To Americans: Which party do you vote for, and what do you think of the partisanship?

[ThaHoward]

So yeah which party do oyu vote for? And with the current deadlock and polarized situation in the Congress and lack of compromise and middle are the Democrats, Republicans or both to blame for that?

PS: Don't vote for "other" on the questions about where you are in the spectrum from left to right. This is only for those who voted for the respective party. Other is just if a democrat and republican doesn't think they fit in the left to right, and it is not for non-democrats/republicans, neutrals or non americans.

Must say I'm quite impressed the Republicans have 2 votes in the first poll, but in the third they suddenly have 7 votes.. So please do not vote here if you did not vote for Republicans - otherwise you are ruining the poll. Same with democrats as they went from 5 votes in the first poll to 11 in the second. The second poll is only for democrats and the third is only for republicans. Those voting anything other than that than republican and democrat in the first poll can't vote for anything than "I dont vote for democrats" and "I don't vote for republicans"

And non americans can only answer the last question, sorry but for the questions above I am only interested in what avenites from USA think.

[Kellam]

I vote my concience and coming from the far left that often means green, socialist or independant. The two major parties dominate our political system in the u.s. but they aren't the only story. Politics creates partisanship and when two ideologies are alowed to dominate a system that power corupts and creates deadlock. Plain and simple. Personaly I believe in anarchy and tearing the system down. Since I can't do that with my vote most of the time I do it with my life. I try not to spend most of my life working for others. I shun the traps of property and wealth. And I try every day to live in a more responsible way. All political viewpoints have something to offer, it is when they are given power that they become abhorrent. I believe in people not systems.

[Nevyn]

You can register to vote without affiliating with a party depending on how your state law is set up. For instance in WV it's set up like this: (from http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/voterinformation/Pages/Political_Parties_FAQ.aspx#top )

• West Virginia has a "closed" primary, which means that people registered in one party cannot vote for candidates in another party. At the Primary Election, if you have listed a major party choice on your voter registration, you will be given the ballot of that major party. You will not have the right to receive the ballot of a different party.
• If you register with no party affiliation, you will be given a non-partisan ballot in the Primary Election. The political parties have the right to decide who may participate in their nominating processes.
• The Democratic, Mountain and Republican Parties allow any voter who is not registered with an official major party to request their ballot for the Primary Election, but you have to ask the poll workers for a particular party ballot.

[marki]

So far I've voted Democrat for most national elections. For state elections I have voted democrat and liberal. In Indiana I had to sign up as a democrat in order to allow me to vote in the primaries.

As to who is to blame for this mess we are in. Tea Party and other wacko super religious conservative groups are high on my list of people to blame. They do nothing to better the country, just sit around and moan and cry like a 2 year old who is throwing a tantrum because they can't get what they want. I honestly hope the Republican party ditches the religious aspect from their group. Some of the fiscal policy from Republicans isn't bad, and honestly if they were not so deeply involved with religion I wouldn't have an issue with them one bit.

Religion and lobby groups are the death of American government in my personal opinion.

[Squirrel Combat]

I'm not completely happy with either party. But at least the democrats have some brains and reasoning left.

I'm a Democratic voter.

[Nevyn]

So far I've voted Democrat for most national elections. For state elections I have voted democrat and liberal. In Indiana I had to sign up as a democrat in order to allow me to vote in the primaries.

As to who is to blame for this mess we are in. Tea Party and other wacko super religious conservative groups are high on my list of people to blame. They do nothing to better the country, just sit around and moan and cry like a 2 year old who is throwing a tantrum because they can't get what they want. I honestly hope the Republican party ditches the religious aspect from their group. Some of the fiscal policy from Republicans isn't bad, and honestly if they were not so deeply involved with religion I wouldn't have an issue with them one bit.

Religion and lobby groups are the death of American government in my personal opinion.

I agree with you here except I'd swap religion with campaign financing. We depserately need reform in these areas. Way too much private money floating around.

[Captain Darkhorse]

I really despise the dichotomy between our Congress (I'm American). Primaries are coming up in a week, and I always feel like I'm stuck picking the lesser of two evils. What I wouldn't do for a solid national third-party representation...

As for who is to blame for the current dysfunction, I don't entirely blame the Republicans and Tea party. Yes, I think their goal of disbanding government is ludicrous and their social policies make me want to cry, but the vast majority of the blame falls on the stupid asshats who voted them in. Those congresspeople only exist because the voting populace made a need for them to exist. Get rid of the people, get rid of the need.

In Illinois you have to register as either Republican, Democrat, or Independent. While you can register as an Independent, the DMV makes it a hassle to do so. I ended up just registering as a Democrat.

Funny story: my mom asked me if I would ever vote Republican, and I told her if I did to immediately declare me insane. They've lost their minds, and if I support them so have I.

Religion and lobby groups are the death of American government in my personal opinion.

I agree with you here except I'd swap religion with campaign financing. We depserately need reform in these areas. Way too much private money floating around.

Two words: Citizens United.

[Cimmerian]

Republicans and Tea party. Yes, I think their goal of disbanding government is ludicrous...

I'd just like to point out "disbanding the government" would be an anarchist goal, and is not within the stance of either the Republicans or Tea Party.

[Guest]

If I were American, I'd probably end up swing voting....

...between the Greens and the Socialists. :p

Much as I already do over here, only that the folks I vote for actually do end up in Parliament (though usually as part of the opposition).

[Geo]

I don't vote because I don't think either party deserves my vote. They're both pretty horrible. And 3rd parties are unfortunately a joke in this country.

I'm an ideological anarchist, but a practical libertarian. What that means is that I think any government is inherently bad, but I realize that in a real world situation anarchy is not really viable (people are too selfish not to have some kind of authority keeping them in check) and government is a necessary evil. In practice I think libertarianism is the least evil form of government,

[Guest]

What politician I favor isn't decided by what party they belong to, but what they actually stand for. Honestly, I think 99% of the people in either party are just the same. Greedy, money/power hungry politicians that make promises and are lucky to fulfill even 40% of them, but it's what they do to get votes. They rarely actually answer questions in debates, preferring to deflect and stick to their talking points. So, a politician I actually like is few and far between and it's usually a "lesser of two evils" situation. We really need more than two parties in this country, but due to the funding imbalance, voting for anything other than democrat or republican is just a wasted vote.

I do tend to lean left though.

[Captain Darkhorse]

Republicans and Tea party. Yes, I think their goal of disbanding government is ludicrous...

I'd just like to point out "disbanding the government" would be an anarchist goal, and is not within the stance of either the Republicans or Tea Party.

The phrase was poorly-worded. "Their" referred to Tea Party, not Republicans (who, as you said, do not want to eliminate the government). And the Tea Party does want to disband the government, but only at the federal level. Well, "disband" is the wrong word. But there's no word for "reduce until functionally incapable". Says so on their page.

[marki]

The tea party has been a real bane for many republicans. I actually hope they split and take all the wacky religious aspect of the GOP with them....I'd love to see republicans be like they were long ago before they were taken over by those groups....they might honestly be a decent party!

I like south park when randy makes the "Pissed off and angry" party!

[Geoff]

I don't vote. I go with the Russell Brand "There's no way to vote conscientiously in a system that's so fundamentally messed up" ideology. Both sides are horrible. There shouldn't even be such clearly-defined sides, let alone that they're constantly vying for dominance ("NO IT'S MINE!!!") even when compromise would infinitely benefit the country and its citizens in every way imaginable. The USA government right now is a scrapheap, a basket-case...I get bitter just thinking about it.

Why do we continue to allow children to run our lives like this?!

[Guest]

My view is that political parties have caused too much of a divide in the nation. They try to support their own extreme ideas rather than find practical midground.

Hence, I flop back and forth between mildly democratic and mildly republican, remaining mostly neutral.

Whenever someone asks me my political views, I say, "I am Switzerland."

[JAKQ7111]

I am a registered Democrat, but I am not in favor of either party, to be honest. I find that the Dems are the 'lesser of two evils' for the most part, but I disagree with them as well on many things. I have some Libertarian tendencies, especially on issues of foreign policy, and agree with the Green Party's stances on environmental care for the most part, but I can't find one party that I totally align with, so I go with the one that is likely to win with my help and that doesn't make me feel dirty for supporting. My political views as a whole are very complicated, and do not align with any party nor do they fit into any political system that I know of.

Basically, my ideal form of government is an Athenian democracy with an immutable bill of rights, so that the majority cannot strip away anyone's human rights with a mere vote, but any one person/group does not have any sort of artificial authority over others. Everyone gets an equal say in making the laws.

[Astrochelonian]

I chose "other" for party affiliation, but I am independent, rather than specifically voting for a different party. I choose the candidate I think is best, and that has at various times been a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Green party candidate. I like the website votesmart.org because it is an independent website that tries to assess where candidates stand on issues, their voting records, their campaign contributions, and their ratings from various political groups, so I as a voter can make an informed decision. Unfortunately, my vote counts for very little, and I think the two-party system is inherently flawed.

[Braydin]

Religion and lobby groups are the death of American government in my personal opinion.

Gerrymandering deserves a mention.

[Guest member25959]

I'm not American, but I usually sympathize with the Democracts

[ThaHoward]

I symphatized with the libertarians. Even campaigned for them :p But I do believe that the democrats have been the better choice over the republicans in many elections. Especially Obama vs. McCain and Palin.

[marki]

Well anything was better than Palin....I'd have voted for an old shoe instead of her, because chances are that shoe had better understanding of foreign policy !

[ThaHoward]

Yes indeed. McCain wasn't that good either, but at least he was not a wacko. But it was the danger of him dying too due to old age. Then Palin would have become President. And the first female U.S President too! How ironic :lol:

[marki]

Haha...wow she would have been the death of the roman empire.....I kind of feel like the US is in that phase right now....we all know we are failing and yet it doesn't feel like anything is being done to stop it!

[Mona Lisa]

I don't like the wording of this poll. It assumes that everyone votes along party lines, which is irresponsible behavior and one reason why bipartisan conflict is hurting this country.

If someone has a good idea, but they're from the wrong party, the inclination is to ignore their ideas or find reasons to object. Why do you think Congress is always in a gridlock? If you compromise with the other party, you're backing down on your ideals! They fight uncompromisingly for their party and constituencies and by doing so fail their entire country. Gridlock is the fault of EVERY lawmaker who refuses to negotiate, Democrats and Republicans alike.

I vote for a candidate based on their track record, ideology, personality, moral character, stance on issues and fitness for the position; the party they are in is of little consequence to me. That they generally happen to be Democrats is mostly because they tend to align with my progressive social ideals, but I will vote for a Republican candidate if I deem them more suitable. I'm moderate to slightly left-leaning, but consider myself an independent, not a Democrat or a Republican.

[Guest]

I don't like the wording of this poll. It assumes that everyone votes along party lines, which is irresponsible behavior and one reason why bipartisan conflict is hurting this country.

If someone has a good idea, but they're from the wrong party, the inclination is to ignore their ideas or find reasons to object. Why do you think Congress is always in a gridlock? If you compromise with the other party, you're backing down on your ideals! They fight uncompromisingly for their party and constituencies and by doing so fail their entire country. Gridlock is the fault of EVERY lawmaker who refuses to negotiate, Democrats and Republicans alike.

I vote for a candidate based on their track record, ideology, personality, moral character, stance on issues and fitness for the position; the party they are in is of little consequence to me. That they generally happen to be Democrats is mostly because they tend to align with my progressive social ideals, but I will vote for a Republican candidate if I deem them more suitable. I'm moderate to slightly left-leaning, but consider myself an independent, not a Democrat or a Republican.

Sadly, that's the realities of party systems, even outside the US. Around here, even with a functioning multi-party system (with coalition politics and all that jazz), any politician who "dares show the gall" of not voting with their party in important matters will probably make national headlines... just as it will when a faction speaker states before any such important vote that "for this specific matter, there will be no Fraktionszwang in their party" (that word literally translates as factional coercion. Scary how honestly that one's worded.).

Sucks ass, but that's how it is. -_-

[ThaHoward]

I don't like the wording of this poll. It assumes that everyone votes along party lines, which is irresponsible behavior and one reason why bipartisan conflict is hurting this country.

If someone has a good idea, but they're from the wrong party, the inclination is to ignore their ideas or find reasons to object. Why do you think Congress is always in a gridlock? If you compromise with the other party, you're backing down on your ideals! They fight uncompromisingly for their party and constituencies and by doing so fail their entire country. Gridlock is the fault of EVERY lawmaker who refuses to negotiate, Democrats and Republicans alike.

I vote for a candidate based on their track record, ideology, personality, moral character, stance on issues and fitness for the position; the party they are in is of little consequence to me. That they generally happen to be Democrats is mostly because they tend to align with my progressive social ideals, but I will vote for a Republican candidate if I deem them more suitable. I'm moderate to slightly left-leaning, but consider myself an independent, not a Democrat or a Republican.

Then your vote is "other" :) Nothing more fancy than that. And the poll is made up like this for a reason.

I don't like the wording of this poll. It assumes that everyone votes along party lines, which is irresponsible behavior and one reason why bipartisan conflict is hurting this country.

If someone has a good idea, but they're from the wrong party, the inclination is to ignore their ideas or find reasons to object. Why do you think Congress is always in a gridlock? If you compromise with the other party, you're backing down on your ideals! They fight uncompromisingly for their party and constituencies and by doing so fail their entire country. Gridlock is the fault of EVERY lawmaker who refuses to negotiate, Democrats and Republicans alike.

I vote for a candidate based on their track record, ideology, personality, moral character, stance on issues and fitness for the position; the party they are in is of little consequence to me. That they generally happen to be Democrats is mostly because they tend to align with my progressive social ideals, but I will vote for a Republican candidate if I deem them more suitable. I'm moderate to slightly left-leaning, but consider myself an independent, not a Democrat or a Republican.

Sadly, that's the realities of party systems, even outside the US. Around here, even with a functioning multi-party system (with coalition politics and all that jazz), any politician who "dares show the gall" of not voting with their party in important matters will probably make national headlines... just as it will when a faction speaker states before any such important vote that "for this specific matter, there will be no Fraktionszwang in their party" (that word literally translates as factional coercion. Scary how honestly that one's worded.).

Sucks ass, but that's how it is. -_-

But because of that multi party system no party get over 50% of the votes alone except for some exceptins. That means that the two-three or more parties that form a coalition need to compromise to just form a government. So it is not comparable.

[eable2]

"The right wing is united by racism, sexism, and homophobia. The left wing is divided by racism, sexism, and homophobia." -I forget

[AdiaAir]

i see the whole thing as a massive distraction and an illusion of choice

[Hikuroi]

I don't vote for any specific side or party. I think we need more than two to actually be considered realistically for presidency and government positions.

[LatitudeAmpere]

I always vote anarchist, except in local elections which are pretty important to me, where I vote more democraty.