Oh Finny - don’t waste your intellect on voting based on principle.
The majority of voters don’t perform ‘due diligence’ on their public servants - they probably do more comparison shopping for hamburger meat.
I’m going with this ‘very sound’ science:
Of 44 Presidential last names -
16 ended with the letter ‘N’.
23 had 2 syllables.
Obviously - it will be either Clinton or Portman;)
Seriously, though, it is misguided to describe my thinking as "voting on principle."
I used to vote on principle -- the principle that the Republican was bound to be better than the Democrat, the principle that Republicans represent the philosophy of LIMITED GOVERNMENT in direct opposition to the Democrat philosophy of EXPANDED GOVERNMENT.
I also used to vote on the principle that voting for the Republican was equivalent to voting "against" the Democrat.
I have finally figured out, "principles" be damned, MATH is the only thing that counts.
MATHEMATICALLY, if I vote for a Republican who will implement part or all of the leftist agenda if he/she wins, mathematically and materially I voted FOR moving things left, though I voted "in principle" to move things right.
That the majority don't perform due diligence is human nature and to be expected; it is freedom loving Americans' duty to inform our friends and fellow Americans as best we can, where and when we can.
HOWEVER, it is quite clear that most Americans recognize a charade when they see one -- they did enough due diligence to recognize that the dif between Obama and Romney was so minor as to make "choosing" a waste of time in 2012, as it would make no appreciable dif in the long run as to which one won.
I make it a point to read the comments at MSM news sites, especially ones in liberal cities like Los Angeles. I've being doing it for years, exploring American territory where the MSM (and the vast majority of FReepers) fear to tread.
My informed point of view is that American voters are a heck of a lot smarter (and a whole lot angrier at leftism, Obama, and MSM bias) than most conservatives give them credit for, and that liberals/leftists are the minority in America. If they weren't, they wouldn't have to CHEAT.