Do you vote on issues or character?

[quaoar]

Which are more important in deciding who to vote for?

Forget about the presidential race, because Bush loses on issues AND character.

But suppose you are voting in a Democratic primary for governor or congress and there are two candidates. You agree with Candidate A on the issues, but you like Candidate B better on a personal level. Candidate A takes all the right positions on the issues, but Candidate B seems more trustworthy.

How do you vote?

[maine_raptor]

1. Competency, always Competency

Anything else and you end up invading Chile when Canada attacks us.

[gospelized]

2. a

[indigo32]

3. Issues

but in this years Presidential race I'd say character plays a big part too.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[shraby]

5. Issues because

that's what being in congress is all about. It's no good if the candidate has character and stands on the wrong side of what you believe should be done.

It's great when character AND issues match up.

[dogtag]

6. In this case, they are confusing character with 'personality' or worse, 'i

and that is far different. Shrub has a phony 'country boy' image that has nothing to do with his character.

John Kerry has a sterling character and he's right on almost every issue. Easy choice.

[politicaholic]

12. You're right, * is a fake Texan, like the cubic zerconia of Texans...

like a diamond and a cubic zerconia a cubic zerconia doesn't come from the soil and is not even close to as bright.

[Warpy]

7. Since Reagan handed the GOP to the rich and the stupid

I'd have to say neither. I have to vote party at the national level, and even for most state offices.

You see, GOPers are lockstep righties, and even if a candidate of good character gets in, s/he will be under intense pressure from the party structure to fall into line with the lunatics. So, since I find the Democrats' platform more to my liking, I vote for them.

Until the GOP has a major schism and either ejects the lunatics or forms a second party for the moderates, they can kiss any chance of having a vote from me goodbye. I can't conceive of ever supporting the agenda of people like Robertson, Falwell, Gingrich, Gramm, Norquist, Asscrock, Rumsfeld, Cheney, or Bush. Not now. Not ever.

[politicaholic]

8. The most productive people are the most bland most of the time...

I couldn't give a crap if I'd like a senator or president at a dinner party.

one- they're not coming over to my friggin' house.
two- if they're incompetant, I won't have any food anyway.

[liberal_in_GA]

9. I think they're inextricably linked

A person with good character advocates for good issues.

[wurzel]

10. Character determines issues.

For instance: I wouldn't trust anyone who says our health system works.

[tedoll78]

11. Issues.

A guy/gal could be a total asshole to me, but if they advocate and enact the policies I want, and if they appoint the kind of judges I like, they could get my vote.

[movonne]

13. Issues !!!!

[RevCheesehead]

14. yes.

[quaoar]

15. One reason to vote character instead of issues

is because frequently the issues that are discussed during a campaign have nothing to do with what the candidate has to deal with once elected.

For instance, the issues in the 2000 presidential race did not correspond to what has actually happened since then. Who (as in voters) could have known then about 9/11.

In that case, the only thing you have to go on is character.