If the presidential election were tomorrow...

themosthappy91

...who would you vote for?

ETA: GAH apparently you can only list ten options, so I guess just write in a comment if you'd vote for one of the others? I wish I'd known there was a limit of ten before I accidentally posted this, I would have included the 10 "most likely" candidates in the actual poll.

They are: 

Ben Carson

Jim Gilmore

Lindsey Graham

Mike Huckabee

Bobby Jindal

John Kasich

George Pataki

Rand Paul

Rick Perry

Marco Rubio

Rick Santorum

Scott Walker

Jill Stein

Write-In Candidate

Wouldn't Vote

[Deleted User]

BERNIE SANDERS! #feeltheBern

ETA I wI'll be watching this straw pole closely.

kimmiinthemitten

I'm a Bern-er too!  So far, I'm very happy with the results of our official Knot Polling Center;).

madamerwin

FeeleyToBe said:

BERNIE SANDERS! #feeltheBern ETA I wI'll be watching this straw pole closely.

I love the bolded, and I'm not even a fan of hashtags.

chloe97

I'd be all about Bernie except that he has flat out opposed even very moderate gun violence prevention legislation. I feel strongly that we need to tighten our gun laws in this country. Hillary has also been great on the importance of investing in early childhood and other issues that I care deeply about.

hellohkb

Bernie Sanders or Jill Stein get me vote. I'd have to spend the night comparing their views side by side I guess!

cupcait927

Hillary Clinton for me!

madamerwin

I tentatively plan to vote Bernie in the primary (tentatively because who the fuck knows what will happen in the next 9 months). But if Hilary beats him, I would vote for her in the general election.

Side note, I really wish the US would do instant runoff voting for presidential elections... If you're not familiar, here's a link that can explain it better than I can: http://www.fairvote.org/reforms/instant-runoff-voting/how-instant-runoff-voting-works/

themosthappy91

Okay, who voted for Donald? I have to ask... and if you're serious and not just fucking with us, I'm genuinely curious to know why.  

sparklepants41

Not that this is likely to happen, but it would be great to see Bernie & Hillary on the same ticket together.

Maggie0829

Mickey Mouse

climbingsingle

Please tell me that someone voted for Trump as a joke. 

pinkcow13

I really want to know who voted for Trump. Reveal yourselves!

thisismynickname2

Rand Paul. However! I completely disagree with his whole crusade against Planned Parenthood. I don't know what he was thinking. But the reality of politics is you're unlikely to agree 100% with any one candidate, and his huge PP mistake aside, I'm on board with his politics. I'm Libertarian.

And yeah, Donald Trump? I'm aghast. I have to believe there's some weird GOP conspiracy to put him up front in the media to distract us all from everything else going on in the world. This can't be real. 

I do think Bernie Sanders has his heart in the right place, but no idea how he intends to pay for all his policy proposals. 

KatWAG

Probably Jeb Bush.

OP, you should add Joe Biden to your list of options.

[Deleted User]

sparklepants41 said:

Not that this is likely to happen, but it would be great to see Bernie & Hillary on the same ticket together.

Sanders / Waren!

AprilH81

I voted Ted Cruz on the poll, but honestly I would vote any Rebublican over the a Democrat.

AprilH81

thisismynickname said:

Rand Paul. However! I completely disagree with his whole crusade against Planned Parenthood. I don't know what he was thinking. But the reality of politics is you're unlikely to agree 100% with any one candidate, and his huge PP mistake aside, I'm on board with his politics. I'm Libertarian.

And yeah, Donald Trump? I'm aghast. I have to believe there's some weird GOP conspiracy to put him up front in the media to distract us all from everything else going on in the world. This can't be real. 

I do think Bernie Sanders has his heart in the right place, but no idea how he intends to pay for all his policy proposals. 

More likely a Democratic ploy... Every vote he gets splits the Republican party further and if he runs as a third party candidate that hands the election to the Democrats. Trump may be "conservative" on immigration but everything else he is liberal or has changed his mind so many time it is hard to tell.

sparklepants41

FeeleyToBe said:

Not that this is likely to happen, but it would be great to see Bernie & Hillary on the same ticket together.

Sanders / Waren!

YES!!!!!

kkitkat79

AprilH81 said:

I voted Ted Cruz on the poll, but honestly I would vote any Rebublican over the a Democrat.

I am curious whether you would vote for a Republican because you think they'll be more fiscally conservative. If that's the case you might want to look into it a bit further. Despite what one might think Obama's record is mu ch much better than Bush's when it comes to cutting government spending.  Check this out:

 

Updated:

 

Source

kimmiinthemitten

AprilH81 said:

thisismynickname said:

Rand Paul. However! I completely disagree with his whole crusade against Planned Parenthood. I don't know what he was thinking. But the reality of politics is you're unlikely to agree 100% with any one candidate, and his huge PP mistake aside, I'm on board with his politics. I'm Libertarian.

And yeah, Donald Trump? I'm aghast. I have to believe there's some weird GOP conspiracy to put him up front in the media to distract us all from everything else going on in the world. This can't be real. 

I do think Bernie Sanders has his heart in the right place, but no idea how he intends to pay for all his policy proposals. 

More likely a Democratic ploy... Every vote he gets splits the Republican party further and if he runs as a third party candidate that hands the election to the Democrats. Trump may be "conservative" on immigration but everything else he is liberal or has changed his mind so many time it is hard to tell.

e I think he's a Clinton beard and he's egotistical enough to run for the fun of it to help someone else. He's also the epitome of why the GOP has a hard time recruiting new/young voters with his racist, sexist rants. His polling success legitimizes the bad stereotypes of republican voters and hurts the party overall. I mean why is a presidential candidate discussing Heidi Klums looks and being celebrated for it?

AprilH81

kkitkat79 said:

AprilH81 said:

I voted Ted Cruz on the poll, but honestly I would vote any Rebublican over the a Democrat.

I am curious whether you would vote for a Republican because you think they'll be more fiscally conservative. If that's the case you might want to look into it a bit further. Despite what one might think Obama's record is mu ch much better than Bush's when it comes to cutting government spending.  Check this out:

 

Updated:

 

Source

It isn't just spending for me (although that plays a part). 

First, Hillary Clinton is mired in scandals (Benghazi, email gate, issues with the Clinton Foundation, outrageous speaking fees, being fired from the Watergate investigation for lying and then the pesky little bit about people close to the Clintons dying in violent ways).

Second, Bernie Sanders admits he is a socialist and while I admire his honesty we are not a socialist country and the biggest problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money to spend/give away.

The current Republican field has its issues, there isn't a "perfect candidate".  I vote economics before social issues, and I want low taxes, low government involvement in my live (via fewer regulations) and less dependency on the government by US citizens.

I'm not against the various assistance programs, I'm against the generational abuse where the government is the primary means of support for generations of the same family.  And before people start jumping all over me for my "white privilege" both of my parents grew up dirt poor and my Mom had an abusive step-father.  I'm talking no money to buy tampons and no running water in the house poor.

kkitkat79

AprilH81 said:

It isn't just spending for me (although that plays a part). 

First, Hillary Clinton is mired in scandals (Benghazi, email gate, issues with the Clinton Foundation, outrageous speaking fees, being fired from the Watergate investigation for lying and then the pesky little bit about people close to the Clintons dying in violent ways).

Second, Bernie Sanders admits he is a socialist and while I admire his honesty we are not a socialist country and the biggest problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money to spend/give away.

The current Republican field has its issues, there isn't a "perfect candidate".  I vote economics before social issues, and I want low taxes, low government involvement in my live (via fewer regulations) and less dependency on the government by US citizens.

I'm not against the various assistance programs, I'm against the generational abuse where the government is the primary means of support for generations of the same family.  And before people start jumping all over me for my "white privilege" both of my parents grew up dirt poor and my Mom had an abusive step-father.  I'm talking no money to buy tampons and no running water in the house poor.

No one is going to give you that. Both parties want to be involved as much as possible and spend as much as possible. The only difference is what they spend on. 

Would you be in favor of cutting down military spending by a lot?

AprilH81

kkitkat79 said:

AprilH81 said:

It isn't just spending for me (although that plays a part). 

First, Hillary Clinton is mired in scandals (Benghazi, email gate, issues with the Clinton Foundation, outrageous speaking fees, being fired from the Watergate investigation for lying and then the pesky little bit about people close to the Clintons dying in violent ways).

Second, Bernie Sanders admits he is a socialist and while I admire his honesty we are not a socialist country and the biggest problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money to spend/give away.

The current Republican field has its issues, there isn't a "perfect candidate".  I vote economics before social issues, and I want low taxes, low government involvement in my live (via fewer regulations) and less dependency on the government by US citizens.

I'm not against the various assistance programs, I'm against the generational abuse where the government is the primary means of support for generations of the same family.  And before people start jumping all over me for my "white privilege" both of my parents grew up dirt poor and my Mom had an abusive step-father.  I'm talking no money to buy tampons and no running water in the house poor.

No one is going to give you that. Both parties want to be involved as much as possible and spend as much as possible. The only difference is what they spend on. 

Would you be in favor of cutting down military spending by a lot?

kkitkat79 said:

AprilH81 said:

It isn't just spending for me (although that plays a part). 

First, Hillary Clinton is mired in scandals (Benghazi, email gate, issues with the Clinton Foundation, outrageous speaking fees, being fired from the Watergate investigation for lying and then the pesky little bit about people close to the Clintons dying in violent ways).

Second, Bernie Sanders admits he is a socialist and while I admire his honesty we are not a socialist country and the biggest problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money to spend/give away.

The current Republican field has its issues, there isn't a "perfect candidate".  I vote economics before social issues, and I want low taxes, low government involvement in my live (via fewer regulations) and less dependency on the government by US citizens.

I'm not against the various assistance programs, I'm against the generational abuse where the government is the primary means of support for generations of the same family.  And before people start jumping all over me for my "white privilege" both of my parents grew up dirt poor and my Mom had an abusive step-father.  I'm talking no money to buy tampons and no running water in the house poor.

No one is going to give you that. Both parties want to be involved as much as possible and spend as much as possible. The only difference is what they spend on. 

Would you be in favor of cutting down military spending by a lot?

They both spend, but the Republicans tend to spend less. Yes, I'm in favor of cutting military spending. I'm not an expert, but I'm sure there is a way to keep a strong military and national defense without spending the amount of money we do. I know the RFP process is supposed to make sure the government gets the best price for goods possible, but we all hear about the $1,000 toilet seat and other absurd stories. I also think the Department of Education can be cut WAY back (if not eliminated all together). Education can be handled on a state level in a way to suit the students in that state. What works for Florida may not work for California or Ohio.

STARMOON44

Wait, @AprilH218 so you think the Clintons' are, like, having people murdered? Like, you actually just suggested one of your reasons for not voting for Hillary is a weird conspiracy theory of violent deaths?

Every time I remind myself that there are lots of lovely totally sane Republicans y'all go proving me wrong again.

AprilH81

STARMOON44 said:

Wait, @AprilH218 so you think the Clintons' are, like, having people murdered? Like, you actually just suggested one of your reasons for not voting for Hillary is a weird conspiracy theory of violent deaths? Every time I remind myself that there are lots of lovely totally sane Republicans y'all go proving me wrong again.

No, I don't think that they are murdering people. I'm just saying that there is a fairly lengthy list of friends and coworkers who are dead by violent/suspicious means.

STARMOON44

AprilH81 said:

STARMOON44 said:

Wait, @AprilH218 so you think the Clintons' are, like, having people murdered? Like, you actually just suggested one of your reasons for not voting for Hillary is a weird conspiracy theory of violent deaths?

Every time I remind myself that there are lots of lovely totally sane Republicans y'all go proving me wrong again.

No, I don't think that they are murdering people. I'm just saying that there is a fairly lengthy list of friends and coworkers who are dead by violent/suspicious means.


And? Either you're somehow blaming these deaths on the Clintons or no. Frankly, that argument makes everything else you have to say sound unhinged. Right. You're just saying people close to them just happen to die. It's not a psycho conspiracy theory at all, you just don't understand why you can't see the whole birth certificate in long form.

kkitkat79

@AprilH218, i don't mean to put you on the spot, but why do you think Republicans tend to spend less? The graphs I posted show that under Obama government spending decreased while it increased under both Reagan and Bush Jr. And I think there was a surplus under Clinton. So evidence, at least recent, does not seem to support the claim that Republicans tend to spend less.

I'll take it even further. If both houses and presidency will go to the same party spending will increase astronomically no matter which party it is. And my guess it will increase more under republicans. Their pet projects are EXPENSIVE! 

themosthappy91

KatWAG said:

Probably Jeb Bush.

OP, you should add Joe Biden to your list of options.

I decided to limit it to just people who have officially declared their candidacy, though I would be interested in how many people would support him over Clinton or Sanders.

I also have to address the PP who brought up generational "abuse" of welfare- you do get that what you're describing is the cycle of poverty, right? Comparing yourself as a person from a poor white background to a person of color from a poor background is absurd. As a poor white you are more likely to find landlords who will accept you as a tenant, more likely to be hired, more likely to be promoted, more likely to be accepted to college more likely to be awarded scholarships to attend college- all the things that make it even remotely possible to pull yourself out of poverty. It is infinitely easier for white people to escape poverty than racial minorities.

ETA: Now we have TWO Trump votes- I promise I'm not trying to fight with you, I seriously just want to know what you like about him!

STARMOON44

themosthappy91 said:

KatWAG said:

Probably Jeb Bush.

OP, you should add Joe Biden to your list of options.

I decided to limit it to just people who have officially declared their candidacy, though I would be interested in how many people would support him over Clinton or Sanders.

I also have to address the PP who brought up generational "abuse" of welfare- you do get that what you're describing is the cycle of poverty, right? Comparing yourself as a person from a poor white background to a person of color from a poor background is absurd. As a poor white you are more likely to find landlords who will accept you as a tenant, more likely to be hired, more likely to be promoted, more likely to be accepted to college more likely to be awarded scholarships to attend college- all the things that make it even remotely possible to pull yourself out of poverty. It is infinitely easier for white people to escape poverty than racial minorities.

ETA: Now we have TWO Trump votes- I promise I'm not trying to fight with you, I seriously just want to know what you like about him!

Less likely to have had family members murdered by the police, less likely to have lost wealth through state sanctioned theft, less likely to be disenfranchised, less likely to be stopped or arrested.

Fran1985

STARMOON44 said:

AprilH81 said:

STARMOON44 said:

Wait, @AprilH218 so you think the Clintons' are, like, having people murdered? Like, you actually just suggested one of your reasons for not voting for Hillary is a weird conspiracy theory of violent deaths?

Every time I remind myself that there are lots of lovely totally sane Republicans y'all go proving me wrong again.

No, I don't think that they are murdering people. I'm just saying that there is a fairly lengthy list of friends and coworkers who are dead by violent/suspicious means.

And? Either you're somehow blaming these deaths on the Clintons or no. Frankly, that argument makes everything else you have to say sound unhinged. Right. You're just saying people close to them just happen to die. It's not a psycho conspiracy theory at all, you just don't understand why you can't see the whole birth certificate in long form.

I think this is really unfair and obviously not what April meant. She is simply saying that she is going to hold it against Hilary that her sworn blood enemies get violently murdered right after Hilary and Bills illuminati meetings with Donald trump and satanic rituals. Not saying that the Clinton's are responsible though.

Also maybe don't talk about white privlege if you have no idea what it is( hint- it's not beig rich)

But in a delicious bit of irony- can anyone name who was President when there were first reports of the thousand dollar toilet seats? The year was 1986....