The fact that it is so personal is probably why I fluctuate.
I am a mix of conservative and liberal, with a strong dose of libertarian. I voted for Bush (please wait while I duck for cover), mostly because I couldn't stomach Kerry in any shape or form, and Gore lost me when he wore too much blush and walked over to Bush to stare at him during a debate. The man seemed to have no idea who he was. I still think that was the oddest thing I ever saw. But I digress.
This admix has usually meant a vote for conservatives for me, but with the rise of pre-emption policy, and the spending insanity, and the fact that our medical insurance is in dreadful shape (companies are unable to afford full care while employees are demanding it), the things I liked about the party disappeared (small govt, low taxes, etc). People were negative about their country, the economy, their lives. I was ready to gamble on that ideological switch in exchange for a country that was energized and hopeful again.
Then Obama with his seeming ability to bring together people, to inspire, to create that hope, appeared. That trumped a lot of things for me. Coupled with McCain sounding like Bush Redux militarily, I chose Obama. I think I was pretty clear that I wanted the Bush-Clinton era to END, and my first goal was to get Obama on the ticket and then deal with the decision.
The SC isn't the defining issue for me because I do tend to be more conservative.
Anyway, I realize I may appear to be a motley-ed, inconsistent person at times, but really, I am ruled internally by my own set of values, the hierarchy of which determines my vote.
Does that help? I realize it's a completely NON-political answer. |
