Would you vote for him?

[periwinklefish]

How do you all decide how to vote in elections given a politician's religious stance/history?

[LegendarySandwich]

Religion only factors into my vote if it factors into their politics. (I don't actually vote, though.)

[a-train]

Religious profession plays no part in my decision process at election time.  What does the candidate claim he/she will do and what is his/her track record?  This is all that matters to me.

-a-train

[Whitney]

I only care if their campaign/politics are affected by their proclaimed religion.

Bush may not actually be very religious...but he still allowed religion to affect his actions and comments while in office (speaking of both daddy and jr)

Being that I have chosen not to vote for an atheist in favor of voting for their christian opponent I can say that there are more important things to me than religion when voting in elections...unfortunately, just because someone is an atheist doesn't mean they'll be more rational than their religious counterpart.

[Will]

I voted against McCain/Palin more than I voted for Obama/Biden.

I'd perfer voting for an atheist, because with them I don't have to worry about their religion coloring their politics with medieval ideas, but in the instance where no atheist is running, I just choose the person who seems the most qualified combined with the least likely to allow their religion to seep into their role.

[elliebean]

I never vote for anyone; always against, and usually by a very narrow margin.

[DJAkuma]

Religion only factors into my vote if it factors into their politics. (I don't actually vote, though.)

I can't blame you for not voting, it doesn't seem like voting actually counts for anything in seattle anyway. Almost every day I wonder why I still live here and so far I haven't found any really good reasons but I'm too lazy to move somewhere that doesn't suck.

[terranus]

Here in Florida, I regularly vote for Mickey mouse - in multiple races. And I'm not the only one. In fact, Mickey Mouse placed 3rd among all candidates for the 2008 US Presidential race here in FL.


Apparently someone even decided to capitalize on this phenomenon and make a website out of it, check it out:

http://www.mickeyforpresident.com/

[Asmodean]

I avoid voting for the only party in my country (of the larger ones, represented in circles of power) which has religion as a part of their political agenda.

I would not vote for a religious fundamentalist and most religious moderates because I like my leaders intelligent and/or sane, for the lack of better words, and most fundies and many moderates are, in my experience, lacking in either or both.

[The Magic Pudding]

I voted for a Christian the election before last, he named Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a major influence.
Looking at Bonhoeffer's wiki, I think I'd buy him drink.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer

[terranus]

To be fair, even if a political candidate is non-religious, I doubt he would ever admit it to the public (except for that one House Rep. from CA, can't remember the name). So really, the only people I tend to vote against when it comes to religous beliefs are those who bring up their beliefs without ever being asked or forced to.

[grim-reaper]

Unfortunately in the U.S. nearly all serious candidates in elections are Christians. So it's often a matter of choosing the lesser evil. Since Fundie/Tea-party types usually are the greater evil, I always vote against them if there is a reasonable alternative.

[fester30]

I always vote against the party in power.  Several years ago I voted against Republicans, and last year I voted against Democrats.  I always vote with the goal of getting the House and Senate to even.  As for the President, I just think about who I think could best handle the responsibilities of the position, not about their politics.  I voted for Mickey Mouse for President last time, and I'm not from Florida.  I believe a deadlocked congress finds it more difficult to restrict the rights of the people.

[terranus]

I believe a deadlocked congress finds it more difficult to restrict the rights of the people.

A deadlocked congress finds it more difficult to do anything. Seriously, these past few congresses have been about as productive as an office worker with a hangover at 8am on Monday morning.

I didn't used to be so much in line with the Democrats - I was pretty much the definition of an independent/swing voter. But ever since the advent of the Tea Party and the anti-moderate/centrist movement going on in the Republican Party...I would sooner shoot my pecker off then vote Republican any more.