What would you say is the one 'primary' reason for your political affiliation?

[Buddha Dharma]

What is the essential issue for you that led to affiliating with your party or approach?

For me it's that I have to go with the party trying to protect everyone's basic human rights. Therefore I'm a Democrat, but not per se 'far left'.

 

[LionLooking]

I'm a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
I have always leaned to the left and used to be a member of the Labour Party, but their failure to oppose Brexit led me to switch my allegence.

 

[Enoch07]

What is the essential issue for you that led to affiliating with your party or approach?

Libertarian, we value personal liberty, little to no taxes, a small unobtrusive government that leaves me the heck alone!

 

[Lyndon]

I'm for the party that looks out for the little guy, never been the Republicans, lately not the Democrats either, which leaves me unaffliliated

 

[Altfish]

I'm left leaning, big business needs controls, compassion needs to be shown to the less well off.
Universal health care is essential.

 

[bobhikes]

Independent moderate, I have always believed in compromise as the best option and have always distrusted the extremes. You should never force anyone to your views of the world even if you disagree.

 

[Sha'irullah]

I am a plain and simple conservative both fiscally and socially and I am registered as a Republican. I believe in very small government, universal liberty, environmental protection, ethical furtherance without governance, human power, sacredness of life, liberty from oppression, minimum military, capitalism and the power of free markets.

Also, there is no one primary reason for what I believe! To hell with the thread title!

I am quite the traditionalist when it comes to many social issues which I should warn that you sit down and please hold your breath.

• I do not believe women should be in the armed forces
• I do not believe in democracy . . . only a republic
• I do not believe women should vote including many men
• I believe in female traditionalism, so my respect goes out more to housewives than working women
• Charity is the best form of help
• I honestly believe secularism (NOT atheism) is vastly negative on the collective human psyche
• Traditional and strong masculinity
• Genuine compassion for the less fortunate
• Respect for dissenting opinions
• Radical pacifism. . . . Odd note is that I rarely play video games because I find them unnecessarily violent.
• Disdain for the publicness of sexuality

As for issues of governance:

• I do not believe anti-capitalists should legally be allowed to run for public office (yes that means Bernie)
• I do not believe public officials should receive pay for their services. Power to the statesmen!
• I do not believe the military should mettle with the governing power of any foreign nation
• I do not believe in the promotion of American values to other countries
• I strongly believe issues of environmental concern such as pollution should be made criminal on the basis that they harm the livelihood of others
• Flat taxes . . . oh baby please!
• Legalization of organic intoxicants like kratom and cannabis
• The death penalty on the basis that removal of life is the forfeiting of one's own. This is a matter more so of morals and it is not a big concern to me if legally impractical.
• Equalization of taxes
• Deportation of illegal aliens and no pandering to them
• Removal of government from marriage, divorce and contractual affairs
• Enforcement of the removal of police quotas
• Removal of Affirmative Action
• At least a 25% slash in military spending or a percentile toward federal allowance of military expenditure
• Healthcare is not a right

The one thing that I do not believe in that 99.99% of most conservatives and Republicans would is actually something quite odd. I am very sure nobody could ever guess it

 

[sandy whitelinger]

What is the essential issue for you that led to affiliating with your party or approach?

For me it's that I have to go with the party trying to protect everyone's basic human rights. Therefore I'm a Democrat, but not per se 'far left'.

Both major political parties are why I'm an independant.

 

[Jumi]

I'm for the party that looks out for the little guy, never been the Republicans, lately not the Democrats either, which leaves me unaffliliated

Not many parties in power anywhere that look out for the little guy at all... sad but true.

 

[Srivijaya]

I'm left leaning, big business needs controls, compassion needs to be shown to the less well off.
Universal health care is essential.

My take on it too. I always used to consider myself middle of the road politically but since the dial has swung so far right over the years, I find I'm "comparatively" left wing now, which feels odd, as I always disliked the far left.

I mainly don't accept that wealth should confer privilege and that exploitation of others is okay. Whichever party genuinely works in the interest of the betterment and care of its people gets my vote. Environmental issues cannot be ignored for the sake of everyone on the planet and we seriously need to look at alternative economic models.

 

[sayak83]

What is the essential issue for you that led to affiliating with your party or approach?

For me it's that I have to go with the party trying to protect everyone's basic human rights. Therefore I'm a Democrat, but not per se 'far left'.

In India I try not to vote the same party twice unless it has delivered on at least 70% of its electoral promise, which is like never.

 

[Srivijaya]

In India I try not to vote the same party twice unless it has delivered on at least 70% of its electoral promise, which is like never.

70% Wow. In the UK we're glad if they just pretend to deliver on their promises. They can lie, that's fine, as long as they do it consistently and with gravitas.

 

[Aldrnari]

Left leaning independent and moderate.

Socially, my views are more liberal, though I tend towards fiscal conservatism. I've been noticing a drift towards socialism in myself lately as well, since I really find it hard to justify the health system we've had under corporations in the US when compared to more socialist countries in Europe...

 

[Mister Emu]

I vote for whichever candidate seems most willing to deal with reality. This means I'm independent, and almost never have a viable candidate to support.

 

[sayak83]

70% Wow. In the UK we're glad if they just pretend to deliver on their promises. They can lie, that's fine, as long as they do it consistently and with gravitas.

If one looks at Obama. He fully or partially delivered on 75% of his promises. That makes him in the re-electable grade.
The Obameter: Tracking Obama's promises
I would do a similar assessment before an election on the ruling party in India and then decide.

 

[Srivijaya]

Perhaps it's time I considered moving to India.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Perhaps it's time I considered moving to India.

The only reason I couldn't bear India at present is they're regressing back to colonial code on social issues like gay rights, and that makes me sad- because India is allowing Colonialism to make them less than they were in the tolerance department. Ancient India was one of the world's most tolerant societies on just about every issue one can imagine.

 

[Akivah]

What is the essential issue for you that led to affiliating with your party or approach?

For me it's that I have to go with the party trying to protect everyone's basic human rights.

For me, I have to go with a party that emphasizes the individual over the government, so I'm Republican. The method of laissez-faire is the way to go.

 

[Revoltingest]

Libertarian, we value personal liberty, little to no taxes, a small unobtrusive government that leaves me the heck alone!

Ditto!
And I'll add peaceful foreign policy.

 

[WalterTrull]

I don't like the idea of parties. I guess I understand the need, sort of. I switch parties regularly depending on whether or not I want to vote for someone (or against) in the primaries. I go with the person, regardless of party.