory and empirical evidence to back up policy decisions. The Democrats are on the fringe when it comes to those issues and their policies are not conducive towards solid economic development.

So someone who shared your economic views would get your vote -- but what if they were extreme left or extreme right on social and international issues?

 

[txbondsman]

AAP's waiting on someone to offer government programs for Amyl Nitrate, whistles and those things that you put in your mouth that glow...

 

[mrplunkey]

Probably not. There are too many other issues that act the entire nation as a whole than to worry about gay stuff. That would be the same as voting on "jewish" issues.

So someone you agree with on all other issues but who was staunchly anti-homosexual would get your vote? What if he was a born-again Christian but didn't believe in legislating his views (other than being anti-homosexual)?

 

[heatherrae]

Getting us out of the war in Iraq and having someone who can get America to a more neutral position internationally.

reducing wasteful military spending

Civil Liberties and freedoms (including gay marriage and abortion under this rubric)

Healthcare reform (for it but not sure of the best plan)

Improved schools.