How Did the Republicans Manage to Run 17 Candidates with Zero I Would Vote For?

So one thing I do appreciate about the Republicans this year is that they gave us a plethora of choices to vote for this year. I would like to see the Democrats embrace this strategy as well where we get 15-20 candidates to start with in order to maybe find 1 or 2 we can actually vote for without throwing up in our mouths a little.

The problem is that despite running SEVENTEEN people for President in 2016 we ended up with ZERO I want to vote for...especially as many of the lesser candidates have dropped out. I might have been able to vote for Dr. Ben Carson without feeling bad, but he was 'too boring' to be elected. He made sense to me and was likable, but he wasn't really in the mix as an Establishment guy.

Anyway, I am really disappointed that at this point of the election process we have only terrible candidates left. The Republicans at least gave us choice this year, but they still all stink in the end.

a reply to: Metallicus

I think we're all a little dismayed at the seeming inevitability of Trump.

I'll be voting for Gary Johnson but, I have to say, I sympathize with the average folks out there who don't spend much time researching and understanding economics, history and public policy.

They just see the same crap that we see with no explanation or frame of reference so, why wouldn't they vote for the wrecking ball?

a reply to: Metallicus

Would you vote for a democrat if there were 17 to choose from?

a reply to: Metallicus

Ummm...well what did you want in a candidate...the second coming of Christ...?

There's always the canckle queen...or the lifetime teat drinker trying to usher in the latest incarnation of Stalinism...


YouSir

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: Metallicus

Would you vote for a democrat if there were 17 to choose from?

If there were a good candidate of course I would. However, Hilary and Jeb Bush were on my no go list from the start of this process and I am not voting for that well-intentioned fool, Bernie Sanders either.

I will probably go for Gary Johnson in the end, but it would be nice to have a main stream candidate that didn't stink like the puddle under the dumpster at Long John's Silvers.

None of the candidates truly represent me but you have to choose the lesser evil. I mean the choice will be made whether people agree or not. There has been very little talk of actual plans from any of the candidates and the ones who have something resembling a plan are just pulling pre written legislation from off the shelf. That leaves people to vote based on things like personality. Trump may be brash but the in your face take it or leave it stance comes across as more genuine than the others. Carson has seemed to run a clean campaign but he cant get the time of day. I might have been tempted to over look Cruz's wife but his campaign has just been dirty as hell. Why do I want a win at any cost type to run this asylum?

I think a lot of people are just tired of career politicians (except Bernie Panders types) that is why Trump has managed to stay ahead. You will never get someone everyone likes and no candidate will fit perfectly with a given ideology. Voting based on ideology has ruined this country and has enabled groups to abuse the process by putting up stuffed suits that spew rhetoric then do a 180 in office.

I dint knew there are so many independent candidates





there are like 20 more

a reply to: Metallicus

Eh I just feel that voting for a loser (Johnson)is a wasted vote. I don't mean personally he is a loser. I mean that a vote for him doesn't actually do anything accept give you a get out of jail free card when people want to throw around blame in 4 years.

Voting for Gary Johnson is throwing your vote away although I understand the appeal. Some pundits think many of the Republican candidates were put up to help Jeb win due to delegate rule changes.

With that said, I think the real story is that the Democrats couldn't find anyone to run other than Hillary. I mean talk about being preordained. They didn't even try to have other candidates to make it seem like voters had a choice.

While I think Trump is a bit of a buffoon and egotistical maniac, I think he might actually give the country some much needed confidence and a bit of fresh air (albeit some of it hot). Obama and libs spent too much time talking about what is wrong with America, not what makes us great.

a reply to: Edumakated

Exactly. The country needs a change in mentality. Tired of being turned into a bunch of shoe gazers.

a reply to: NihilistSanta

Ummm...I KWYM...I voted for Johnson last election...I was going to vote for Ron Paul until he threw in the towel...
Although I feel that it was everyone else that voted in the current clown that wasted their votes...


YouSir

a reply to: Metallicus

We have 320 million people in the US. 400 trillion if you count the illegals.

And out of the 320 million, apparently, this is the best we could do.

Out of 320 million people, this is the "cream" of the crop.

A job opening at White Castle has more worthy applicants than the current election. But we can only pick from the group that was chosen for us.

Because we are sheep who argue about who is the least "sheep-like".

*Munches grass*

originally posted by: Edumakated
Voting for Gary Johnson is throwing your vote away although I understand the appeal. Some pundits think many of the Republican candidates were put up to help Jeb win due to delegate rule changes.

With that said, I think the real story is that the Democrats couldn't find anyone to run other than Hillary. I mean talk about being preordained. They didn't even try to have other candidates to make it seem like voters had a choice.

While I think Trump is a bit of a buffoon and egotistical maniac, I think he might actually give the country some much needed confidence and a bit of fresh air (albeit some of it hot). Obama and libs spent too much time talking about what is wrong with America, not what makes us great.

Agreed.

Fortunately for my conscience, my vote doesn't ordinarily count where I am.

The main argument for a Johnson vote is for simple precedent and to ensure that the Libertarian party gets enough votes to remain viable.

Though, I have heard that Trump may have a shot here so I will have to cross that bridge when I get to it.

How about this guy for a write in?

a reply to: Metallicus

Quantity over quality. I thought that was obvious about the GOP race from the get-go?

Yet I would be willing to bet that the original field of 17 gave the appearance of democracy to a large number of Republicans all the while thinking that 'oh look at the Democrats, so predictable and so un-Democratic with only one candidate, H.

Said again, the Republicans GAVE the appearance of choice while the Dems wanted to cater to the power of the Clinton Machine established over 20 years ago. Now THAT is a farce as glaring as any could be, cept maybe "oh, let's vote in the little brother, just like we voted for 43 just because he was the SON of 41.

And as little as you like Bernie, at least one fine point about him is that even in the face of that glaring farce the Dems were relying on, I mean, EVERYBODY thought she would be a shoe in, he stood up and decided to run against her. On the Republican side there were no fav's ( unless you count the big money establishment donors) among the general Republican constituency. With Hillary, not only was she the favorite among the Democratic Powers, she was also the de facto favorite with every day Dems.

But Bernie not only said NO but HELL NO and stepped into the battle not just to pull HIllary more the the left but to make one last ditch attempt to crumble the power structure of that monolithic party. For as much as the left loves to say that the Republican Party is crumbling and coming apart at the seams, I think this is true also for them, and this establishment battlement built around Hillary is the last hurrah of that order.

So I say I will vote for Bernie. Why?

I voted for John Anderson when he lost the R nomination and ran independent. I voted for Barry Commoner when he ran on the Citizens Party with a platform that consisted of one word "BULL#" I voted for Ross. and I voted for Ralph Nader because at the time I hoped that the Greens could be a viable third party (despite left leanings)

Now, are you ready for who I voted for in 08? I held my breath and voted for Obama. Why? not because he was black, but rather that he was NOT white. And the reason for this was that at least, at least, I say AT LEAST, he offered a chink in the white male only history of viable candidates. Did I have any other hope in him? Nah. Just that he was something other. I did not vote for him the second time I wrote in Ron Paul.

And under that rubric, I was for a number of years ready to vote for Hillary for one reason only, and that was that for a while she seemed to be a viable choice of a WOMAN to also break that white males only brick. But now I cannot stand her and I was ready to not vote at all as the Republicans were not showing me any one this year also.

But now Bernie. He is 'dammit", a white male. But now that that barrier has been broken, for me at least that is no longer a need. No, I will vote for Bernie for the simple reason that he has been fighting against the system against the establishment for his whole life. How? Not only from street protests as a youth, but then from inside the system. Mayor, Congressman, Senator. He for his whole time in politics has been an outsider within the system. Just like Ron Paul.

So do I hold out hopes he can do what he says needs to be done? Little. But at least, at least, it seems to me that he is our last hope to work WITHIN THE SYSTEM and alter it's course. This system that is becoming more and more totalitarian by the hour. For me, voting for anyone else is only agreeing with that calcification of our democracy.

Trump? Well, voting outside of the system is one thing, but for my money, his public persona is that he is an outsider but I think it a sham. I think he really is the system. He really is the candidate of the Powers That Be, because the Real Powers That Be are not the Republicans or the Democrats, they are the corporate powers that are now coming to the fore, that are now letting the masks of R and D fall to the side and knowing that Trump is one of them. One of their own. The unbridled seekers of power, the unrestrained power of wealth the unbridled power of 'my way or the highway'.

Many of us know that it is not the president that runs things. We know who does. Bernie will not be able to change things, you know it and I know it. But I see him as the little Dutch Boy with a finger in the dike.

I think that at least with Bernie we can have four more years of time to grow up, to us as citizens to get our act together and vote more wisely. Obama became the system. Bernie never was and never will be. Maybe if he wins, we can take the next 4 years to look upon the rubble of the Republican and Democratic Parties and form new parties, many new parties, moderate parties, Libertarian parties, etc and make this democratic process OUR process not the pretend process of the established powers.

So Met, there is my plea to you. Consider Bernie, not as our saviour, not as a socialist or even the best man for the job. Only because he is a finger, not only a finger for the dike, but a finger for the Establishment.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

No, I will vote for Bernie for the simple reason that he has been fighting against the system against the establishment for his whole life. How? Not only from street protests as a youth, but then from inside the system. Mayor, Congressman, Senator. He for his whole time in politics has been an outsider within the system. Just like Ron Paul.

Which system is he against exactly? He was in support of people like the Sandanistas and Castro. CASTRO!!!!! If you have lived anywhere near Florida you can throw a rock and hit people oppressed by CASTRO. When I was in school we had a family come and tell us about their escape from secret police in Cuba and the raft ride over. How they would play records to talk to be sure no one was listening in. Yeah I want the guy who thinks that was a good idea to hold the highest office. Talk about "appearances" .

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Metallicus

Quantity over quality. I thought that was obvious about the GOP race from the get-go?

Well the Dems don't have quality either just less quanitity. I suppose I prefer the illusion of choice from the Republicans to the clear cut crap the Democrats had from day one, but yeah, it all ends up as crap in the end on both sides.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I dont know... The establishment is throwing everything at Trump. They genuinely hate him or fear him. He has threatened yo expose the secret 911 docs and protect american workers from one sided trade deals. He wants no part of war in Syria or any of these proxy CIA wars. He is genuinely reviled by both republican and democratic establishment leaders.

Do i think hed be a good president? I really dont know. He could be good or bad really. I do think hes a smarter choice than Sanders or Clinton, and probably better than Cruz or Rubio as well. Not a neocon, not a hard core socialist, not a career criminal, not a bible beater, not a pc nut. Itsa hell of a way to pick someone but thats reality. My guy Rand Paul would be great but he dropped out.

a reply to: NihilistSanta

I don't think Bernie is perfect. I think he has made some poor choices from limited options over all his years just as have you and I. Supporting the revolution in Cuba was at one time a support for the overthrow of despotism. Sadly, those revolutionaries became despots themselves. I supported that revolution but over time as it became clear what was happening there I withdrew my support. I do not know how enthusiastic Bernie has been through out it all, how his support might have varied. But now he says

"RAMOS: Now, for you Fidel Castro and Raul Castro are they dictators?

SANDERS: I think it is fair to say that there is very little democracy in Cuba. We want to see Cuba move toward a democratic society. I support the President’s initiative to normalize relations.

RAMOS: So it’s okay to have a relationship with dictators?

SANDERS: We do that all of the time. My own view is that the present foreign policy has failed and has failed dismally for the people of our country and for the people of Cuba. It hasn’t worked. I want to see it changed.


That sounds very reasonable to me.