It's sad. I've been voting for the last 45 years. I don't recall ever voting FOR someone. I always seem to have to vote for the lessor of two evils. No one has ever thrilled me enough to actually vote FOR them.
I’ve been voting since 1968 when one had to be 21. Most of the time I have voted for a candidate because I wanted that candidate to win. Although I have been known to vote third party when I want both major party candidates to lose. I don’t think I ever voted for a candidate just because I decided he was the lesser of two evils or the least worse major party candidate or the candidate I wanted to lose the least. 2016 was the most recent example, both Trump and Clinton disgusted me so much, I voted third party so my vote would be officially registered as being against both. No lesser of two evils for me.
There’s been a couple of times where I voted for the losing candidate, then voted for the winning candidate over my choice, the losing candidate when reelection time came as I thought he did a very good job. The most recent example of this was in 2008, I voted for McCain then in 2012 for Obama over Romney.
I’ll add this, only one election since Gallup started keeping track of favorable/unfavorable in 1952 were both major party candidates were under 50% favorable and over 50% unfavorable. 2016, Clinton 38% favorable/56% unfavorable vs. Trump 36% favorable/60% unfavorable. We had another election where only one candidate was under 50% favorable and over 50% unfavorable. Trump in 2020 at 43% favorable/56% unfavorable. FYI Biden was at 52% favorable/46% unfavorable. There was another election where one candidate was viewed under 50% favorable but wasn’t over 50% unfavorable. 1964, Goldwater was seen 43% favorable/47% unfavorable. All other presidential candidates since 1952 were seen above 50% favorable and under 50% unfavorable.
But it looks like 2024 will be the second election where both major party candidate are seen under 50% favorable/over 50% unfavorable by all Americans. Biden currently at 39% favorable/55% unfavorable vs. Trump 41% favorable/54% unfavorable.
