There is ZERO wrong with voting your conscience or in accordance with your firmly held beliefs. That is the ESSENCE of our founding as a nation---free and independent people getting their own personal say according to their belief system and/or worldview. One should never be ashamed or discouraged from voting on such grounds. Blind block party voting is one of the worst political events that can happen from a theoretical perspective because it gives power and entrenches the establishment elites in the major parties. Party power draws away from individual liberty.

However, every single YES vote or NO vote or ABSTAINING from voting does have consequences. So if and when anyone votes their conscience (or withholds a vote) just own up to the consequence. Consequences are very real even when standing on the soap box of conscience. But so often our votes are not actually based on conscience...something I see as a sacred reserved right...but rather based on preference and likability and/or some personal grudge. While block party voting can be very negative, sometimes there is a bigger picture that is more important than personal preferences. Each person has to weigh that on their own. Our elected Senators and Representatives and Presidents are elected to do certain things....can an unlikable person still do those things in a way to represent their state constituents and hold true to their platform? If so, then you need to decide who is really in the way. Yourself or the candidate? If it is a matter of true conscience, then every one of us should feel confident in our voting patterns.

My example: I was never and am not a Trump fanboy. I really just disliked significant portions of who his is, his actions, mannerisms, lack of character. But I voted for him anyway because Trump was a much better choice than was Hillary Clinton and for me this election had some major consequences that I could not accept if Hillary were to win. SO I had no choice but to vote for Trump because of what was at stake for that election.....and I refuse to vote Democratic because of the national party platform on multiple social issues due to the extreme moral decay of those positions----anyone hooking their traces to the D withe agrees or is too soft to stand firm so they will never get my vote. That was a test of my conscience....certain things I can never and will never support. I found a way to "die" to my preferences and actually cast my vote on conscience. Since Trump was elected I've been horrified at some of his antics and rhetoric nonsense and also very pleased with some of his policy decisions and judicial appointments. It's about like I expected on personal traits in some regard and better on actual policy and appointments.

I think this is very fitting on the Roy Moore discussion. Many do not like how he acts or how he talks or his various antics. I know I don't. But between him and a proud Democrat who is hooked to the traces of the DNC...it is very clear where my conviction and conscience stands...and this is OVER preference. Just food for thought to anyone this may apply to today.