How do people vote?

So, since we're heading into this season of what and who will fly with the voters, I'm curious to know how people look at this issue in general. Some people seem to think voters are rubes whose crude emotions and immediate self-interest must be appealed to. Some seem to see them as rational choice-makers. Others see the voters as party loyalists who might be swayed on an individual candidate or issue. There are still others who see them as primarily moralistic, wanting to hold candidates and society itself to certain standards of behavior. And the only argument that supports really radical policy change, from an electoral standpoint, is that there is a "sleeping giant" bloc of non-voters who would be mobilized by a non-lookalike candidate that finally, actually speaks to them.

Then there's the possibility that most people vote in ways that simply affirm their identity. This is almost in the "rube" category IMO but it is subtly different. Most identity politics is rube-ish: anti-gay, anti-"girlie man," violent, militaristic, sadistic. But there are also people who identify as moderates, liberals etc. who might be pushed out of the comfort zone by a candidate's stance, despite all other inducements.

So what do you think? I'm sure I'm missing something critical, so I've included an "Other" category. Thank you for your thoughts.

I think if a truly progressive candidate ran for office, calling for an end to war, the cutting of the defense budget, universal healthcare and so on -- and the press took it seriously -- people would turn out in droves

would have to be unfamiliar and keyed to people's real views, not the alignments of the past. I think a social libertarian candidate who is strong on the environment and tough on corporate crime might just be the perfect mix.

a social libertarian would essentially be a populist at this point. Hell, I'd vote for'em in a heartbeat

Not enough differences between the candidates? McGovern wasn't progressive enough?

I agree that many voters are apathetic, but I don't know if some "true progressive" is going to have better luck getting people away from their TVs on election day.

How people vote and be swayed to vote is what makes the process all the more unpredictable.

on other bases than their viability?

I'm not arguing against that, but if you can't characterize the electorate one way or another it seems like electability drops out of the argument.

I just think that predicting why someone votes for someone is extremely hard to do. I know people who vote the way they do because, literally, someone tells them to do so - their mom, their big brother, their dad, their minister, some authority figure they fear or respect, etc. I think more people vote with their 'gut' than we really think. And that's why the polls before an election are so volatile - the gut voters are just tuning into their tee and vee at the last minute to justify their overall gut feelings.

We here on DU and others in the blogosphere really get into the whys and wherefores but I really am not so sure the general populace votes for rational reasons. Just my opinion... would love to know that I am wrong or that that is just my observation but not true overall.

the word "perceived" says it all. I think voters do think it through, in what they think is a rational manner, and vote for their "perceived" best interests, but often end up voting against their real best interests. They neglect to look at their deeper needs.

To look at me, I should be a Republican voter. I'm a Christian. I'm from a red state. Economics says I should -- e.g., repealing the estate tax and some other Republican tax cuts would really hook me up. I live in a state with a large population of illegal aliens.

But I was raised to believe in cliches, like "it's better to give than receive" and the Golden Rule. I know that voting for my immediate best interests could be in the worst interests of many other people, and therefore me. "No man is an island" and all that crap.

It's hard for many people to come to this realization and accept it. Let's just say I'm thankful for the way my parents raised me.

The only thing that can make it better is living in a better country; the money is just monopoly money at that point and gets to be a hassle. I know, because I used to handle money for a rich guy. He loved paying taxes (his quarterly payments would always be 7 figures) and thought he should pay more. Needless to say he was a Democrat!

At least the majority do. Gas prices, heating fuel, taxes, are more important than what we(political junkies)find important.

Ask someone on the street what they think of Murtha or Coulter and you may be shocked they have not heard of either.

I hear all the time, Republican... Democrat... Wait, which one is Bush?

and manipulated well beyond most people's sense of what's possible. I would say that most voters try to make an educated guess** as to what to vote for--for their own and then their world's best benefit. Alas, more than half don't really know what's best and have to rely on what they hear other's--who are presumed to know more and who are also trusted, say. That's where it all falls down. There are precious few independent, honest sources that tell voters what the real issues are, much less explaining to them what the best choices are considering themselves, their communities, their country and the rest of the world. All they get is the mass media (M$M), and it always has an ulterior agenda. Always.

**I mean, many, if not most people, really do weigh what they percieve to be the issues--they listen to the radio and tv, and read a little of the papers and magazine articles... and they're pretty good at getting a sense of what the consensus opinion seems to be--and they lean towards taking that opinion (feeling like they've cleverly analyzed the issues therefore)(that the talk show had 4 professional republican pundits arrayed against one pathetic example of a centrist made no impact--somehow they can still perceive that as 'fair and balanced' coverage--they probably just imagine the poor slob centrist is an example of the kind of people who hold such opinions and figure they're outnumbered in the population by that kind of measure, so it really still is 'fair'). Go figure?

Disclaimer: Obviously this doesn't remotely apply to anyone on DU

Edit: add DU disclaimer

the proof:
reagan
reagan
bush
clinton (only because of perot)
clinton (during a brief burst of sanity prior to impeachment)
bush
bush

But I get your point.

maybe that was a mistake. I'm not sure.
I think they vote on the issues that will effect them directly!
I guess I chose other because the 'rational' choice didn't seem true to me.
I don't know that they are 'always' rational when they decide.
Some might percieve it as rational to vote for an anti-choice candidate because,
in their warped world, they 'percieve' that as 'making their life better'.
Just my random thoughts here...no facts! ;)

thinking on my part. The few amerikan sheeple that actually do vote do so based on who they heard the last and the loudest, simple as that. They are unaware, uninterested, uncaring and they like it that way.

And too bad the bad guys know how to manipulate the masses better than we do.

Why can't we pinpoint the stuff about the government that makes all those non-voters totally pissed off, and vow to change it? (Hint: legalize pot)

minimum wage? Raising it. That would bring them out, I think!

But that's another taboo in the world of business-controlled government.

and the answer is that they are in it up to their eyeballs too. How can they support the legalization of pot when so many of their constituents make their living working in the anti-pot industry? How can they support a single payer health-care system when they get so much of their campaign money from the health-denial industry and Human Murdering Organizations?

Not a big fan of "we" in general, though.

except for the bi-annual lip service the politiwhore give us to keep their jobs and maintain the illusion of opposition.

I am becoming more and more convinced that when the Re:puke:s steal this mid-term, and we are subjected to the final phase of their plan for the sheeple, things might get bad enough over the next six years for real change to be enacted. Of course, I thought things were bad enough already but, I've been proved wrong.

At some point the frog realizes that all those bubbles are not coming from its farts.

trying to get state senate, talking about affordable housing. He was almost as bad of a speaker as * because he obviously never spoke on the topic. And he was nervous as hell to be in a room full of committed advocates for a really important issue that he and his party haven't paid a damn bit of attention to... I want to say third party sometimes, but what I REALLY want is a new cadre of democrats that don't display the same-old, lame-old, middle-of-the-road, humdrum wonk tendencies.

I think most people vote for the one they like the best while being completely ignorant of where a candidate stands on the issues that matter to them. A few vote party line, no matter who's running, but most people I know - if they vote at all - vote for the one they perceive to be the most likeable.

my "moralistic" category, since it isn't all about "sexy" (yet)... We "like" the candidate because he is a "good guy," someone we "trust," someone we'd like to have around.

they are personally the victim or adherent of a Republican legislative assault. They are sometimes activated by wedge issues, and they rarely realize that the wedge issue is just a cover for hundreds of selfish, often criminal Republican activities. The majority of working people and poor people in this country, especially with families, just don't have the time to vote or get involved. They are too busy being crushed under the wheels.

Too many Dem politicians have lined up to get behind these legislative assaults (war on drugs, dismantling the welfare state, etc.) Oh wait, but the process disenfranchises the victims, so I guess there's not much hope of that...

The victims usually have bigger things to worry about than catching a televised debate or getting online to hear alternative news voices -- like how to pay for that pile of medical bills, or how to keep the electricity on, or where they're going to find a warm place to sleep tonight.

Interestingly enough, they can't see past their immediate issues to see the big picture, just like lots of misguided Republican voters. It's quite obvious who's more to blame for their own tunnel vision.

Unfortunately, those with a conscious have the hard task of persuading voters and politicians to speak for these victims.

like "God hating gays" who want to marry in order to destroy traditions and beliefs like marriage and protecting one's family that make them still believe they are being heard and counted in society, even if the Republicans harming them are the same ones promoting the "wedge" issue. It's the human need for a sense of security and a sense of belonging to a family or community that the Republicans exploit in ever baser ways. All the while the Republicans fleece the people of their rights, opportunities and just compensation for their labor. They've nearly succeeded in creating a caste society, where the dominant religion endorses its' inequities as long as their leaders are well taken care of and afforded the appropriate status in the caste.

You make me think about that need for "belonging to a family or community" in a new way, also. Democratic views should appeal to a wide base of people. That's always confused me -- if Democratic ideas are so beneficial to so many different types of people, why do Republicans win?

Could it be that this broad appeal is subliminally off-putting to the part of us that likes that warm, cozy feeling of being a part of the family/in-crowd?

Of the people that do vote I think only a small percentage are hardcore followers of politics the way we are so as a consequence the rest are uninformed and ignorant. They form their opinions at the last minute and are far too likely to vote on the big distraction issues like gay marriage without looking at the crucial issues underneath like the economy, education and healthcare. I voted rubes.