[Crazy Dazz]

Something I have observed in many different forums is just how stuck in out-dated traditions many Australian men are when it comes to politics. There are four attitudes that I find particularly annoying:
1) I'm an “A,” so I MUST vote for party “X.” (Where A can be just about any irrelevant label.)
2) I support Party X, so ALL their leaders are Great Australians, ALL their policies are wonderful and what's best for the universe, and I will support them with my dying breath. Of course ALL the leaders of Party Y are liars and transvestites, and ALL their policies are the epitome of evil.
3) Even though it is universally acknowledged and accepted that my party is strongest on ROUND issues and their opposition strongest on SQUARE issues. I will argue til I'm blue in the face that my party is better for the SQUAREness of Australia.
4) I am passionate about Widgets, I have devoted my entire life to Widgetism, and I bleed Widget. Yet when party X plans to ban Widgets, and party Y plans to invest Billions in Widget centres, I make up all sorts of spurious stories about how my Party’s aggressive ANTI-widget stance is actually the best thing since sliced bread.

Now in case you can’t tell, all of the forgoing descriptors are generic and can be applied to just about anyone and any party. Nor does anything there apply to directly to any current issue relevant to this forum.

This thread is about men’s irrational devotion to voting one way or the other, irrespective of current affairs. Please feel free to debate, but a warning to us all; starting saying “Party X is better because…” or otherwise turn this into a slanging match, and I predict this thread’s (limited) lifespan will be reduced dramatically.

The one specific thing I will say is this: I am passionate about the Falcon, the Australian Automotive Industry, and Australian Manufacturing Employment in General.
(I understand that you can be a motoring enthusiast and even a FORD enthusiast, without sharing those passions, that’s just where I'm at.)
Personally, in regards to this, I see no major difference between the attitudes and policies of the major parties. (And please don’t start with “Party X is better because…” I'm simply stating MY personal opinion with which the MAJORITY will disagree one way or the other.)
If one of the major parties clearly, demonstrably, and dramatically changed their policies to drastically protect Australian Manufacturing & Jobs, THAT WOULD be a vote-winner for ME.