Poll: Your Father's Vote

[sanatloc]

my dad votes Conservative, I vote Liberal Democrat, so, very much like the hung parliament

 

[poleboy]

I don't know who he voted for, if he ever voted. It was not really something we talked about. So "no" I guess. My mother votes a bit more to the right than me.

 

[dex-dex]

In Canada, there are five major parties.
conservative,Liberal, NDP(New Democratic Party),Green and the Bloc Quebecquois (the bloc are only available in Quebec soo more like four to the rest of the country)
My dad and I never talk about who we vote for. He sees it as they keep it anonymous for a reason. but knowing him from how he reacts to things I would say conservative. and by that I would say no.

 

[dfphetteplace]

My dad died when I was a kid, I have no idea. I doubt it, since he was pretty religious, and I certainly am not, so I don't think he would be as liberal as me.

 

[thylasos]

No, he's a Tory, and I'm most emphatically not.

To be honest, I'm no great fan of New Labour, either, but I'll vote for them to get the Tories out.

 

[Leviathan_]

I know he voted republican last elections, but I didn't vote back then. Next year there's more elections and I'm certainly voting republican, though I'm not sure what my dad will vote for this time.

 

[Woodsey]

Nope, I don't.

Used to, we both voted Labour, he still does.

Not saying who I do vote for now, so many "politically correct" and "bleeding heart" types around here and I can't be arsed explaining myself.

I dread to think (unless you're just really embarrassed about voting Conservative).

OT: Can't vote yet, but last time he voted for the Lib Dems, who I would have voted for (although I only found out a month after). Whether or not it'll be the same next time though I don't know.

I imagine most people will either be the same or dead opposite when it comes to their opinions and their parents.

 

[Wayneguard]

It's more accurate to say that my father votes the same party as I do. My entire family, who were formerly staunch conservative Republicans (US), are now registered as unaffiliated thanks in large part to my incessant libertarian preaching.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

I don't get why you ask about Fathers specifically.

I don't think he votes. Sometimes my Mother and I vote the same, but I don't have loyalty to any particular party so that was bound to happen at some point.

I ask about fathers specifically because I'm testing a theory. I recently learned both I and my best friend vote for the same parties our fathers do, and I wondered how many people do the same thing. After some thought I realized I vote the same as my father, but for very different reasons, while my friend seems to just be repeating his father's views verbatim, and doesn't give it much thought afterwards.

So I'm asking to get people thinking about their own politcal choices, whether they're actively chosen or if certain people just "default" to the party that is familiar, i.e. the one your father spoke up about.

It's not my intent to exclude people who have had their political views inspired (or decided) by other mentor/parent figures in their lives, but it's generally been my outlook that fathers are usually more vocal about their political party affiliation, whereas mothers are more private and simply encourage you to get involved in voting, letting you decide which party your prefer. That isn't always the case, of course. I'll be making a new poll later that will be more inclusive to all perspectives.

You might add a "sometimes" option for people who vote for the individual that they consider the best candidate at the time.

For instance, I initially voted for GHWB for his first term (which was in alignment with my dad); however, after four years of watching him closely, I voted for a different candidate when he was up for reelection (though I am fairly certain my father voted for him again).

I would but I think this poll is pretty much done, adding new variables now wouldn't help them much. But not to worry; I'm planning a new poll soon that will be more inclusive to all parties (hopefully). This poll was really just to get you thinking about where your views come from, specifically if they were influenced (or decided) by your father, who in my opinion is generally the more vocal parent when it comes to political affiliations.

 

[evenest]

You might add a "sometimes" option for people who vote for the individual that they consider the best candidate at the time.

For instance, I initially voted for GHWB for his first term (which was in alignment with my dad); however, after four years of watching him closely, I voted for a different candidate when he was up for reelection (though I am fairly certain my father voted for him again).

I would but I think this poll is pretty much done, adding new variables now wouldn't help them much. But not to worry; I'm planning a new poll soon that will be more inclusive to all parties (hopefully). This poll was really just to get you thinking about where your views come from, specifically if they were influenced (or decided) by your father, who in my opinion is generally the more vocal parent when it comes to political affiliations.[/quote]

When I was teaching, I used to have an assignment where I asked my students to write about why they affiliated themselves with the republican or democratic party. I stopped the assignment after the third go round because it was eerie hearing the voices of the parents or grandparents and how little thought they seemed to put into the why of their beliefs.

I said it then, and I'll say it again: I don't care what someone believes as long as that person has had, to borrow a line from Huck Fin, a long think about it.

My father never spoke about politics or his vote--ever, come to think on it. I did, however, have the strangest conversation with my mother on the night Clinton won his first presidential election. She was so angry as she went upstairs to bed, shouting to me that she hoped "I would get what I deserved" [because I had refused to vote for GHWB a second time]. I've always been interested in talking with her about that and the subsequent eight years but never have.

 

[s0p0g]

no idea, haven't seen him in two decades ^^

 

[latenightapplepie]

Unsure. I know from many discussions he errs on the left side of politics, like myself, if I can be permitted to be extremely vague for a moment. However, we don't directly disclose who we vote for. It's poor form, I think.

Besides, voting is more complicated than just a simple single choice of party. You vote for different people, who represent different parties, to a variety of different offices.

 

[Pariah87]

Hell no! My father votes for nationalistic right wing extremists, while I vote for pretty much the opposite.

Pretty much this. Despite my fathers hatred for the Germans due to events during the early 1940's, he still fully supports and votes for our modern day equivalent. I guess because it's Brits being nationalists it's ok? It's only a bad thing when you're on the receiving end of the Blitzkrieg? Either way I would never vote that way. I'm no full on leftie by any stretch of the immagination but either extreme pisses me right off.