Or the leader.

I've done all 3.

Me too Chemgal - sometimes all at the same time.

I've also been known to strategically vote against a person.

ie - if in the recent election, the best person running in your riding (in your opinion) was John Brown, and he was a Conservative, did you vote for him or for Harper and the Conservative party?   If John Brown becomes very disillusioned with Harper and the party, and refuses to toe the party line, either crossing the floor of his own accord, or getting himself kicked out, is he betraying you?  

I say 'No'.   My friend says that if you voted for him as a Conservative it is his duty to you and all those who voted for him to stay in the party and toe the party line.

What say you?

Federally I vote for the better of the Liberal or Conservative candidate. Provincially I vote for the better of the Lib. Con. or Green candidate.

Rich blessings.

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MC jae

I agree with you seeler. I would want to know from him just why it is he is crossing the floor.

Rich blessings.

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MC jae

I think it would depend on the situation, Seeler. Back in 2006, two weeks after the federal election, David Emerson - who had been elected as a Liberal - crossed the floor to the Conservative Party and joined Harper's cabinet. People in his riding were very upset and I would have been too. The reason for his crossing seemed to be entirely self-serving. 

If, however, the reasons for changing parties (or becoming an independant) had to do with a disagreement with the party policy or leader, then I would be more understanding - I would appreciate his or her willingness to stand up for what they believe in (regardless of whether I agreed with them).

I think someone who is elected has a responsibility to the people who elected them.  That's the whole point of democracy, we can't all be involved in every decision, so we elect someone to represent us.

It's easiest if it means sticking to the platform they ran on (which may or may not involve switching parties).

If they switch policies, there should be a good evidence that it is something their constitutents want.

Green or NDP

I gues my opening question wasn't clear.  I didn't mean to ask who, or what political party, you voted for.  My question was - do you vote for the person you think will best represent you, or do you vote for the party.  Do you for instance say, I'm behind Elizabeth May and the Green party all the way, or do you vote for Jim Smith who is running Green?   If Jim Smith wins his seat  and, a reasonable time later decide that he could be more effective representing his riding if he switched to NDP, would you consider that a legitimate move? 

Or John Brown, a Conservative, listening to protests from his constitutents and examening the issues decides that he cannot in good conscience vote for C-38, refuses to toe the party line and gets kicked out - how do you feel?

somegal - I remember your situation and it happened so soon, under questionable circumstances, that it did look like self-serving rather than a matter of conscience.

In the last federal election, I voted for the person in my riding.  I don't agree with the party, or the leader.

In the last provincial election, it was the party and the leader.  I got a little bit of information about the MLA, but they really weren't a deciding factor.

Other times, I have voted for a party even if I wasn't particularly happy with the leader.  For me, I can still like a party without particularly caring for the leader (although it does make it more difficult!).

I have never voted for a leader without liking the party, although I've considered it.

I have noticed when I vote FOR something, it tends to be the party or the platform.  Most of the individuals for whom I vote tend to end up as backbenchers, and a lot of times are pretty much interchangable.

When I have voted AGAINST something, it's almost always a reaction to the party leader.

A friend of mine ran for the seat in our riding when Jay Hill retired. He would have made an excellent MP because he can think critically, and cares for his community. Unfortunately, that does not get you a place in the current Conservative party. Bob Zimmer got the spot and is currently our MP.  I voted for the candidate who would most likely beat the conservative candidate. I liked the candidate, and I liked the leader, Jack Layton. This is a riding where the conservative party can run a fencepost and it will win. This applies to both federal and provnicial. We had someone run as an independent in the last provincial election. He almost made it.

If Bob Zimmer were to experience and epiphany and cross the floor, that would be delightful. It would mean he started to think critically! At the same time, if I had voted for him, I would not want him to cross the floor.

i vote conservative now, we all know the scandals that came of the liberals , such is still in peoples minds.

personally, i think i will be voting liberal next if the candidate shows imporvement.

i think its time for a switch.

MC...

I forgot to say that if my friend had been the one running, I MIGHT have voted for him.....but probably not. I did not want Harper in, and did not want to say I had voted for him. Besides, the CPC would win here easily without my vote.

Hi seeler,

Believing that politics is ultimately a social endeavour I start my political views with the smallest social unit, the individual.

Understanding that Political Parties cannot exist apart from Political Persons I continue to vote for people.

And whenever I am given the chance to tell candidates about the kind of people I will vote for I tell them.

I always vote for the person because it is only the person that I can ultimately keep accountable.

If I write a letter a week to the local paper (and they publish it as often as I write it) all my fulminations against parties blend with every letter written by evey other political crank.  If I document every time my M.P. or M.P.P. voted for measures that ran contrary to what she or he or the party promised then I have demonstrated the measure of his or her integrity.  If she or he can show why such a vote was necessary to go in a certain way beyond partisan politics then his or her integrity grows.  If not it goes into the dumpster.

Grace and peace to you.

John

First, I don't like our system as it is.  The representative is supposed to represent the electorate, but how often does that actually happen?  In reality, it works backwards; the local candidate is merely a representative of the party because he or she invariably goes along with whatever the party wants and often gets in trouble for doing something different, whether it's a matter of personal conscience or a true representation of his/her riding.  

Locally, the best candidate is always the Conservative candidate.  He's been in his position for years, he's a great speaker and comes across as intelligent and capable.  If I were voting for the person, I'd vote for him every time...but that could lead to a Conservative government. *SHUDDER!*  Even though I know that my vote essentially counts for nothing in this riding (another problem that I have with our system...I'd like to be able to vote directly for PM and Premier) as long as he's running here, I keep voting NDP.  

I recently heard a woman say, "I can't say anything against Scott (the local Conservative MP).  I taught him in Grade 6, and he is a good person.  But there is nothing he can do."  

If there is nothing a person can do, why vote for them?   I would expect my MP to listen to me, listen to the issues, and do what he (or she) thinks right, even if it means arguing and voting against his party line.  If that means getting kicked out, or voluntarily crossing the floor, then I expect him to have the courage and fortitude to do so. 

Hi Seeler: parties (plural)… Green or NDP is my choice, depending on the candidate. (I consider two parties as an "either/or".) I would not consider voting Conservative… the Liberals leave me cold.

But Mike - if your choice, say NDP (also my choice) happened to get elected and formed the government, and a year or so in he decided that the NDP was not holding up the ideals he believed in and he felt he could serve better in another party or sitting as an independent - how would you feel if he deserted the party you voted him in to serve with?   That is what I'm curious about.

I try to vote for the best candidate if I am able to learn much about that candidate.  If that person should happen to get elected, and then switched parties, I would want to know if it was a self-serving decision or an ethics based decision.

I knew which party I wanted to win this time...but the candidate in my riding had no political experience, I had never heard of them before...so I chose my second choice of parties and the candidate who represented that party in my riding, because she seemed competent and is experienced. Neither my first or second choice of party won.

The last two elections, my voting decisions have been necessarily based on, hoping for anyone but ____, and yet, not being happy with the candidate running for my choice of parties, therefore,  sheer frustration over how the voting system works.Add: I don't like having to vote strategically to try to make sure the lesser of two evils gets in to my riding, and not knowing how the vote breakdown will affect the larger picture. I don't like voting  when my choice of candidates in my riding doesn't line up with my choice of parties...and I don't understand it well. My choice of candidate would have ideally been running for another party. First past the post is too confusing and I don't think it's fair...but I cast my vote and hoped for the best.  That didn't happen.

Rhino party

Guns n ammo party, if they ever had them here

NDP(runs in the family)

I'd vote for Svend if I was in His riding

The person in my riding.

Preferably the educated one.

The party, with the understanding that whichever party rules, the back-benchers will invariably be silenced except when they have to vote the party line.