What could the Democrats or Republicans do to get your vote?

1. The biggest issue right now is foreign policy especially stopping our excessive use of military power.

Any party I will support will follow international law and support human rights including habeus corpus for citizens and non-citizens alike. They will categorically reject torture. They will never support pre-emptive wars.

2. The second issue is civil rights. A party I will support will support racial equality and will support and encourage diversity.

This will include oposing the insertion of religion in public institutions, and taking away the rights of Americans to celebrate their own culture.

This also means that laws and rights will be followed as part of law enforcement- i.e. wiretapping will require a warrant.

3. The third issue for me is compassion and justice for people less fortunate.

As a civilized and wealthy country, the number of people without access to healthcare is shameful. Any party will support public investment (i.e. taxes) that is invested in intelligent ways. Investments in education and housing are necessary.

Addressing poverty and inequality doesn't mean give-aways with nothing in return. It means intelligent investment that will give people the opportunity to get out of poverty through education and opportunity.

Another important part of this is supporting the rights of workers and consumers against corporations. I am not anti-corporation, but I want government to act as a mediator in between corporations (who have disproportionate amount of power) and workers and consumers who are often run over in the name of profits.

A party that doesn't stand for public investment in areas like education, housing, public health and public transportation will not have my support.

I will not support a Democrat until they change their party platform.
They believe that abortion is a womans right due to the Constitutional right to privacy, which the Constitution DOES NOT give us an absolute right to privacy. There are a lot of good Dems that I would vote for, but will not as long as....
My three all time favorite Dems are, Sam Nunn, Zell Miller, & Gene Taylor.
I can't tell much difference in the R's & D's, with the exception of the party platforms.

I usually vote Libertarian unless there's no one running. Then I will vote Democrat. Republicans have strayed so far from their own beliefs there is nothing they could do or say to make me vote for them.

Ideally, the party I would support would be the opposite of Bush in foreign policy.
It would support Americans well being over and above the multinational corporations.
It would stand for a woman's right to choose.
Civil rights would be big for me. Tear down the 700 mile wall before it gets built.
Universal health care.
Restore Social Security, instead of reform by gutting it more and more every few years.
Allow personal liberty in choosing medical treatment, instead of being led by the drug companies.

LSM likes Democrats who betray their party.

Madam,

I understand that abortion is a big issue for many people and I think you are saying that for you abortion is an critical issue for anyone you would vote for (and I have a couple of critical issues as well although abortion isn't one of those for me).

But, you are wrong about the reasoning of Democrats.

Most Democrats believe that a woman should have the freedom to make this very personal decision without government interference. The right to privacy issue was central in the Roe v. Wade decision, but for Democrats who insist that abortion should be legal, the term "right to privacy" is rarely used. There are even stronly pro-choice people I have spoken to who think that the Roe v. Wade decision was legally wrong-- they still feel very strongly that abortion should be legal on moral grounds.

I don't think this invalidates your point that you won't vote for someone who accepts legal abortion... but I am just correcting your interpretation of why people disagree with you on this issue.

ebrown_p, however, a right to abortion is in the D platform, which is my reason for not voting for a Democrat. that is what the author of the thread asked.