Profile for icebar - How do you vote for president?

icebar aka is a 22.24 year old girl, has been a member since August 23, 2006, has scored 827 submissions, giving an average score of 4.52, helping 73 designs get printed.

Jan 30 '08 by icebar
52 Comments
Watch this
Share:

How do you vote for president?

I'm not asking how you fill in the ballot, or how you select a party.
I would just like to know, since hopefully I will soon be voting in my first election, what I should look for in my preferred candidate.
Should it be someone who I think will benefit me personally, or the country as a whole?
I really have no idea what the correct way to chose someone is... I've just gotten all confused.
Can you discuss this so I understand it better?
Sounds like a stupid question but I think people have differing views...
I think most in the U.S. seem like they only care about their own lives, but maybe they also think about others in the country.
I don't know............

Page:

1 2

KaylaFOZB on Jan 30 '08 at 3:55pm

eenie, meenie, miney, mo...

KaylaFOZB on Jan 30 '08 at 3:58pm

in all seriousness, i try to pick one that appears to share the most beliefs, ideas, and values as i do. sometimes that is hard to determine, but watching the debates and some reading helps.

glassbooth.com is a site that will help you learn a little more about who you line up with, but don't trust the survey alone. do more research than just a survey.

travis76 on Jan 30 '08 at 3:59pm

i vote by the bulge in the candidate's pants.

(insert hillary joke here)

seriously though, as much as i can care because none of it really matters or can be changed, i like the way things are going now with obama and mcCain. i'd take either. both have dignity and class, and we've had a complete void of that in our prez for 8 years now, so...

Lhiiiz on Jan 30 '08 at 3:59pm

Pictures on a dart board and a blindfold.

People usually think their personal views are what's best for the country...I think that's how most people vote...

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 4:02pm

I guess it has a lot to do with what I think is the most important quality in a president at this particular time in history. Right now, to me, that's someone who is not a religious zealot (religion is fine, but doesn't want to bring his religion into policy) and someone who can represent us a bit better than has been done in the past eight years ... aka ... can form a sentence.

travis76 on Jan 30 '08 at 4:03pm

obama and mcCain can both SPEAK, and seem to actually deal with people as people, not underlings.

icebar on Jan 30 '08 at 4:03pm

when i took glassbooth 2 different times it gave me very different results... i'll wait until november is closer and take it a final time and go by that/any other info i have learned.

i'm basically asking what's the moral or right way to vote.

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 4:04pm

I don't think there's a moral or right way to vote. As long as you're educated, whatever way works for you is right.

ObnoxiousMute on Jan 30 '08 at 4:05pm

i have the fear that obama is going to pull the "black power" card.

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 4:07pm

Obama doesn't really talk about his race - the other candidates have done enough of that.

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 4:07pm

er, the other candidates and their spouses, I should say.

noodlezoop on Jan 30 '08 at 4:15pm

icebar, I agree with ianrose on this. Figure out what's important to you to see in a candidate, whether it's your personal interests or what you think would benefit others, and vote based on that. Just be honest with yourself.

Listen, read, and watch as much of the candidates' public statements as you can. I've found Project Vote Smart to be very helpful with that. When candidates have previous experience in office, check up on their voting records (to make sure that they do as they claim...if not, find out why).

noodlezoop on Jan 30 '08 at 4:19pm

I also find it helps to be evasive when people ask me who I will vote for in the future or who I have voted for in the past. "What is the point of having a secret ballot if you tell everyone? That is not much of a secret!" I say.

icebar on Jan 30 '08 at 4:51pm

thanks for your comments!

helo on Jan 30 '08 at 5:07pm

I'm persuaded that you should vote for what's best for the

nation before what's best for you and you will actually

being voting for what's best for you in the long run

since you're included in the nation you're trying to

help with your vote.

Figuring out what's best for a nation is a WHOLE other

topic that humanity been engaged in since we formed

groups.

AsStarsGoOut on Jan 30 '08 at 5:08pm

i vote for who's cutest.

shakethesheets on Jan 30 '08 at 5:55pm

ianrose - Obama maybe doesn't talk much about race out in the open, but he's done a hell of a job trying to paint the Clintons as racist.

shakethesheets on Jan 30 '08 at 5:57pm

And vote what's best for you or what's best for the country. If you're struggling this much, at least you're putting thought into it. And if someone doesn't speak to you as the obvious choice, you can just vote for who you think would make the best president or who you agree with on the most important issues. What matters is that you're taking different things into consideration and will be an educated voter.

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 5:59pm

Shakes - I think there are a couple of different ways to look at the whole race thing between the Clintons and Obama ... frankly, I'm just glad it's somewhat blown over, because it was bad for everyone. The nastier the infighting between Obama and Clinton (either Clinton), the better for the Republicans.

shakethesheets on Jan 30 '08 at 6:02pm

Right now, I think the Republicans are only looking at Hillary as their opponent. I wonder if it's because they think she will be or because they want to tear her down and face Obama instead.

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 6:04pm

I think they're definitely more comfortable with Hillary, if only because she's been the most likely candidate and they've had her in their sights for so long. If you believe the poll numbers, they should be tearing her down, because she looks more likely to beat them than Obama does.

shakethesheets on Jan 30 '08 at 6:08pm

Yeah, I find it interesting, though. I personally prefer Hillary but think Obama is likely more electable.

ianrose on Jan 30 '08 at 6:10pm

I think Obama is more of an X factor - I think he is capable of surprising them. Whether you like Hillary or not, one thing she is not is surprising. You pretty much know what you're getting.

BlameTheSuburbs on Jan 30 '08 at 6:14pm

According to theorists of liberalism like John Rawls, and many other people who like to talk about republicanism and citizenship and that stuff in an abstract way, citizens should always vote according to what they think would be best for the country as though they were not a self-interested individual but a politician responsible to his/her constituency.

shakethesheets on Jan 30 '08 at 7:04pm

I agree, you know what you're getting with Hillary. My issue with Obama is that while there's a possibility of more upside with him because he isn't 'corrupted by years in the system,' you really have no idea what you're getting and he could be much worse.

icebar on Jan 30 '08 at 7:50pm

when i think about it, it appears obvious that i should put the country first and vote for the person who will lead it to better places.

but the only problem is if i don't take into account my personal feelings, i'm not being true to myself, and i'm letting myself down.

so that's another thing i've thought about...

but thanks for all your help guys!

BlameTheSuburbs on Jan 30 '08 at 7:57pm

voting for the candidate whose beliefs best match yours is probably the normal way people vote. After all, we all have a different understanding of what "better" is, so by voting with everyone in mind, you are usually always voting for yourself anyway.

icebar on Jan 30 '08 at 8:00pm

ohh, i see

helo on Jan 30 '08 at 11:11pm

Of all the times I've voted I have never supported a candidate.

I'm always voting for the lesser of the two evils. And I don't

think this year will be any different. Or put another way,

ask yourself, "Who would create the least amount of damage to

the country?" Then vote for that one.

cassiepaige on Jan 30 '08 at 11:24pm

Perhaps this isn't the best way, but I have been talking to people I respect and look up to about who I should vote for. I trust the people I talk to to give me their honest opinion and to answer my questions honestly and help me find the candidate best suited for me. I have been following that up with watching the news, debates, and reading.

But, I can't vote in the primaries and I am 99% sure I'll be voting for whoever the democrats nominate.

icebar on Jan 31 '08 at 5:21am

ok, thanks.

12 days later

xnarx on Feb 12 '08 at 5:01pm

OBAMAMAMA!!!!

icebar on Feb 12 '08 at 5:03pm

random nar

SteveOramA on Feb 12 '08 at 6:56pm

icebar,

what's your email address again?

i need to send you a PRIVATE message.

icebar on Feb 12 '08 at 6:59pm

haha.

it's icebar@australiamail.com

iDanSimpson on Feb 12 '08 at 7:00pm

To answer your question: Very carefully.

icebar on Feb 12 '08 at 7:01pm

that's a good way

mezo on Feb 12 '08 at 7:10pm

Why vote for a president if there's an electoral college that can trump popular votes.

Vote local, local, local. That's where democracy lies.

SteveOramA on Feb 12 '08 at 7:15pm

icebar,

it's sent.

please read and reply.

icebar on Feb 12 '08 at 7:19pm

mezo, do you vote in presidential elections?

SteveOramA on Feb 12 '08 at 7:24pm

i just remembered something and sent another.

icebar on Feb 12 '08 at 7:31pm

7 days later

EugeneHutz on Feb 20 '08 at 1:52pm

umm sorry to needlessly bump your blog but i just came to tell you i sent you a letter this morning.

3 days later

icebar on Feb 23 '08 at 3:03pm

oh thanks! and i got your facebook message haya, i just can't respond.

yay! i should be getting it soon :)

icebar on Feb 23 '08 at 3:38pm

and here it is in the mailbox! but i don't want to ruin the pretty giraffe by ripping it :( lol. i was having such a bad day but now it's ok :D

EugeneHutz on Feb 24 '08 at 1:37pm

Yay I'm glad you got it! :) and I knew you'd get it yesterday ahahaha. Also, I forgive you for ruining the pretty giraffe, its not THAT pretty.

icebar on Feb 24 '08 at 2:56pm

i ripped it so i didn't ruin it.

i wrote a letter back yesterday but i had to type it but i can't send it yet because my printer won't turn on! so i'm sorry but you'll just have to wait :]

icebar on Feb 24 '08 at 2:57pm

i ripped it so i didn't ruin it.

like i ripped along the top of the envelope so it is still intact!

icebar on Feb 24 '08 at 2:59pm

oh speaking of polaroids i did a collab which relates to them! look: