Do You Have A Voting Strategy?

Marsha,

Great topic to induce a mental wake up call.  I can't boil my process to just one thing.  In spite of all the name calling, accusations, vitriol & just plain BS, I've learned a lot just on the blogs alone.  So that, combined with what I've read in neutral based info like news articles would start to form the process.  Finding the history of candidates pretty much rounds out the process.  Anything else, I would consider extraneous.

One thing that would make the decision much more difficult would be if there would be a position for over all "leader" of Clay County.  How the heck would one be able to make a decision if people like Fred, Mike Heemer were running against each other?  Throw Michael Mann into the mix & one has a real problem.  Listening to them through the various blogs at least shows that there are qualified, caring people.  At the very least, I feel confident that none of the three would pray for a biblical downpour against the opposing candidate, ala Focus On The Family.  Our three have much more class than that.  Once again, thanks for the mental wake up call.  JATFUR.

Rich K

Yes Marsha I have one.  My strategy takes a small amount of effort which most people really won't apply. First if there is an incumbent in a race I judge by whether I thik he/she is doing a good job. I like this type of term limits as we have a few first termers who need to go. If it is an open race ( no incumbent ) I make an effort to see the candidates face to face at least once. I don't judge by what they say but how they say it and their expressions. Talking at ramdom carries way more weight than reading a speech. Who is backing them and how much money is a big factor. Experience in the non gov. world is much more important than education to me. An example of 2 candidates is Chambliss and Ricks in supervisor of elections race. Chris can talk all day with passion and excitement about the office and Debbie Preaches,like a school marm to the kids, about how great she is. Stephanie thomas falls kind of between the two. Seeing this in person is a great benefit to making a choice. The candidate who impressed me most by both what he said and how he said it was Adrian Soud. Who I hand never met or heard about before. In policy positions like BCC and School Board I shy away from candidates who appear they will just blend in whith the scenery and offer no new ideas.

 I know nobody cares but this was fun and felt good

Yep. Vote against incumbents (except one), all realtors, those that are working in or recently left the office, anyone that uses two different names on the ballot and anyone that shares an address with another candidate.

There is a whole lot more to it than that but that is pretty much the way it worked out. I could have saved myself a lot of time and effort in research.

But then I wouldn't have felt that I made an informed decision. I know, that isn't the American way. You're supposed to make your choice randomly when you step into the booth. Right?

Mike Heemer

I'll agree with Mike Heemer about the things he likes to look for. Same here. However it is my opinion that local government makes it much easier to see through the lies and BS , maybe because they are close by and the connections and dirty laundry are that much closer to see.

 My confusion in voting at the moment rests in the upcoming Presidential campaigns. I'm totally lost there. Which is unusual , I'm most often very sure of who and why I want to vote for a certain President. I'm a republican, and in the past voted for republicans for President because they represented the values and things I find important. However somewhere along the line the values held by one party to the next are becoming skewed and making me reevaluate my party affliation. I cant stand McCain, Obama scares me, and at this point I dont know enough about Paul. However I know several people who are leaning towards him quite dramatically so I've been reading up to see what kind of option is there.

 In short, the options of our next President are extremely daunting,and for the first time in my life I'm wondering if I'm even going to vote at all. I'm normally someone who votes period just so my voice would be heard, but until they put a " none of these guys ,what are you people thinking !!" box in there, I'm lost. There doesnt even appear to be a lesser of two evils.

 In essence, my voting strategy comes from research. That includes independent reading from many sources,what I see from their actual behavior, whether that's on TV, in person, or even quotes through media such as these blogs. After all the facts, or unfacts ( as they are in some cases ) I tend to go somewhat with gut instinct, my own personal character evaluation. I tend to be a decent judge of character, however politics has gotten to the point where you don't know if what you are seeing is real. So everything has to be taken with a grain of salt. Everything you see and hear can be an act, bias is everywhere....and the proverbial wolf in sheeps clothing tends to apply to more candidates than not.

In the end, you hope you have the information and instinct to choose the right person. If not, then we ALL have to rely on the systems in our goverment and our OWN participation in our government to hold our politicians ACCOUNTABLE!!

Goverment does NOT stop at the polls. It is vital that we all take part in how our government behaves and what choices it makes!

Miani

When it comes to voting for President, I have made up my mind about who will get my vote. I’m not dancing in the street about the choice I’ve made because I don’t see anything stellar about either candidate. They are both senators and one has more experience than the other. Neither one has outlined any definitive planks in a platform that they can claim as a goal for their administrations. If the Democrat wins, he will be able to claim that he is the first black to occupy the oval office. If the Republican wins, somebody will dig up something that he is first at. It seems that both candidates are running for President because the seat is open and somebody has to fill it.

Both have mentioned some of the things that concern Americans today but neither have offered a viable solution to anything. At least Obama has taken a major step in the energy crisis by telling us to put a few extra pounds of air in our tires but little else. It’s not as if there aren’t any problems that need the full attention of our executive branch but these two guys sure aren’t knocking themselves out to prove they’ve found the roadmap to direct our way.

My strategy is to vote for the most conservative canidates.  That simple. 

Steve, while I tend to agree with that philosophy, I believe this time around it would require a micrometer to determine that one. And as most American's are unfamiliar with the Metric System, the old coin flip will have to do. :>)

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

You eliminated almost all of the candidates with that criteria!

"Submitted by finder on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 12:34pm.

Yep. Vote against incumbents (except one), all realtors, those that are working in or recently left the office, anyone that uses two different names on the ballot and anyone that shares an address with another candidate."

I feel that if a candidate cannot look you in the eye I don't vote for them. If they don't give a clear answer to an issue, even if the answer is that they need to research the problem further, I don't vote for them. If they have no experience in anything remotely close to the office they are running for, they have no business running, I don't vote for them. Obviously if I don't agree with what they stand for, I don't vote for them. If a candidate does not meet my idea of a public servant, they are trying to climb the political ladder, and in my opinion, that is NOT what this county needs. I agree with MagnumForce on another thread, endorsements don't mean a thing to me.

To answer Marsha's original question, I pray, I go with what I know, and let my best instincts be my guide. 

But not all of them. It certainly narrowed the field though didn't it? Getting rid of the dead wood right up front certainly makes decisions easier.

You cut your choices from 3 to 2 or in some cases 1 then you decide if you even want to vote in that race.  

Mike Heemer

Thanks everyone for your contributions, it was just what I was hoping for. I learn something new everyday in talking to other citizens here on the blogs.

Mike I agree with your theory about Realtors, or more specifically Watson Realtors, or any one "group".

I am however endorsing JD for D5, if I recall the BBQ correctly he does not work for Watson.

Clarity did you happen to see the debate between Jay Plotkin and Angela Corey last night?  He had his nose stuck in the air literally and his eyeballs were shifting and blinking so fast there was probably a wind current. 

Ex I am with you, I watch body language alot and there is nothing that turns me quicker then a canned answer that answers nothing.  If you don't have the kahunas to stand up for your own beliefs that I have no faith you will stand against something when you should. 

I always vote to oust Judges, or vote against their relatives, there is too much political inbreeding for my taste. 

Steve how do you know who's the most conservative?  You take their word for it right?

Miani not participating resolves nothing ;-)

Rich, I don't believe Fred or Mike Heemer would run against each other, I think they would work together for the welfare of the county, one would run, the other would support. 

There are some write in's for State Offices, you can find out who they are from the SOE website. 

http://www.ctlac.com/

I don’t vote for anyone trying to ride in on daddy’s coat tail or another relative that has held off. I vote to remove all of the Florida District Court of Appeals and Supreme Court Judges. Also long time politicians look out I do all I can to help you out too.

Marsha;

I'm not in D5 so I didn't have to make the company distinction. But incumbency would have taken presedence if I were then I'm down to two choices instead of 3.

Rich, I don't believe Fred or Mike Heemer would run against each other, I think they would work together for the welfare of the county, one would run, the other would support. 

You are absolutely correct. It is not too early to start thinking about two years from now if the voters decide to keep the +2.   

Mike Heemer

I printed a sample ballot yesterday and I have three selections to make for state committeewoman, precinct committeeman and precinct committeewoman. Can someone tell me what this is? I don't recall seeing on any other ballot. Also, is Debbie Ricks and Deborah L. Ricks the same person? Thanks

Sam;

One and the same. Thus my eluding to people using two different names on the ballot.

Those spots you are asking about are strictly party positions. State and precinct. They would be your choices to run the Republican Party.

If you happen to be in precinct 414 or 408 (and maybe others) you'll see what I meant about sharing an address.

Mike Heemer

I had read your earlier post but hadn't printed my ballot yet. Interesting what some politicians try to get away with! Thanks again.

What a great thread. 

I find myself studying the local candidates contributions and expenses listings. 

Only one candidate (at large, chair) has even bothered to venture south of State Road 16.  It looks like South Green Cove and Keystone are screwed again. 

Please go to:

 http://spayusa.org/media/pdfs/Cats_Multiply_Pyramid.pdf

 http://spayusa.org/media/pdfs/Dogs_Multiply_Pyramid.pdf

and the next time you meet someone that wants to "help the poor, stray, hungry animal" by "just feeding it", please share this info.

Thank You

Marcia,

Let me begin by saying THANK YOU! I can’t tell you how much that means to me.

Mike,

Please sir, lumping all REALTORS® into one group and calling the entire group bad is just plain silly!

<>You see, as in all walks of life there are those professionals you would use over and over and there are those that you regret ever meeting. It could be your dentist, your doctor, your banker, your baker or your auto mechanic. When you find a good one you go back again and again. When you find a bad one you look elsewhere. When you meet a real estate professional that works 100% for the customer’s interest, looking for ways to save the customer money on either side of the transaction, helping to find the best program available for the first time home buyer, and giving back to the community they live in without concern for how it will benefit them then you have found gold!

A true real estate professional is concerned about the community in which they live and work.

I was not always in real estate. I like to say I am a recovering electrical engineer. After I returned from Viet Nam in the late 60’s I went to work in the telecommunications industry. It did not take long for me to realize that I wanted an education, something my parents could not afford to give me, so I worked full time and went to school. School was often interrupted and then life took a turn for the worse. My late wife was diagnosed with a terminal illness and the doctors recommended moving to someplace warm with high humidity. Bingo, here we came. The nearest place I could continue my education at the time was Gainesville (UF) but my job was in Jacksonville. So my education was placed on hold. After her death in 1984 I took advantage of job opportunities and was able to move around the country, grabbing some education where I could. I was eventually promoted to Senior Engineer and designed the first useable system for using the internet in a mobile environment. This was in 1996 and it became the prototype for all of today’s wireless web browsing. This was in and around our nations capitol, Washington D.C. I eventually went to work for Qwest Wireless however due to some shenanigans by the CEO of Qwest (The Worldcom/Global Crossing/Qwest triangle) the company went out of business. I had 33 years total in the business at that time and 33 years of retirement was mostly lost as well. Nobody would hire an engineer over 50 so my choice was go on welfare or learn a new profession. I decided to learn real estate.

While I was working in Florida in telecommunications the big Quality Push hit this country. The company I was working for jumped on the quality bandwagon. Over a ten year period they gave an annual award for top quality work to someone among the over 10,000 employees. I actually worked for two different divisions of the company and won the award twice in the first division and again two different years at the second. Later they stopped giving this nice award (It was cash!) because they said the same people kept winning! (I don’t know who the other 6 were but I got 4 out of 10 – woo hoo!).

I have been wracking my brain to think of another profession that works out in the community (read that as county) on a daily basis, helping people solve problems. In my particular branch of real estate I work in property management. This has been a great blessing because many people have to move from their homes for family or business reasons but in today’s market homes are not selling well or for a decent price (it’s decent if you’re buying). These people need a solution and that solution is often property management. Instead of selling the house we find a good tenant to pay rent and most if not all of the mortgage. (My philosophy is I only take good houses and fill them only with good people).

Coming back to quality. We are measured by a 3rd party similar to JD Powers (Quality Service Corporation) where our customers are surveyed for their satisfaction and my job performance. In 2005 I won the Platinum Award from QSC, the highest award given in the real estate industry. I am very proud of that.

The advantages of a real estate professional (a good one) as a county commissioner is that they are all over the county and see problems first hand. They are always talking to people in neighborhoods, learning about the good, the bad and the ugly. They see the roads that are falling apart. They get caught in all the traffic jams when rushing to an appointment. They see smiling faces of the happy people and the scowls of the unhappy people. A good real estate professional has his/her pulse on the community, I believe, more so than any other profession I can think of.  

I am sure there are many very qualified people in other walks of life that would love to run for office but their careers prohibit it  In real estate we set our own schedules and my priority schedule would always be the county commission comes first.  I have notified the owners of the properties I manage and they support my decision to be a commissioner because they know that although they will be second they won’t be forgotten

I am about to publish my bio on www.clayelections.com there will be a few more tidbits of information there including my involvement as a volunteer in government and community activities.

Mike, please attend the debate Thursday evening at Lake Asbury Jr. High at 7 PM. Mr. Rutledge has invited myself and Ronnie Robinson to good old fashioned debate, not like those CNN format forums we have had in the past. I am hoping we will be using the World Wrestling Federation rules. Questions will be taken from the audience and we will go at it until the school throws us out or the last question is answered. I hope we have a great turnout. This is only for the candidates in District 5 and the last chance to see us head to head.

Good luck in November Mike.

JD

Pd. Pol. Adv. Paid for and approved by JD Weisenburger, Republican, for County Commission

JD;

I was being a smart alec in my post and made perhaps a poor attempt at sarcasm. I'm in D1 and probably should have specified that.

I don't have an issues with realtors per se. I just have an issue with the feeling that Watson seems to be trying to take over the board.

Now that may be just a perception but in this case, my perception is their reality. But I really did spend a lot of time studying the candidates. As you know, I was at a lot of the forums. I wasn't there just to hand out a few cards and fliers.

Although I am not in D5 I may just try to make it there anyway. I hope the AC is working well. I'd expect it will get a little warm in there with R & R going at each other. You may want to rent a flak jacket or at least stay out of the line of fire.

Mike Heemer

I don't have what might be called a strategy.  I'd like to think it's a habit.  I review established news sources from the political spectrum.  Campaign material is perused but only for background and resume' type material that is easily confirmed.  The amount of material for national candidates is overwhelming with the internet; but, still, I always consider the source.  Local elections can be more difficult in that depending on the size of the locale, there may be scant published information on a qualified candidate and one's friends and acquaintences may not know the individual.  Incumbancy is not an issue for me.  I've seen too many good imcumbants lose primarily because they were office holders to vapid candidates playing on the electorate's general unhappiness.  Party plays a role to a certain degree, but is definately not the primary criteria.  I've seen weak candidates from a wide variety of parties. 

So, basically, my belief in a participatory democracy (or democratic republic) means that I have to simply pay attention and, as ex-officio above put forth some effort.

Good question, Marsha.

I agree Dan should win but I worry that not enough people know who he is and will over look him or figure he doesn't have a chance. Truth is as long as I can remember the best candidates face an up holl battle. Finacial backers don't like candidates who care about the co.  WHAT'S THE LATEST ON FRED?

ex-oficio, just read where both state and federal courts have ruled against him.  Too bad as he seemed very interestd in serving.  Maybe he'll run again.

Too bad about Fred and his misinformation from the SOE office. With the recent blunders coming from that office. They should place a sign on the door. Although we are paid (taxpayers dollars) as qualified personnel no information from this office should be deemed to be correct. Use it at your own risk. At least people would know where they stand when asking questions. It makes you wonder about the voting we are doing too.

Although I think JD has some impressive attributes. I cannot support his idea of a regional transportation authority.

The Orlando-Orange Expressway Authority which Thrasher is a lobbyist for. Has seen it's share of problems. I would guess they would be a huge supporter of the beltway and tolls. Another layer of government we don't need in Clay County.

http://www.tollscreategridlock.org/oocea-corruption.html

Marsha,

My compliments on a great thread

Mike

Apology accepted

Angela,

What I am really saying is that we need something more than the JTA to provide regional mass transit. I am NOT in favor of any kind of a Toll Road, I have seen that failure in Orlando. I am NOT in favor of Light Rail unless the Federal Government were to provide 99% of the funding. I would like to see some form of relief for our snarled traffic situation and I am open to hearing all suggestions. Clay County is geographically challenged with the river on one side and most of the jobs being in mainly one direction.

It is my firm belief that the MPO only considers what they think is a good thing for Jacksonville and the outlying counties should stop bothering them. That's why I would like to see a regional transportation authority.

I hope the 'splains in better.

Bless you for your input.

JD.

PS somebody mentioned Biblical Downpours I hope it's not one my opponents doing the praying

Pd. Pol. Adv. Paid for and approved by JD Weisenburger, Republican, for County Commission

You bring up another strategy that I'd not mentioned nor did you in your original response.  It's worth some discussion.  You used JD as an example.  Do some people not vote for a Candidate simply because they think they cannot win?  Isn't that rather like not bothering to sandbag in the flood because you're only one person and do not consider the power of your own participation within the multitude?

Will anything ever change so long as people vote based upon who they believe can win?  There are many many stories throughout history of overcoming odds when people join together.  JD has the least amount of political baggage, he's a clean slate not only for D5, but the BCC itself.  

I'm not going to base my vote based on the odds of winning, we the voters create those odds.  I'm applying some faith in the fact that there are alot of voters out there like me who are tired of the political patronage to special interests in this county. 

Voting for someone because you think that is who will win is not (to me) independent rationale but a "pack" form of thinking. 

http://www.ctlac.com/

Special interest groups are always the ones that seem to draw the most interest. It seems they have the deep pockets to support whatever person or people that will pay attention to their needs, wants and desires.

Tonite I shall make a Revelation! I will reveal who my special interest group is. Of course I'll be sure to point out my opponents group(s) as well.

See you at 7!

JD

PS Marsha, don't panic, I'm sure you'll approve.

Pd. Pol. Adv. Paid for and approved by JD Weisenburger, Republican, for County Commission