If you've already chosen a presidential candidate, could anything change your mind?

[kranky]

P&N got me thinking about this but it's not really a political question, it's more of how people think. From reading threads there as well as talking with co-workers, most people will cling to their choice no matter what, once they've identified themselves as supporting a particular candidate. [Let's ignore the possibility of some bombshell revelation like "It's been revealed that Candidate Smith is a convicted barnyard rapist".]

I have some co-workers who are generally open-minded but on the issue of who they support for president, I don't think anything could sway them. If their candidate announced support for seizing their neighborhood to turn it into a nuclear waste dump, they would just say "Yeah, I'm going to miss my home, but that's why I admire Candidate Smith because he will make those tough choices."

I would expect that as people learn more about the various candidates, it would be natural for many people to realize they really prefer someone different than their original choice. As the campaign progresses, we know far more now about each candidate than we did before everything ramped up. I wouldn't think less of anyone who did change - the more you know, the more informed the choice.

But another possibility is that the people who won't change are only a small percentage and those who are flexible just don't talk/post about it.

This is not about particular candidates, just the concept in general.

 

[reeserock]

I know absolutely who I am NOT voting for, but remain flexible on the ones still on my list.

 

[dug777]

Ron Paul's inflation arguments are hilarious.

ZOMG M3 MONEY SUPPLIEZ HAXXORED MY HOUSE PRICE, LOL!!11!11!!1!!!

EDIT: That aside, we don't have a presidential system, so I'm not sure how I'd react.

I vote for a party, and certainly my perception of the leader of that party influences my voting, because he/she will be Prime Minister, but they're not the be-all and end-all of the matter by a long shot...

EDIT2: Hey, I saw what you just did there I'll shut up now.

 

[sao123]

I think what you'll find is a majority of people vote straight balot...

First there are those who just vote on the party... im a democrat so I vote democrat.
or they find 1 candidate for the most important office (lets say president) and then vote his party.


Personally I think straight party voting should be eliminated... because most people who vote straight party are voting uninformed about all the lesser elections.

 

[FoBoT]

for the first time in my life i have given money to a candidate, so i made my mind up on a republican candidate early


however, my state has an open primary system, so there is a chance i would cross over and vote in the democrat primary to vote against Clinton ( ie vote for Obama) if my candidate is either leading the polls or has no chance to win missouri based on the polls. or maybe if clinton and obama are very close in the missouri polls to help clinton lose another state on Super Tuesday

if you are talking strictly issues, the guy i support most closely matches my stand on issues, so there isn't really anything to figure out or decide in terms of issues, it is clear

 

[Queasy]

With this election, there isn't a candidate I support as much as there are a couple of candidates I despise and other candidates that I despise less. I haven't picked anyone to support at this juncture, in other words. So, I'm still very much in flux on who I may vote for.

That said, all it takes is scandal (ala Gary Hart) to knock someone out.

 

[Anubis]

PUMPKIN PIE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[piasabird]

In China when there was a new king they use to kill all the cronies belonging to the last king. I wonder if that is a good model to follow. I think it is all the Cronies in Washington that keep messing things up. Bush has his cronies and Clinton has her cronies. I guess whoever gets elected will have their own cronies and will not have a clue how to lead the country, just like everyone else that was elected.

Maybe we should have an Anti-Cronie Party.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: reeserock
I know absolutely who I am NOT voting for, but remain flexible on the ones still on my list.

Agreed. Obama or McCain would be nice. If Hillary gets elected, I'm moving to Australia

 

[mugs]

My candidate won't get the nomination, so that would cause me to change my vote, but it wouldn't cause me to change my mind about him.

My candidate is so different from every other candidate that I don't think I could learn much more about him that would cause me to change my mind.

If I found out my candidate did something atrocious like eat babies, I wouldn't vote for him but it wouldn't change my mind about his views.

 

[torpid]

Theoretically, I could change my vote. However, all the ridiculous nonsense the candidates spew from their mouths would never change my mind. None of them will ever actually speak their mind and be honest about what they can accomplish as president. A president is not omnipotent and does not replace congress, the UN, the entire government of china, bill gates, or anything like that. Yet their impressive speechification will include many promises that would require them to have such powers. The only way I can have my opinion swayed is to actually believe something they say, which is unlikely unless there is an "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" moment.