Who has your vote as of 2/24/2016?

[Vince, Pt. II]

I picked the morons option mostly because of Ben's post above. I have absolutely no serious draw to any of them enough right now to definitively say "this guy (or gal), no matter what!"

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by molson

Or does he plan to attempt to use the executive power to release state prisoners or somehow retroactively invalidate state sentencing and drug laws?

Not likely, but from reading facebook and reddit, I think a lot of his supporters want him to.

I think even a liberal Supreme Court shuts him down on that one.

[molson]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

I think even a liberal Supreme Court shuts him down on that one.

Agreed, but, maybe he tries to push past that somehow?

Again, not likely, but I have no idea how far he's willing to go, and that's what scares me the most about Sanders. (same with anyone on the far right). Give me someone competent who can work within the system. Clinton is the obvious pick from that perspective.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

I have no idea how to answer this question, as I need to know how the system works before I decide how I want to game it. The answers for me would be different, depending on if you're saying...

1. ...in the fictional 7-person race set up here. (Would look at the polls and decide which one with a chance of winning would most closely match my agenda. And if the fictional 7-person race used the Electoral College, that would be purely NC-based.)

or

2. ...assuming the candidate I like is the nominee for his/her party. (In that case, it would depend on who that person is facing and how the race in NC is looking.)

or

3. ...in some fantasy world that doesn't exist where I simply vote for the person I like the most from one of the two major parties, irrespective of their ability to win. (In that case, I'd have to look at the candidates again with that in mind. I *think* the answer to that now if I'm forced to choose between these clowns would be Kasich, though at one point it was Rubio. But by far in this scenario it's "none of the above.")

In all cases, it could also change if Obama is able to get Scalia replaced before the election.

General comment that may explain all of the above: it absolutely boggles my mind that in virtually every poll I've seen so far from both parties' primary voters, the ceiling for "can win" in the "most important candidate quality" has been only around 25%. When I vote in a primary, I'm looking to pick candidate that can win above all else.

I was going more for which currently active candidate are you rooting for? Almost like a playoff situation. Maybe your favorite team is already gone. Who are you rooting for out of the teams that are left in contention?

I care more about the issues that Sanders cares about, but I do think Hillary has a higher chance of winning and being a successful President. But for now, I'm rooting for Sanders. When the time comes, I'll jump over to Hillary.

[MizzouRah]

3 Mizzou related members voted Trump.

[Kodos]

Missouri loves Trump-any.

[BillJasper]

Holding my nose and voting for Clinton. I agree with Sanders on quite a bit, but because we share views doesn't mean he's a capable leader.

[TroyF]

I pretty much despise every single candidate on that list. Seriously, Sanders is probably the only one I don't outright hate and I just think he's naive.

Every four years I think to myself: This is the single worst group of candidates I have ever voted for and every four years it seems to get worse.

[nol]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Every four years I think to myself: This is the single worst group of candidates I have ever voted for and every four years it seems to get worse.

In the medical community, the term for this is 'getting old.'

[Young Drachma]

As usual, will throw my vote away on some third party candidate who no one has heard of, despite having been a lifelong registered Republican.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I was going more for which currently active candidate are you rooting for? Almost like a playoff situation. Maybe your favorite team is already gone. Who are you rooting for out of the teams that are left in contention?

I guess I'm so over the whole thing that I literally don't even think in those terms any more. I do want certain policies implemented and all of that, but I tend to look at elections on a more "was that a good or bad move for candidate x" basis.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by molson

Give me someone competent who can work within the system. Clinton is the obvious pick from that perspective.

Is that based on anything she has done or your opinion of the job Bill did as POTUS?

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

...your opinion of the job Bill did as POTUS?

My opinion. Hoping she learned more about governing from him than she did about campaigning.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

My opinion. Hoping she learned more about governing from him than she did about campaigning.

Vastly different skill set there though.

He could teach her stuff all day and she could learn the theory but lacks the skills to implement much of it in the way he did.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

I guess I'm so over the whole thing that I literally don't even think in those terms any more. I do want certain policies implemented and all of that, but I tend to look at elections on a more "was that a good or bad move for candidate x" basis.

Is it weird that I actually tend to do both?

Never mind, it's a rhetorical question, of course it's weird.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Missouri loves Trump-any.

Clever.

[larrymcg421]

I actually think the criticisms of her campaigning are a bit overblown. She plans for the general a bit early and that killed her in 2008 against a superstar candidate, but it won't kill her this time. I'm interested in seeing how she campaigns in the general. She's set herself up well for it.

[Marc Vaughan]

Despite his right wing tendancies I'd be voting for Sanders ... fortunately for America I'm not a citizen and unable to vote ...

(Taxation without representation is a wonderful thing )

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

I selected Rubio, but will probably be voting for Gary Johnson; I'm hoping one day the Libertarian Party gets their magical 5%.

This might actually be a pretty good consolation prize in the (likely) event that the general election turns out to be grab bag of idiots.

[Warhammer]

Put Kasich in the poll, he and Rubio are my top two picks.

[Groundhog]

As an outsider, Sanders would get my vote because he's the only candidate that seems like a decent human being, or at least the candidate who could best portray one on TV.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I feel the same about Sanders voters.

That is the most frightening choice out there. How any educated person could vote for that idiot truly baffles me.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Missouri loves Trump-any.

Well done.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by nol

In the medical community, the term for this is 'getting old.'

Really, it isn't. I know that's what people will say, but it just isn't true. Especially when it comes to much of the current crop of candidates. The only 2 that would have been unknown to the 21 year old me are Rubio and Cruz.

The 21 year old me couldn't stand Hillary or Trump. My opinions of the two haven't changed a lot. It's looking a lot like that would be my two options and I've never had that degree of disgust before.

Honestly, I wonder if my 21 year old self would have even bothered to stay up with politics if those were the two candidates.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Missouri loves Trump-any.

Not bad..

[jbergey22]

Rubio, but Id take anyone but Sanders. Might as well just give up our super power status if we vote in Sanders.

[Alf]

Funny, all Mizzou guys voted Trump

[Alf]

dola, voted Trout as I'am an alien

[Edward64]

I know quite a few that I'm not going to vote for but haven't settled on one yet.

[Arles]

As of right now, I'd have to go with Hillary. She's a lot more pro business than people think and doesn't want to do anything drastic. I could be swayed to vote Rubio if he shows he can handle the job, but I don't have confidence in that at this point. Cruz vs. Sanders would be my hell. As much as Trump is a blowhard, he would atleast have a pretty smart set of people telling him what to do on policy. I think he would end up being pretty centrist. That said, there's no way I vote for him over Hillary. Here would be my preference:

Hillary
.
Rubio
.
.
.
.
Trump
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cruz
.
.
.
.
(infinity)
Sanders

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Arles

As of right now, I'd have to go with Hillary. She's a lot more pro business than people think and doesn't want to do anything drastic.

Heh. My facebook feed is filled with people who won't shut up about how pro-business Hillary is.

[flere-imsaho]

Republicans think she's an anti-business Commie, and Democrats think she's a corporate shill.

[cuervo72]

Yeah, that's not a plus for a lot of Dems exactly.

[heybrad]

Originally Posted by Arles

As of right now, I'd have to go with Hillary. She's a lot more pro business than people think and doesn't want to do anything drastic.

This is kinda where my head is at. It feels like voting for Hillary is a vote for the status quo. Not that i like the status quo, but I certainly don't like the other possibilities that are available.

[Solecismic]

I'm abstaining for now because it's a process. I don't think Hillary is pro-business. I'm not sure I want someone who is pro-anything, just someone who recognizes that most of job growth comes from small business. And that we have to reduce the deficit.

I don't trust Hillary for the same reason I don't trust Rubio. They appear to want to be President so badly that they seem to default to short, pandering statements. And I question Rubio's lack of experience for the same reason I questioned Obama's lack of experience eight years ago. I think Obama has been a terrible president.

Socialism is a non-starter for me.

Trumpism is a non-starter for me.

Cruz and Carson are ideologically too far to the right. While there are pieces of both I like, there are pieces of both I find absolutely incompatible with a free society (same with Sanders on the left). Counting on those pieces being blocked by the other side doesn't seem like a good strategy.

By default, I'm left with Kasich. So, if I'm voting today, do I vote for him? Maybe, but I'm probably more likely to throw my vote away on an independent. Kasich seems to want to argue people into calling him qualified, but he also seems peevish and less like a leader than many.

So I guess none of the above is the correct answer for me, but I really don't know what I'd do if I were in the voting booth, Kasich was on the card, and I felt my decision might matter.

[bronconick]

Hillary from lack of viable options. The Republicans in Congress have proven to me that they can't be trusted to wipe their asses correctly, much less run both branches of government. That means that they're all excluded. And Sanders is just too far out there to me.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I'm abstaining for now because it's a process. I don't think Hillary is pro-business. I'm not sure I want someone who is pro-anything, just someone who recognizes that most of job growth comes from small business. And that we have to reduce the deficit.

I guess what I was saying is she isn't as "anti-business" as the right is trying to paint her. If you are a democrat and don't have draconian anti-business plans - then you are essentially pro-business compared to your counterparts

I question Rubio's lack of experience for the same reason I questioned Obama's lack of experience eight years ago.

This is my fear with him as well.

By default, I'm left with Kasich. So, if I'm voting today, do I vote for him? Maybe, but I'm probably more likely to throw my vote away on an independent. Kasich seems to want to argue people into calling him qualified, but he also seems peevish and less like a leader than many.

I would consider Kasich, but I don't see him or Carson as being relevant enough to even worry about at this point. Neither has a chance to win the nomination. It comes down to Hillary, Bernie, Trump, Cruz and Rubio - and that's a pretty underwhelming set of options. My "hope" would be that Rubio catches fire to beat out Trump after consolidating the Bush/Christie/Kasich vote and Hillary beats out Bernie. At that point, I'd be able to tolerate either as president and could actually make a decision based on policies/experience/preference. Any other set of options and I feel that my choice is pretty much made out of fear of the other guy.