Which GOP candidate would give you freedom of conscience to withhold your vote

[Nuclear Unicorn]

"Obama is continuing the policies of a war criminal."

"He's cutting entitlements."

"If he touches Social Security or Medicare, I'm done."

"Gitmo is still open and the Patriot Act continues on."

"Indefintite detentions? WTF?"

"These corporatist bailouts are too much."

"Healthcare reform was a cave to the insurance industry."

"I don't need to be drug tested or insulted about being drug-tested."



I see lots of complaints about the president and many of those complaints are attended with threats of vote-withholding. So which GOP candidate would leave you saying, "I can accept him/her enough that I would primary/vote 3rd-party/sit out in 2012"

Mitch Daniels
Chris Cristie
Sarah Palin
Mitt Romney
Rudy Giuliani
Newt Gingrich
Donald Trump
Ron Paul
Jeb Bush
Tim Pawlenty
Rick Perry
Herman Cain
Name yet to be named

Or will we accept what ever "moves to the middle" come our way between now and then only to line-up dutifully at our local polling stations come that chilly Tuesday morn two Novembers hence?

Me? I know where my heart lies. I know what I wanted to see. I know acutely every disappointment that has come my way. Yet, I feel as if, as disappointed as I may be, if Obama is not re-elected then, everything I thought I believed in would be discredited with him.

I anguish over voting for a flawed candidate vs. losing not only an election but the narrative. I believe that a society based on fair pay, civil rights and social justice can work but if Obama loses the cat-calls of, "Ha! Ha! You tried and failed!" will kill those hopes for the next couple of generations.

Do I vote in Obama in 2012 on the hope that we'll get a real candidate in 2016 or do we hope the GOP pushes someone we can live with or what? Then again, if we do reinforce this "centrism" then are we ossifying crony politics and wars without end?

I honestly don't know what to do.

[leftstreet]

1. We need a bipartisan ticket. Obama/Jeb Bush 2012

I'm kidding

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. cruel

Because, would we really know which one was the top of the ticket?

[xchrom]

3. It's not about a flawed candidate.

It's about neo-liberalism deeply entrenched in the party elites.

And the whiney lies they tell about why they have to act more like Reagan or Nixon than FDR or LBJ.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. OK, but I must re-ask

Is there a candidate the GOP could field that would set your mind at ease to NOT vote for Obama.

Or do we line-up as we always do thereby reinforcing the behavior of those who lie to us?

[county worker]

5. Here is the way I am looking at it today. Leaving your push poll out of it,

the important things to me are not the important things to either the repubs or Obama. By that I mean we need to keep the "American Dream" within reach of the majority of Americans.

What we are seeing is a shift to an Oligarchy and Obama is not slowing that down. So what the hell difference does it make if I vote or not?

[jillan]

6. The right wing listens to their extremists and caters to them. Why doesn't the

Democrats listen and cater to the middle of their party, never mind those of us who are the "professional left".

Don't you feel like this country keeps moving further away from Progressive Ideals?

I don't know what to do either. Of course I will vote for Obama over whatever candidate they pick.
I'm just not okay with cutting programs for the middle class and the poor so the rich can receive welfare.

[quinnox]

7. Its still early, but Romney right now

He is the one republican that I think is competent and would do ok in being president. I think he is pretending to be more right wing than he actually is in order to win the GOP nomination, and would be more of a center to liberal republican president.

The rest of them are hopeless.

[Name removed]

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[MiniMe]

10. I take it you didn't vote in Florida in 2000

That could have been decided by your vote.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[polmaven]

11. Not a single Republican

will get my vote - EVER! I will vote for the (D) ticket always....!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. I totally sympathize and yet

are we being played for chumps because those who betray OUR principles know we will vote regardless?