Will this bill change your political affiliation?

[321Mike]

I was a Republican through college, but I switched to Libertarian several years ago. My views didn't change (well, maybe a little), the GOP just doesn't stand for what they used to stand for.

By the way, as far as "throwing away your vote", Instant Runoff Voting would make a huge difference in this country. Support it.

[primetime32]

i have always been a democrat that voted about 50/50 rep and dem. That will switch to 100 percent democrat after this. And you can be sure that i will do my best to influence everyone i know to be jaded against the republicans.

People are very easily persuaded and it doesnt take much to get people to hate right wing nutjobs.

[Jim Kuhn]

Not a single democrate in the Senate voted against this bill.

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[Ali shmali]

[ QUOTE ]
Not a single democrate in the Senate voted against this bill.

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not because they weren't against Internet Gaming. They were voting on the Port bill, The Internet gambling section was a foot note.

In either case, if the last 6 years wasn't enough to change someone's affiliation, i don't see how this bill would.

[sweetjazz]

I am libertarian leaning, though not as strongly as many posters on these forums. I dislike both the Republican parties and the Democratic parties, though my distaste for Republicans is now substantially higher due to their actions over the past 3-5 years. I will sometimes vote a third party candidate in protest, I will sometimes vote a mainstream candidate (in either party) who I genuinely believe is worthy of election. But other than that, I now vote Democrat. This is primarily due to the fact that when the two houses are split between the parties or the executive branch is controlled by a different branch than the legislative branch, it is harder for nonsense to get through (such as the online gambling prohibition).

The current political reality is that the Republicans believe that they have a strong enough base among religious zealots and people who see security as an issue of being ultra-aggressive and never backing down that they plan to continue to pandering to these groups. Democrats used to think that they had a solid base consisting of a larger number of smaller groups (environmentalists, unionists, pacifists, lawyers, etc.) that they could maintain power by having a bunch of positions that were inconsistent but supported their interests. The Dems were wrong and I hope that the Republicans are wrong.

Voices of moderation and sanity have been marginalized in our current political environment. Basically, moderate and rational positions on issues often involve a careful consideration of all of the facts presented in a generally neutral manner -- and most Americans are not interested enough in political issues to go through this process. It is easier to just listen to people who play to your fears -- whether those fears are about terrorist attacks, your job security, loss of personal freedoms, a perceived decline in morality and civility in society, the deterioration of the environment, etc. Public policy debate is no longer about trying to balance out the competing interests in any given issue. Rather it is about mobilizing support to reject one group's interests and enforce a one-sided solution.

Look at how internet gambling was decided. It was always an all-or-nothing approach. Either ban it or ignore it. The regulation argument never really gained any traction. It only started to get any serious play when the ban on internet gambling became a likely prospect.

Our government is dysfunctional (and has been for quite some time), and our citizenry largely does not care. That is not a good sign for our future.

[critikal]

Was Republican. I hate the religious right though, I hope they get out of power. I hate the democrats as well though. Gonna vote Libertarian or against every incumbent

[Exsubmariner]

What has become crystal clear to me is that my government does not represent my interests. I will no longer be a party to something which no longer represents my interests.

[primetime32]

[ QUOTE ]
Not a single democrate in the Senate voted against this bill.

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

are you a moderator? and if so, how could you know so little about what happened?

[iH8poker]

LISTEN UP: WHEN NOT TO VOTE LIBERTARIAN

If the election is predicted to have a 5% margin or less, vote the preferred candidate (even of two evils). WE HAVE A WINNER TAKE ALL SYSTEM!!! If you believe one is better than the other and vote Lib to protest, you might as well run naked in the street (It would make a much better protest). Rep are barely losing votes, considering that these types of people rarely vote anyway (Admit that you rarely vote... you should vote every 2 years at least, but generally speaking only fanatics vote in off-pres. election years. Politicians know this. ).

If there is a clear winner, than Libertarian is a good 'protest vote'. Libertarians must get 5% of the popular votes (maybe electorial) before they are recognized in debates. They usually bring in around 0.7%. If they get recognized in debates (or get 4% of the vote or so), then people will take them seriously. They will also get funding too. But nothing until that point.

If you assosiatate with the Libertarian party and dog Dems under your 'unbiased' guise, but voted Republican in the last election cycle, I don't know who has less guts, you or a perpetually battered wife. You just love those who hurt you. YOU PUT THESE GUYS IN POWER. And now you are saying 'I had no idea, don't blame me.' That's stupid Americans for you. Constantly screwing it up...and still refusing to listen to the ones who warned them of their mistakes, only to repeat them. Of course, that's what keeps them stupid and a menance to a democratic society.

I'm hoping that is the kinda slapping you have grown accustom to. Now get in that booth and vote. (Don't worry, I'll still keep harping on you for reelecting Bush for years to come or double cross you or scare you. That's what you like, right? Idiot Pigeons.)

iH8(weak-kneed pundits who don't know what pundit means)

[BCPVP]

This bill reinforces my "political affiliation".