PUBLIC OPINION > Most People Have Crossed Party Lines to Vote
SodaHead Politics
2012/10/30 21:00:00
As we've seen in previous recaps, people who call themselves liberals or conservatives are not very likely to vote against their party this year. But Colin Powell, a self-proclaimed moderate Republican who served as Secretary of State under George W. Bush, is backing Democratic candidate Barack Obama once again. We wanted to know how much of the public is willing to cross party lines to vote as well.
More than two-thirds of respondents said they've voted "against" their party at least once. Unfortunately, not many people gave specifics, but the ones that did surprised us. There were Republicans who said they were voting for Obama, and Democrats who said they had voted for Reagan. Some also counted smaller, local offices. It's nice to get a whiff of flexibility in the midst of an election season.
Bound to Cross Lines
Teens aside -- they obviously haven't done much in terms of voting -- the 18-24 group was least likely to have voted against their party. This most likely reflects their limited experience, as they haven't had many opportunities to do so. It could also suggest that younger voters are less likely to align themselves with a party in the first place, but the next section is evidence against that.
Moderates Move Around
Interestingly, moderates were more likely than any other political alignment to claim that they'd crossed lines to vote. This could mean that many of the moderates used to be aligned with a party, or that some actually do align themselves with a party, or it could just be their way of confirming that they don't stick to any one party.
Big Money Thinks Twice
Respondents who make more than $100,000 a year were more likely than any age bracket or employment status to have voted across party lines at some point. Could this mean that adaptability and independent thinking are conducive to success? Conversely, people making less than $25,000 a year were least likely to vote across lines, but they're also most likely to be under legal voting age.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about voting across party lines. We'd love to hear from you!
Bound to Cross Lines
Teens aside -- they obviously haven't done much in terms of voting -- the 18-24 group was least likely to have voted against their party. This most likely reflects their limited experience, as they haven't had many opportunities to do so. It could also suggest that younger voters are less likely to align themselves with a party in the first place, but the next section is evidence against that.Moderates Move Around
Interestingly, moderates were more likely than any other political alignment to claim that they'd crossed lines to vote. This could mean that many of the moderates used to be aligned with a party, or that some actually do align themselves with a party, or it could just be their way of confirming that they don't stick to any one party.Big Money Thinks Twice
Respondents who make more than $100,000 a year were more likely than any age bracket or employment status to have voted across party lines at some point. Could this mean that adaptability and independent thinking are conducive to success? Conversely, people making less than $25,000 a year were least likely to vote across lines, but they're also most likely to be under legal voting age.If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about voting across party lines. We'd love to hear from you!
Colin Powell is no more honorable than most other scumbag politicians. If he was, he would have admitted that this point was completely fallacious, and had nothing to do with his decision to endorse Obama.
In the meantime, you're welcome to try yourself. Google "Obama Status of Forces Agreement" and see what pops up.