FROM: DICK BROWN
RE: ELECTION SURVEY RESULTS---THE VOTE
DATE: DECEMBER 14, 2016
Right after the general election I wanted to do something useful, so I decided to do a survey of people to see how they felt about the outcome. The first wave I sent out to my E-mail contacts. Later I interviewed people on the street, in a bar, at soup sales, at meetings and the family gathering at Thanksgiving. There is survey information from 76 individuals. The sample included people from age 14 to 94---an 80 year span. Both voters and nonvoters were surveyed. In this document each person is identified by a #.
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULTS---
SANDERS------18
CLINTON-------15
O'MALLEY-----1
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RESULTS---
TRUMP-------18
CRUZ----------5
BUSH----------1
CARSON------1
KASICH-------1
GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS---
CLINTON------41
TRUMP---------25
STEIN-----------3
JOHNSON-----1
PRIMARY ELECTION---REAS0NS FOR SUPPORTING CANDIDATES
BUSH---
At the time (February, New Hampshire) he appeared the best to win. (#18)
CARSON---
Because Obama's administration was a disaster, country off track.(#71)
CRUZ---
He seemed to be forthright and believable in his ideas and didn't cater to the opposition. (#65) Returned to conservative principles. (#69)
Not Donald Trump.(#36)
KASICH---
Good thinker and solid experience.(#77)
TRUMP
He is a person who will be in it for the good of the common people. Not a puppet with strings. (#15) Need to change.(#22)
This country needs a lot of restructuring, including the economy, taxes, health insurance, defense, immigration and I believe he can do a lot to make America a stronger country, here and abroad.(#4)
For a more conservative Supreme Court. (#7)
Because I loathed Cruz. (#26) ) Tired of politics. Need change.(#28) Change. Tired of politics.(#29) I am a Republican and a conservative and I do not understand the liberal agenda.(#40) Make America great again.(#42) Cause Hillary is a crook and let four people die in Bengazi.(#43) What he talked about needed to get done.(#44)
STEIN---
I am registered with the DC Statehood Green Party and Washington, DC has a "closed" primary system. If DC had an "open" primary system, I would have voted for Bernie Sanders. I have supported the Greens and Bernie Sanders because I agree with their stated positions (especially concerning the ruinous influence of "big money" on our politics), I appreciate that they "walk the talk" and didn't/don't accept money from corporations and "Super PACs."(#13)
SANDERS
Environment(#2)
His populist message, focus on wealth inequality, opposition to the Iraq War, and general integrity. Also refusal to have a Super PAC. (#16)
He was the most authentic candidate (#19)
As eminently qualified as Clinton is to be president, I doubted her availability to govern in the current climate in DC. People have had a knee-jerk hatred of her for decades and it seemed that if she were to be elected she'd be bogged down with fabricated scandals and face even more obstructionism than Obama. (#5) I thought, and still think, Sander's proposals would be best for the country.(#12) I wanted universal health care. I wanted social security benefits increased. I believe in him.(#11) Spoke the truth. We need national healthcare and affordable higher education. We need action on climate change. We need a voice against unfettered capitalism. Inclusive of all groups. United we stand.(#9)
Philosophy, Not beholden to nor part of Wall Street and the 1%.(#8) Our democracy is corrupted by too much money. Sanders seemed sincere about fighting that and Clinton not so much. His grass-roots energy, rather then Clinton's establishment ties, seemed best for the long-term health of progressive politics and the Democratic Party.
Need to address higher thinking. Education is important.(#35) Socialist values. (#61)Remove inequity. (#62) I agreed with him. (#66) Mostly liberal, progressive. (#72) He was an alternative to the norm who wasn't emotionally unstable. (#75)
Felt his stance on education reform and holding Wall Street accountable would benefit the country.(#76) Thought better chance of winning.(#24) Better ideas. Out front.(#25)
O'MALLEY
I thought that both Hillary and Bernie had some potential problems, and at the time of the Iowa Caucus I thought it was too soon to narrow the Democrat’s choices to those two.(#21)
CLINTON
Because she promotes implementation of issues I care about. (#17) I always support my party's candidate as long as they support the platform of the Democratic Party.(#12) Didn't think Bernie could win the general and I wanted to see a woman in office.(#10) She was the Democratic candidate and Trump was frightening.(#8) Best equipped candidate always liked her–better than Bill also would like to see a girl get the job.(#33) Woman (#60) Established, Experience. (#67)
She is intelligent, capable and has a lot of great experience.(#73) Most prepared, was impressed by Bengazi inquisition 11 hour under attack and she still put Republican bullies in their place.(#74) Better candidate, felt Bernie was too radical and not practical. (#3)
GENERAL ELECTION---REASONS FOR SUPPORTING CANDIDATES
CLINTON
Environment/social issues(#2) It was a vote against Trump, not for Clinton. (#19) Because realistically one of two people was going to be president, and Trump was a hell no. The idea of her as president didn't excite me but I thought it would be fine and we might make modest progress on important issues. (#16) Trump is a catastrophe.(#5) Qualifications, good sense.(#20)
Didn't want Trump.(#11) Having seen Hillary in action, I had a growing respect for her, and Trump was out of the question, as far as I was concerned. A third-party choice would have been throwing my vote away.(#21) She was obviously the more competent of the two.(#10) Qualified, adopted Bernie's platform, understands what it means to be a public servant, educated, inclusive, trail blazer, not an idiot.(#9) She had more background and experience than any other candidate on either side.(#23)
Trump is a and will be a disaster. Hillary knows what she's doing.(#25)
I did not think she would solve any of our major problems, but she at least exists in the reality based community, whereas Trump and his followers seem divorced from reality. 4 to 8 years of status quo was not a thrilling prospect, but she is competent, whereas Trump is not. Politicians that are given to strange fantasies and conspiracy theorizing can act in extremely destructive ways. (#32) Trump is a farce. He epitomizes the opposite of every value I hold dear.(#33) Wanted to see the first woman president and she had experience and wisdom to lead the country.(#34) She has been at this a long time. She could've shown the way toward a more enlightened society.(#35) She was the better candidate.(#37)
Better stability as a person, way more experience.(#38) She was always my girl. Cares about kids. E-mail– horse shit. No time for Trump.(#52) Didn't want Trump to win.(#56)
Democrat(#60) Thought she was better qualified. Trump scares me. (#64) Couldn't stand Trump. (#66) Trump was unfit to be president. (#67)
Better than the other candidate. (#68)Better choice. (#70) No other choice. (#72) Trump terrifies me---he is a misogynist, racist, bigot, who is not to be trusted with our democracy.(#73) OMG, the other choice, so glad she was there to give substance to the presidency and she is the best choice for our country.(#74) Donald Trump is not safe for America. (#75) Believe she values women's rights. She is intelligent, thorough and thinks through her decisions.(#76) Wanted to see a woman president, best qualified. (#3)
TRUMP
Because Obama's administration was a disaster, country on wrong track. (#71) He is a person who will be in it for the good of the common people. Not a puppet with strings. (#15) Could not vote for Clinton. Want a change. A businessman sounds good. (#18) Nominate a conservative Supreme Court justice.(#4) I feel that is what I have learned in life. What i saw in war-torn Danzig, Poland as a sixteen year old, July 1946 and in North Korea while I was in the Army.(#7) Corrupt politicians in Washington.(#22) Because I loathed Clinton. (#26) I regretfully voted for Donald Trump. I am more or less voted for him because I did not like Clinton's policies.(#27. He spoke out loud what I have been questioning for years(#40)
Drain the swamp.(#42)
Back to traditional money saving ways.(#43) Jobs, securing the border.(#44) Did not completely buy into him, but someone had to shake things up.(#45) Because I believe illegal immigrants should be in jail or not in the US.(#48) Need things cleaned up in Washington. And flat tax rate.(#49) Don't believe in liberal agenda(#51) Too many things went backwards in the last eight years. Hillary's ethics.(#55) I did not believe much of what he said during the campaign. It was meant to bring support. (#65) Hillary should be in jail. (#69)
STEIN---
Given the continued existence of the out-of-date Electoral College (and FEC rules that give money to parties that receive 5% of the popular vote [Ross Perot's Reform Party only one to do this so far] ), I believe in (what I think is called) "strategic voting." Essentially, if someone like me lives in a solidly Democratic (or conversely, a solidly Republican) state, then she/he should feel free to vote for the candidate with the beliefs and proposals closest to those of the voter. If the voter lives in a "battleground"/"swing" state, then I ask her/him to "hold their nose" and vote for the "lesser of two evils" of the two major party candidates, who in my opinion (at least since William Jennings Bryan in 1900) has been the Democratic candidate. I support reforms like Maine's recently-passed ballot initiative (Question5) that implement ranked-choice or "instant-runoff" voting systems that allow voters to reflect their first and second choices which would greatly reduce the unnecessary, forced choice of either "throwing away your vote" when voting for the candidate one believes in OR voting for the "lesser of two evils."(#13) Did not Like either of major candidates. Close to green. (#46) Socialist views. (#61)
JOHNSON---
Protest vote against both parties.(#36)
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