Are there really people who vote exclusively on "social issues"

[Charlie Brown]

The religious right's press sites have become daily tirades against abortion and "the gay agenda" (and occasionally the Theory of Evolution). Do people really go to the polls with the sole intention of voting against abortion and ANYTHING related to gay issues?

[MadMaddie]

1. Absolutely....

My partners best friend, fundi-religious wingnut (she doesn't talk to him much about politics anymore) says that because Bush says he is saved that is why he voted for him.

[Debau2005]

2. YEP!

One of my co-workers would vote for Satan if he was anti-choice and anti-gay.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. He probably is. nt

[converted_democrat]

25. That reminds me of a saying that was said all the time in the

conservative area I grew up in.. They'd say.."I'd vote for Satan himself, if Jesus Christ was running on the Demorat ticket.." They don't say Democrat, they say demorat, and they think it's sooo witty.. Now mind you these are supposed to be religious people too, by the way.. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds..

[Burning Water]

3. Probably.

Why not? They've got theirs, and want to make the world over in their own image. We'd like to improve the world, too. Two different world views.

[Mz Pip]

4. Definitely

The RW get out the vote message is their divisive social agenda.

I have a close friend whose family in MN only votes the abortion issue. They probably would stay home if the local priest didn't push getting out to vote right before elections.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Virginia Dare]

5. Yep.

I know of somebody who voted for Bush because she didn't "like" Teresa Heinz. That was her deciding factor. Lots of people voted for Bush because he's a "good Christian man". Their minister/pastor told them so.

[Sammy Pepys]

6. I know some people who do...

...but it's not really a big stretch for them. I know one guy who votes pretty solely on GLBT issues. But he kind of has that luxury because the folks who he agrees with most on those issues pretty much come down on the same side with him on things like the war or taxes or things like that anyway.

He's not really torn because they are on the right side of the GLBT issue with him, and basically on the right side of everything else anyway.

[newportdadde]

7. Yes both sides have single issue voters.

My wife has 3 close friends all of whom would set themselves on fire before they voted for a Democrat due to abortion.

It doesn't matter how much better off they would be given their life situations its all about abortion. Now they aren't pushy about it or in your face fundie or anything but that is how they vote.

[RB TexLa]

13. I know a person who will only vote for someone who is anti-choice and

anti-death penalty. If there is no such candidate she won't vote. She's not in your face about it either, just what she believes.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

8. I do

Anti-choice/pro-fetus candidates blurring the separation of church & state imposing religious doctrine over sound science/medicine while seeking to marginalize segments of our citizens for political gain WILL NEVER GET MY VOTE.

:evilgrin:

[maxsolomon]

9. i don't know if its a social issue

but i've never voted for a republican & i never will.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lasher]

20. Hey, welcome to DU, Lowrey!

Sure hope you're an optimist.

Lasher

[theophilus]

11. Yes, and I know quite a few of them here in Arkansas.

They are, in most ways, good and caring people. They agree with me about economics and many other areas of national life. When they vote, however, they vote as Koolaid drinkers. One of my friends says quite pointedly that he "never watches the news". They don't feel that they have to be informed. All they need to know is who, they think, will scuttle Roe v. Wade. I think my friend is like many, many voters in the area.

I understand how important the right is to control your own body. I still find it sad that there are so many that are so similar in view but have been hoodwinked by the NeoCons. A complex problem.....

[CottonBear]

12. Yes. My in-laws. n/t

[Lasher]

14. Some people vote on abortion alone

I have friends who strongly believe that abortion in all forms is murder. They vote for candidates (and the political party) who will most likely ban abortion. With them this outweighs all other factors combined.

There certainly is a religious right.

[quinnox]

15. Most of the republicans base does

They consider social issues very important, such as "family values", and which includes things like against abortion, homosexuality, hollywood corrupting their kids with "filth", stuff like that.

[Jankyn]

17. Oh, yes...

I've got a pair of brothers who won't go to the polls for anything else. They only go to the polls if gay rights, abortion, environmental or gun issues are on the ballot as a measure or one of the campaign issues. They specifically go to vote against the "hippies, Commies, tree-huggers, faggots and femi-Nazis."

That's my gene pool. Tragic.

[serryjw]

21. Well, your parents produced ONE great kid

Welcome to DU!

[Ufomammut]

18. Bill Hicks on the 92' election....

He'd say that people would warn him that if he voted Clinton, taxes would go up, so he rationalized it like this: (paraphrasing)
"Hmmm, on one hand, Bush, a fascist mass murderer ...or...Clinton, and maybe pay an additional five cents on a gallon of gas....? Easy choice."

[izzie]

19. I vote on social issues so I vote For the Dem..

I do like what Nadar keeps saying but I will not waste my vote. I liked both Gore and Kerry but they seemed to have played at something I did not like but I still voted for them. It is sort of weak of me because Nadar was saying what I liked better.

[Lasher]

23. You're not being weak, Izzie. You're being smart

I like what Bill Maher says but I'm not going to throw my vote away by writing him in on my ballot. Same thing with Nader. Make your vote count, if you can.

I've liked Ralph Nader for years but I think a lot less of him because he ran in 2004. He did that just because of his ego and nothing else. All he could have hoped to accomplish is to give Bush a better chance of winning. And you couldn't think of a better example than Bush, as someone who opposes everything Nader says he stands for.

[Devlzown]

22. Many people do.

That's one of the main reasons, IMO, that this country is so fucked up.

[Gman]

24. Yup, and furthermore

getting them to the polls is critical to the GOP GOTV efforts. The daily rations of red meat for these nutjobs will reach a crescendo just before election day in November.

Watch for them to soon add red meat rants about the imminent danger of impeachment of GWB if the Dems take over congress. The godless Dems will reverse everything they've accomplished, the sky will then turn red, plagues of locusts will descend upon crops, etc.

[Lasher]

26. This might be a good time to share some ammo for the abortion debate

In case any of you end up jumping into the fray:

Myth: The Bible forbids abortion.

Fact: All Biblical arguments on abortion are indirect and open to debate.

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-bibleforbids.htm

The main page (sort of) for this excellent resource:

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/LiberalFAQ.htm#Backdemodeficit

[emdee]

27. Doesn't Bush, though, support abortion?

By owing so much of our debt to China, isn't Bush supporting not only abortion, but forced abortion?

And, on Larry King Live during the '04 election campaign, Bush admitted that he thought Civil Unions were the answer for gay marriage -- that's the same thing that Kerry said and so they agree on that issue.

But, to answer your question, YES many people vote Republican because they believe that they are voting against abortion (after all, Democrats wish all babies were aborted, right?!@?!?!) and against gay marriage (after all, allowing gay marriage would be supporting incest and marrying goats, right?!?!?!?!?!?!).

Where they get that I don't know (oh, yes, I do -- from Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, and the rest of the Fair and Balanced reporting we're so privy to these days!) (I love it when the spelling check throws back 'Coulter' and 'Hannity' and I can choose "Ignore" -- such little things as that to be satisfied! ) :rofl:

emdee

[we can do it]

28. Yes - My Poor Dumb Brother - Brainwashed By His Fundie Church

[scorpiogirl]

29. Yes!

I have a friend who told me she wasn't selfish as a Repub, then proceeds to tell me she voted for Bush because of banning late term abortion. Actually, she said he was a "saint" for banning it.
:puke:

[Lisa0825]

30. I do!

Not against, but for... Reproductive rights, health care reform, and equal rights for all are what I vote on.

[mdmc]

31. sure.

most people never vote.

[Emit]

32. YES! When I was working with the Kerry campaign in my town

There was this one lady, a registered Dem, very smart, educated, worked in the medical field as a nurse or something. I met with her five times trying to persuade her to vote for Kerry. Her problem? She was opposed to choice; she was a 'pro-lifer' and not because of her religion. And, that was her only issue that she was concerned with. She had me running back and forth to get more info on Kerry's stance, and what Bush's stance was. I fed her all kinds of info about Bush's history with contraception, abstinence only, etc. I told her from the beginning that I wasn't there to talk her out of her stance on abortion and choice (because, I think trying to talk someone, particularly a stranger, out of such a position while standing on a doorstep during an election year is pointless). But, I did try to get her to see beyond the one issue she was stuck on -- the ulterior motives of Bush & Co., the danger in that particular election year of voting on a single social issue like abortion/choice, and what I thought would surely turn her, the attack that Bush & Co. was slowly implementing on contraception and the teaching of abstinence only. She didn't like these aspects, but I'm sure she voted for Bush anyway. To her, it was very apparent that the potential of outlawing abortion was the one winning factor in voting for Bush.

Wonder where she is now with her stance on Bush?

[mdmc]

33. most people don't even vote