2008 Presidential Poll

[shadowkat]

[Poll #1141747]

Additional Questions -

1. If you were to pick one critical issue, what would it be?
2. Who was your favorite American President?
3. Who is your least favorite American President?
4. Who is your favorite world leader?
5. What Country would you like to live in and would feel safest in?
6. What criteria do you use when selecting a leader or President? What is most important?
Character? Ability? Background? Experience? If Experience - how much do they need?
7. How much weight do you put on what someone does or does not do in their personal life or non-public life? (ex. Cheats on their spouse. Smokes pot in college. Etc.)
8. Do you vote with your gut or your head?
9. Does it matter to you if the candidate is religious?
Does it matter if they have a wife/husband and kids?
10. To what extent does race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality affect your decision?
11. Experience? What do you consider the necessary amount or level of experience to do the job of President?

[My answers to the above are posted as response to this post]

Comments

My answers

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

1. If you were to pick one critical issue, what would it be?

Hard one. Right now - probably a tie between the economy and the environment - which I believe are linked. So is the War for that matter - which has a huge effect on both the environment and the economy.

2. Who was your favorite American President?

At the moment? Franklin Delanor Roosevelt

3. Who is your least favorite American President?

George W. Bush

4. Who is your favorite world leader?

Hmmm...I'm not sure I like anyone right now.

5. What Country would you like to live in and would feel safest in?

New Zealand or Canada, although feel more or less safe in the US (was tempted to do a poll to see how many people picked Canada).

6. What criteria do you use when selecting a leader or President? What is most important?
Character? Ability? Background? Experience? If Experience - how much do they need?

For me - it's a combo of character/philosophy/ability and experience.
I'm reluctant to push one above the others.
But, I do think experience is a determining factor and prefer someone with Senate to Governor or Mayor. Also, I'd put a greater weight on philosophy, ability and experience than character - since character tends to be more subjective.

7. How much weight do you put on what someone does or does not do in their personal life or non-public life? (ex. Cheats on their spouse. Smokes pot in college. Etc.)
Very little weight. They'd have to have done something that would or could have put them in jail for me to care.

8. Do you vote with your gut or your head?
a little bit of both

9. Does it matter to you if the candidate is religious? No, well wait - I care if they are evangelical or feel the need to impose their religious views on the rest of us.

Does it matter if they have a wife/husband and kids? Nope
10. To what extent does race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality affect your decision? None. Don't care if they are blue and have spots.

11. Experience? What do you consider the necessary amount or level of experience to do the job of President?

Should have done at least two terms of government service either as a senator, congressman, or governor - with a voting record. Prefer service in the Federal Government since it is different than the States. Both works really well - since you know the difference between the two and where they disagree.

your answers

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I like your answers...
1. I might just go w/the war at the moment.
2. FDR is a great choice
3. It is amazing to say, but I actually think George W. Bush has done more damage to this country than either Nixon or Reagan (and I seriously despise both of them).
4. I also have trouble thinking of any world leader I really admire, I kinda love Churchill, but I'm sure you meant someone current, and there are probably bad things about him I'm unaware of.
5. Canada
6. intelligence and a capability to listen to others and learn (not that I'm in any position to really know if any of them have these qualities).
7. very little weight
8. I hope with both
9. no, I don't have any great faith in religious people being any better than an atheist.
10. no, I don't care about this at all.
11. frankly I don't think someone rises to the point of being able to make a run for the Presidency without some experience. Oh you'll get some crack pots like Ralph Nader or Ross Perot, but very few voters will actually take them seriously. So in my opinion the ability to get votes is in itself a kind of verification of an ability to lead. JMPO

Re: your answers

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

No wonder we get along so beautifully.

Yeah, sigh, Nader. My brother voted for Nader.
Last year, I think he broke with tradition and voted for Kerry. I've been resisting getting into a political argument with my brother.

Like your answer to #6. "Capability to Listen" is a biggie. Very hard to do - listen to someone you don't agree with and be able to see their pov, yet incredibly vital in a leader - particularly one who has to deal with other leaders.

Heh, yeah, Churchill had his dark side. So did FDR, I found out recently or rather was reminded of by Obama of all people, in Obama's book. FDR approved the internment of Japanese and Italian Americans during WWII.
Far from perfect. And there were people who hated FDR much like we hate Bush, my grandparents did. I think it's the only time my grandmother voted - to vote against FDR.
When my parents first dated they'd have vehement debates about him. LOL! Yet, he's still my favorite - and he managed to pull off a difficult feat, turn the country around during a depression, ensure there wouldn't be another one, and aid England in WWII, even when we weren't supposed to be involved. (Sort of on the sly, until something happened major enough to convince Congress to vote for it.)

Re: your answers

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

Yeah, with all the wonderful things FDR did (and his national jobs initiative where they built roads, bridges, schools, libraries, and post offices across the country was tremendous), I'm afraid we cannot forget the horrors of the Japanese internment camps (striping citizens of their property and businesses without any evidence of any kind of wrong doing).

I do have to say, in your brother's defense, that there is a purpose and value in third parties. When the two parties become too much alike, taking money from the same lobbyists so that both parties are in the pockets of the same special interests, then third parties are the only way that citizens can voice their desire for change. Throughout the political process the two parties have done everything possible to legislate difficulties preventing third party candidates from getting on the ballot, and from getting matching funds. I really feel that one of the changes I would like to see in this country is to open up the process more, and make it easier to let dissenting voices be heard. My Father voted for Dick Gregory in 1968 because he was the only anti-war candidate (both Nixon and Humphrey were committed to continuing in Vietnam), and I have to respect that wasted vote.