What set of issues are most important to you?

[MaC]

and explain why.

(I expect no less than 35 posts here    )

[Everett]

Social and economic are both important (more or less equally) but I voted economic.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'd say economic, but I have a few social litmus tests that must be passed first. To put things in persepctive, I'd vote for Cashcow over Cosmo Kramer, but Al over Cashcow.

[KEmperor]

Well, economic is the most important simply because I need money to live.  But foreign policy is also very important to me, its in fact the reason for my current party affiliation.  Social issues vary for me.  Some are very important, others not so much.  For example, abortion is not a major issue to me at all.

[MaC]

4 people for economic.  Interesting, it seems like more than half of everything talked about here is a social issue.

[Colin]

Well, economic is the most important simply because I need money to live.  But foreign policy is also very important to me, its in fact the reason for my current party affiliation.  Social issues vary for me.  Some are very important, others not so much.  For example, abortion is not a major issue to me at all.

This is pretty much my view except with 90% of social issues 90% of the time I really don't care at all. Economic Issues and Foreign Policy Issues are the only ones that I truely believe are important. What's more important two gay people getting married or trying to cut a deficit, partial-birth abortions or a new terrorist threat, stem-cell research or nuclear proliferation. Social issues are nothing more than flashy non-issues that are easy to comprehend and make it easier to pick up support from certain groups, since getting the endorsement of Focus on the Family will probably bring in more votes than getting an endorsement from Americans for Tax Reform for instance.

[opebo]

Social issues of course.  I have little personal interest in economic issues.

[dazzleman]

Foreign policy/defense first.  If we aren't strong enough to protect our interests, little else really matters.

Foreign affairs also impact on economic issues, just as social issues impact on economic issues.  These are not three separate things that can be divorced from each other.

[Ebowed]

In order of importance to me:
1.) Social
2.) Foreign
3.) Economic

[Dave from Michigan]

hard to say for me I can't really pick one.

[Frodo]

hard to say for me I can't really pick one.

[A18]

Economic. I don't really care about social issues, so long as the obnoxious courts stay out of it.

[TheresNoMoney]

Definitely economic.

People fail to realize how important economic policies are. All other issues are usually related to economic issues (family issues, crime, education, pregnancy/abortion, etc.)

If you can strengthen the nation's economy and the economic well-being of the average American, you will see vast improvements in many other "social" and "culture" issues.

[Speed of Sound]

social issues. i stay up at night thinking about all my rights being constantly taking away for fake reasons. it makes me sick.

[The Dowager Mod]

Social

[Cashcow]

Foreign > Social > Economic. Hence why I voted for Kerry.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Depends what you mean by "social issue" really

[Emsworth]

Social issues, followed by economic ones and then by foreign policy.

[minionofmidas]

Foreign issues are economic issues.

[ilikeverin]

I'm not sure, but I do know that foreign issues are last.

I tend to agree with Scoonie here, though (?!?) economic and social issues are definitely interrelated.

[7,052,770]

economic, but all pretty important.

[Defarge]

Tie between foreign and economic, and knowing economic would get more votes I voted foreign.  If we cannot maintain security at home, what good are economic and social policies?

[jokerman]

I'd say economic, but I have a few social litmus tests that must be passed first. To put things in persepctive, I'd vote for Cashcow over Cosmo Kramer, but Al over Cashcow.

I'm not that active in practice on my social conservatism.  You can look at my Senate record.  The main reason I'm a fervent Democrat is my focus on my strong liberal economic views above my social conservatism.

[nclib]

Social issues, though all are pretty important.

[Platypus]

Witin Australia, social issues; but in relation to America, obviously foreign issues. In general, in world politics, foreign policy is the most important; so thats how I vote.

Also, foreign policy issues are VERY important within Australia, anyway. Economic issues...well, basically the major parties are essentially the same on this...moderate liberalism. ALP is more worker-friendly, but at the core they're the same. AlP about +1 on economics; Coalition +3.