US Midterm Elections 2014

[Sanji Himura]

This is about where I am with the Michigan elections. I hate Synder and his little anti-Tesla thing really put him over the top for me, not sure how someone who claims to be pro-free market and anti government regulations wants to limit a genuinely good company that is providing several jobs in the US...unlike the Big 3 who keep moving their manufacturing to Canada or Mexico. I also don't like how he wants to force his moral agenda onto the state, but that almost always seems like what Republicans want to do.

I don't know a ton about the other guy considering he's done very little, if any, campaigning in Grand Rapids. The only thing I really know about him is that he was nearly found guilty of campaign finance fraud and he wears double denim...neither of those are good qualities.

I think I'm going to go third party as well, I don't like the Libertarian candidate all that much but the Green Party candidate, while a bit out there, at least feels like the Great Lakes are important that Asian carp are causing a problem.

Or move to Texas! The only establishment type candidate running for any form of attention grabbing office here is John Cornyn, and I don't think that he could survive his next re-election bid.

Texas politics is a bit different from the rest of the nation. Whereas you have general consensus going to the center, Texas is leaning right.

Here is what RCP thinks how the election will shape up with 5 days to go:

Senate:
Republicans: 47
Democrats: 45
Too Close to Call: 8
RCP Projection: GOP +7

House:
Republicans: 228
Democrats: 183
Too Close to Call: 24
RCP Projection (Generic Ballot): GOP +3

Govenorships: [Note: This count includes all governorships.]
Republicans: 22
Democrats: 16
Too Close to Call: 12
RCP Projection: EVEN

In case Obama's Job Approval shapes your election decision: [RCP Averages]

Approve: 42%
Disapprove: 53.8%

 

[Keef]

Well apparently I'm not voting this year. I'd forgotten about absentee voting until I was reminded about it the other day but now it's too late to do it by mail. I would have to go back home to vote either absentee in person or on election day and either way that requires about 4 hours of my time and 1/4 tank of gas. Not worth the trouble. I got a paper to write.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I just want the elections to be over so that these stupidly annoying political advertisements will go away for a while.

 

[Adamgp]

Got my voting info in the mail the other day. My voting place is literally across the street, and I have to take a day off work on Tuesday. Looks like I will be voting.

 

[Crash]

Washington has moved to all absentee voting.

Which means that I've already voted. Actually voted a week ago.

 

[FoolKiller]

I just want the elections to be over so that these stupidly annoying political advertisements will go away for a while.

And phone calls and mailings.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

And phone calls and mailings.

I left those out since I shockingly haven't had to deal with those often. But yeah, I can't wait for those to go too.

 

[FoolKiller]

I drop at least one thing straight into the recycling bin on my way in after picking up the mail. Saturday I came home to four voicemails on the answering machine. Since we only use the house line for medical device purposes I am tempted to get rid of the answering machine and just plug in a phone with a ringer off selection.

 

[Swagger897]

I drop at least one thing straight into the recycling bin on my way in after picking up the mail. Saturday I came home to four voicemails on the answering machine. Since we only use the house line for medical device purposes I am tempted to get rid of the answering machine and just plug in a phone with a ringer off selection.

My family looked into at one time just using our cell-phones and not having a home phone; however that was cut due to our house being in a dead zone. Would be nice to get away from AT&T..

 

[Adamgp]

On Saturday my mailbox got crammed full of those mailings/fliers. I fully expect the same when I get home today.

Most came from a Libertarian candidate I never even knew was running.

 

[FoolKiller]

Most came from a Libertarian candidate I never even knew was running.

Here is the problem with our political system today. You can't make an informed decision if you aren't aware that there are more than two names in a race.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

How about the people that vote based off of the card? If you have to wait for your employer to basically tell you who to vote for, should you even vote?

 

[FoolKiller]

How about the people that vote based off of the card? If you have to wait for your employer to basically tell you who to vote for, should you even vote?

I'm not familiar with the term "vote based off the card." My first thought was voting party line, but then you mentioned employer. I have never had an employer brave enough to try pushing their employees to vote a specific way for liability reasons.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I'm not familiar with the term "vote based off the card." My first thought was voting party line, but then you mentioned employer. I have never had an employer brave enough to try pushing their employees to vote a specific way for liability reasons.

Well, it isn't so much the employer, but rather, the union that gives cards based on "recommendations" for who would support the union. My dad gets them all the time since he is a member of the union, but half the time my dad gets them, he ignores them and votes his own way. Sadly, I know too many people who literally take the card with them and vote for people based off of who is on the card.

It's slightly ironic to me too since my dad's employment is the U.S. headquarters for a German company, and here in the states, only a handful of their locations are union. The headquarters is one of the few union locations.

 

[Joey D]

Here is the problem with our political system today. You can't make an informed decision if you aren't aware that there are more than two names in a race.

You also can't find unbiased information anywhere. The Michigan race is especially bad since both main candidates for governor are essentially accusing one another for cutting a billion dollars from education, I'm yet to find any unbiased information to actually make an informed decision based off that.

 

[FoolKiller]

You also can't find unbiased information anywhere. The Michigan race is especially bad since both main candidates for governor are essentially accusing one another for cutting a billion dollars from education, I'm yet to find any unbiased information to actually make an informed decision based off that.

Voting records for incumbents are public record. You can at least know where the guy in office stands. From there you need to sort through the bull. Of course, I've stuck to the idea that both main parties want higher budgets, more debt, more regulations, and more war. I don't care what they say. It just comes to that. Here, the Grimes/McConnel debate turned into who could say they would do more in Iraq.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

You also can't find unbiased information anywhere. The Michigan race is especially bad since both main candidates for governor are essentially accusing one another for cutting a billion dollars from education, I'm yet to find any unbiased information to actually make an informed decision based off that.

I won't be voting since I forgot to pick up an absentee ballot. Then again, I don't like either of the two primary candidates, so it wouldn't make much difference whether or not I vote regardless. And FYI, Schauer's biggest claim to fame was being Granholm's right hand man when Michigan's economy went belly up. I'll put it this way- both my parents, who are hardcore Democrats, frankly don't want to vote for either of the two primary candidates for Governor of Michigan.

Voting records for incumbents are public record. You can at least know where the guy in office stands. From there you need to sort through the bull. Of course, I've stuck to the idea that both main parties want higher budgets, more debt, more regulations, and more war. I don't care what they say. It just comes to that. Here, the Grimes/McConnel debate turned into who could say they would do more in Iraq.

I never watched the Snyder/Schauer debate, but I have a gut feeling that it was probably centered around job creation. But when the Democratic challenger (Schauer) helped destroy the state and the incumbent Repuplican (Snyder) has one of the worst job creation rates as Governor in the whole country, the whole debate is arguably pointless. I mean, I do personally see how bad it got here in Michigan, but for an incumbent to heavily promote job creation while his state has one of the worst rates in the country, it just doesn't work. If I was voting, I'd go with a third party candidate, but of the two primary candidates, I'd vote Snyder.

 

[Sanji Himura]

Voting records for incumbents are public record. You can at least know where the guy in office stands. From there you need to sort through the bull. Of course, I've stuck to the idea that both main parties want higher budgets, more debt, more regulations, and more war. I don't care what they say. It just comes to that. Here, the Grimes/McConnel debate turned into who could say they would do more in Iraq.

That's true, but the focus of where the money will go has always been, and always will be a point of contention between the parties.


Here is what RCP thinks how the election will shape up with 0 days to go:

Senate:
Republicans: 47
Democrats: 45
Too Close to Call: 8
RCP Projection: GOP +7

House:
Republicans: 226
Democrats: 179
Too Close to Call: 30
RCP Projection (Generic Ballot): GOP +2.4

Govenorships: [Note: This count includes all governorships.]
Republicans: 22
Democrats: 14
Too Close to Call: 14
RCP Projection: DEM +2

In case Obama's Job Approval shapes your election decision: [RCP Averages]

Approve: 41.9%
Disapprove: 53.4%

 

[FoolKiller]

That's true, but the focus of where the money will go has always been, and always will be a point of contention between the parties.

Weird. The Defense Budget has no problems being over half the budget, and no one seems to disagree on making it so that challenges to big business become insurmountable.

Oh, do you mean those fractions of percents of the budget that get argued over on things like welfare, healthcare, etc? Arguing over whether the spare change needs to go toward soda or chips isn't really a differentiating factor.

 

[Keef]

Most came from a Libertarian candidate I never even knew was running.

Vote for him. I don't care what position he's running for, just vote for him.

Also, use this in the future:

http://www.isidewith.com/

Take the quiz, read all the options to make sure you pick your favorite, and it automatically matches you with all the candidates running, not just Dempublicans. Easy and informative. You just researched your entire voting list in 15 minutes.

 

[FoolKiller]

And I voted. A Senate vote, a House vote, and a bunch of unchallenged local offices. The only local elections that had challengers were jailer and sheriff. What does a Jailer's politics have to do with anything? And the sheriff was two guys arguing about who could bust criminals better. It only took me about 30 seconds.

 

[Adamgp]

Vote for him. I don't care what position he's running for, just vote for him.

Also, use this in the future:

http://www.isidewith.com/

Take the quiz, read all the options to make sure you pick your favorite, and it automatically matches you with all the candidates running, not just Dempublicans. Easy and informative. You just researched your entire voting list in 15 minutes.

Too late, just got home from voting and no he didn't get my vote.

I always take that quiz before voting, 99% of the time it matches me with who I was considering anyway.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I'm not voting since I forgot to pick up an absentee ballot.

I'm going to edit my post with this. Virginia Republicans are claiming election fraud because they're saying that Republican votes are being awarded to the Democratic candidate. It is a serious violation if true, but this practice has been happening for years, and both parties do it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/voting-machines-broken_n_6101312.html

Case in point- the infamous backword voting machines that took votes away from a Democratic candidate in Volusia County, Florida. This story became the HBO Special that is called Hacking Democracy. It can be found right here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Democracy
http://www.hackingdemocracy.com/

 

[Joey D]

I voted, no one really stood out to me but I did end up voting mostly Green Party since they're platform deals with protecting the Great Lakes and all our woodlands which is really important to me. Other than that there were two proposal for allowing wolf hunting in Michigan which seemed foolish to me. I'm all for hunting and I enjoy hunting myself, but wolf number are right around 600 for the entire state and they are located most in secluded spots. Plus you can't really eat wolves and I do not approve of hunting for the sake of killing. Voted no on both of those, but otherwise I think it took me longer to get my ballot then it did to actually fill in the bubbles.

 

[FoolKiller]

Plus you can't really eat wolves

Then what good are they? If you can't eat them then their only purpose for living is because you aren't hunting enough deer.

 

[Joey D]

Then what good are they? If you can't eat them then their only purpose for living is because you aren't hunting enough deer.

They're fluffy?

 

[AnthonyD1993]

They're fluffy?

That fluff is why people want to hunt them. Genuine wolf fur sells for a pretty penny. Wolf clothing is expensive.

 

[FoolKiller]

They're fluffy?

Joking aside, I am assuming that you already allowed to kill a violent or rabid one threatening you or your property? I know we have had few laws for allowing that kind of thing that was fought with the "it's just an excuse to hunt them" opposition.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Joking aside, I am assuming that you already allowed to kill a violent or rabid one threatening you or your property? I know we have had few laws for allowing that kind of thing that was fought with the "it's just an excuse to hunt them" opposition.

Most of the laws on the books here are mainly directed at farmers and dog owners to protect their livestock and pets. Wolves can be killed if they put livestock in jeopardy. I have a hunch that the state would make an exemption in wolf killing if it was for self defense as well.

 

[disinfected]

Vote for him. I don't care what position he's running for, just vote for him.

Also, use this in the future:

http://www.isidewith.com/

Take the quiz, read all the options to make sure you pick your favorite, and it automatically matches you with all the candidates running, not just Dempublicans. Easy and informative. You just researched your entire voting list in 15 minutes.

I'd say mine was pretty spot on.