Desidude666

1. Personality
2. Policies
3. Future
4. Accomplishments of the candidate
5. Party

In think these are rather normal considerations for voters these days.

What you are, you are by accident of birth; what I am, I am by myself. There are and will be a thousand princes; there is only one Beethoven. - Ludwig van Beethoven

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Burning Giraffe

1. View on the role of government.
2. Legislative/Governing history.
3. The primary principles of the candidates campaign (Is he running on cutting taxes or spending more on education?)
4. Does the candidate have a history of doing what he says and staying true to his values and beliefs.
5. Who is funding the candidates' campaign?

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National Polemic

Merantes

1. PRACTICALITY. Mostly I mean not driven by some ideology, be it religion or social political dogma. No far right, no far left.

2. ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND SCIENCE or at least numbers. Our economy is increasingly driven by new and higher tech technology and less by manufacturing. I feel there are so many technological, economic and educational benefits we could get from someone who speaks science and knew the value training the next generation to be technology-literate.

3. UNDERSTAND THE MILITARY AND MILITARY STRATEGY. Kind of like the kill a man with your bare hands idea. But I'd rather have a man who commanded a platoon, company, or battalion. Preferably theatre command experience, but that's asking for a lot. I'd prefer infantry over say air wing command too. There's an old infantry saying, "No one hates war more than soldier." Understand that, but also know how to strategize or at least understand his/her military advisers.

4. ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE. This is more nuanced than one might first think. Perhaps there is a thread here....

5. PRESENTATION. Although I hate this idea, people are far more swayed by form and image than content. Compare Obama and Bush. Nixon and Kennedy. Reagan and Carter.

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Maritxu

1- Policy/party (including typical leftist agenda )
2- opinion on human rights (includes asylum) and civil rights related issues (for example, Gay marriage)
3- Idea of fighting terrorism (investigation vs war)
4- Common sense and good oratory skills
5- Foreing policy (one that doesn't consist on kissing ass and that means standing up for what is wrong, of course peacefully)

"The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."
Thomas Paine

"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist."
Archbishop Helder Camara

Kyryahn

1- Country interest. I never vote for the french socialists because they're always promising to do popular things even when it will be negatively impacting our economy and future. Of course if you promise to raise minimum wage by 20% you'll get a ton of votes (because people vote with their interest in mind, not at all thinking about the nation as a whole first), but that's economically stupid. Typically in France we alternate with socialists who improve our overall happiness (less work hours, less pollution, more cultural events...) and destroy our economy and international competitivity, and rightists who make much less popular decisions to keep the country floating. A french commentator perfectly summed it up: the socialists are the rewarding smiling mother, and rightists are the authoritative realistic father, and a family needs both. But right now I think France needs more a father (who would give it the rightly deserved spanking).

2- Tolerance and open mindness. Even if a candidate gets elected with for example 55% of the votes, he should never forget he's also the president of the other 45%, and has the responsability to listen to them and try to catter to their needs as much as possible. All minorities (immigrants, religious ones, gays, heck even libertarians!) should have their place even without an elected representative, and my ideal society would accomodate every one of them. I'm actually quite proud the Paris mayor is openly gay, and absolutely no one (even his opposants during the 2 elections) cared.

3- Intellectual honesty. I'm tired of people SYSTEMATICALLY criticizing people from the others parties, and defending those from their own. It's amazing how, when you listen to them, their opponents never do something right. Sarkozy made a step in the right direction by nominating ministers in the opposition, but it's useless as they don't have any real independance and just apply sarkozy policies. There are smart, talented people with good ideas on both sides. What cracks me up the most is when a party in power loses an election, and when in the opposition asks to the new governement "you're not doing this, or that!"... even when they had the power themselves during 10 years but didn't do "this or that" either.

4- Charisma and eloquence. It's quite subjective, but I want someone who impresses, persuades and has a strong will. A true leader.

5- Atheism. I don't want someone gullible as a leader. I want someone objective, with a logical mind, smart and deeply anchored in reality.

It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.
- Voltaire

The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?
- Pablo Casals

chu chu rocket

What am I voting for on this thread? A president, a party, something else?

It is very funny. I like politicians that are honest, open, analytical, and have personal integrity. But I think politicians should lie, cheat, steal, lie some more and have no personal integrity to win votes. There seems to be a strange discrepancy between how I would like politicians to be, and how I think they should be in order to gain power.

milen39

Personally I would like him to stick to his word
Never Waver
Do not pay attention to polls
Don't be a radical liberal
No Racist
I guess that means NO OBAMA!!

freckles

1. How will his presidency personally affect me.
2. How will his presidency personally affect me 20 years from now.
3. How will his presidency personally affect things that affect me
4. Will I still have a job after his Presidency
5. Does he give me the heebie jeebies

In the wild, there is no healthcare. In the wild healthcare is 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me, and I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion. You're dead.