My dad taught me that my job as a voter was “to hold your nose and vote” for the least offensive candidate. He implied that all candidates would be offensive at some level.
Now The Electorate is much more sophisticated. This list shows the voting styles of the 21st Century voter. Which one are you?
Momentum Style
“We always vote the Y ticket.”
Sheep
“My boss/neighbor/priest/mail carrier said to vote for Candidate X.” (Baaa.)
Emotional
“I love Candidate X!” (Chris Mathews’s tingly feeling up the leg. Also why so many females voted for Bill Clinton.)
Similarity
“X is like me on most issues” (Rationalization of the emotional style.)
Pragmatic
“X is the best person for our specific problems.” (Assumes voter’s knowledge–facts not in evidence.)
Idealistic
“X is best for the country” (Assumes voter’s wisdom–also not in evidence.)
Self-Interest
“Who be given me my check?” (Easiest group to lampoon but probably the smartest, once you get passed the Ebonics.)
Electability
“Given the other party’s candidate, X is the one most likely to win for us.” (This is what happens when you watch too many polls on CNN. It is also the most “realistic” approach to the election process.)
Game Theory
“If we vote for Ron Paul, it would split the Republican vote and Obama will get elected again.” (Game over.)
Fatalistic Game Theory
“If we do not vote for Ron Paul, he will run anyway. That would split the Republican vote and Obama will get elected again.” (Game over.)
Utopian
“Then we will enter the Dark Ages. Welfare recipients will run loose in the land. Eventually–100 years or so–a new age will dawn. Then we will all do the right thing, all of the time. Government as we know it will become unnecessary and cease to exist.” (Of course this is Heaven, meaning we are all dead.)
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