Lunch time poll: Voting Dilema

[cdave]

In my local seat the two parties who most stand a chance of winning there have:

• A rebellious incumbent MP who votes against his party (usually in the direction I'd want), but whose party I don't want in power.
• A local councillor for the party I'd like to see in, who doesn't really impress me with his literature, and website (and hasn't replied to an email from 5 days ago asking why I should vote for him).

[Poll #1553873]

Comments

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

Sure, but my take on it is that if Z is genuinely your favorite candidate, you should vote for Z regardless of who does or doesn't stand a chance. I think the political system in this country is stagnant precisely because people take other people's behavior (non-politicians, I mean) into account when deciding on their own personal vote.

The Lib Dems are doing well in the polls because suddenly it's ok for people to say "actually, yeah, I support their policies, not that I ever would have voted for them because they wouldn't have had a chance." Well of course they wouldn't if nobody who supported them would vote for them because of perceived potential.

This is not directed toward you; I just find it all maddening. Also I find the fact that people talk about who they vote for maddening. Having said that, it seems to be moving that way in the States too. Life was better when your vote was secret but you talked about your salary, rather than the other way around.

[cdave]

I agree tactical voting is annoying.

I do try not to say how I've voted, and certainly consciously avoid putting pressure on anyone to say how they voted.

But it's hard not to talk about politics for more that a few minutes without getting an idea of people's political leanings, and likely voting patterns.

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

I think you're a man among men :)

[cdave]

Nicest thing anyone's said in a while ;)

Okay it's possible to discuss the running of the country with brining party politics into it, but they do do their darndest to ensure it's tricky. The "system" is set up so that a party who just makes sensible policy suggestions, without branding or slagging off opponents will likely get no air time, and no votes.

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

I wonder if you can guess how I was planning to vote and how I am going to vote (and whether there is a difference between the two, and if so, what changed my mind).

[cdave]

Not really. I'd've said Liberal, and that nothing in this campaign has changed that, but the latter part is based on extrapolation as you haven't posted anything on running the country (that I've seen) since the Election was called.

Hmm. Guess I've been projecting and rationalising. Hmm.

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

Well, as a civil servant I'm in purdah, so I can't really say. Your conclusions are interesting and should be discussed during a mutually-agreeable social outing. I think board games are out btw :(