For all the U.S. Hog’s Head patrons, Happy Election Day to all.
Here’s a blast from the primary past – How Would Harry Vote? (Hog’s Head PubCast #48 – I’ve attached it to this post, so the player is below), which includes my random speculations about which Potter character would vote for which candidate in the primaries.
So let’s have a little fun today. (And keep it fun – no plugs for candidates or political debate). Of the current candidates for president (and I mean all of them, not just the two major parties), take your best guesses about which Potter character would vote for which candidate for president – and back up your guess! Why do you think character X would vote for candidate Y? What about character X makes you think s/he would be inclined toward that candidate?
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Red Rocker on 
korg20000bc on 
Black Angus on 
Travis Prinzi on 
Arabella Figg on 
Joivre on 
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah, Travis, you won’t sucker me in on this. You can’t not say why a character would vote for a particular candidate without explaining the political reasons which leads straight into political debate. Nope, not going there.
Sure, you can! Watch: Dumbledore would vote for the libertarian candidate, because he clearly has a suspicion of the temptations involved with power – so he would seek to limit governmental power.
Now, anyone can agree or disagree with that, based only on what Dumbledore believes (not on what you believe).
Despite considerable pressure from the party insiders, Dumbledore would have firmly rejected the Republican nomination. He would also have regretfully rejected the Democratic nomination, despite late-night visits from two ex-presidents. Not even an EKG of the Republican candidate, superimposed on a picture of the Governor of Alaska, would have deflected him from his resolve that he was not to be trusted with power. Instead, he would secretly support Obama but he would strategically endorse Barr in order to bleed the conservative vote away from McCain in closely contested states.
The Malfoys and Blacks and all the pureblood families would vote for Chuck Baldwin and his paleoconservative stance on nativism.
Ron would vote for Charles Jay and the Boston Tea Party because he’d assume there would be food involved.
After undergoing detox and a 21-day program, Winky would support Gene Amondson and the Prohibition Party.
Hermione would vote for Brian Moore of the Socialist Party because of his work in the Peace Corps and his support for the underprivileged and the party’s stance against racism, sexism and classism. She would probably support the evolutionary rather than revolutionary transition to socialism. She would of course be the editor of the quarterly newsletter Socialist Women.
As an embittered, vindictive and eternal outsider, Snape would support Ralph Nader.
Fred and George would vote for Bob Barr and the Libertarians because of their laissez-faire stance on markets and the economy.
Neville would vote for Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party. No explanation needed.
Harry would not vote unless his scar started aching.
Let me try. Snape would vote for Ralph Nader because he sympathizes with a candidate who has ran for president multiple times and never won. Snape has filed for the DADA position every year for over a decade and was turned down until Harry’s sixth year. Plus it doesn’t hurt that Nader was with the Green party (although Nader is running as an Independent this time), the color of Slytherin house.
Does that work?
I’d agree with Ron voting for the Boston Tea Party because there might be food.
I also thought, too, that Harry wouldn’t vote at all. That’s what I’m not doing today. Voting, that is.
I thought, too, that Hermione would go for one of the socialist or labour parties until she realized that they’re all frauds just like the conservative parties and then she’d start working to change people’s hearts & minds rather than forcing change upon people.
Voldemort and the Death Eaters would sympathize with the major parties because they would agree with using the power of government to impose their vision upon the world. They would also realize that it doesn’t matter which candidate you vote for so long as people think they have a choice but really don’t.
Dumbledore would espouse a mixture of socially liberal and libertarian values while supporting no one party or candidate because he realizes that anyone who desires power over others are exactly the ones who shouldn’t have it.
You might notice a rather cynical bent in my view of government and politics. This comes from someone who was a Political Science major in college.
I see where one of my comments on this post has disappeared into the ether once again. Been awhile since that happened. If any of the Blogengamot could find my comment, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
This isn’t really a response to the question; I mostly avoid political debates. I just wanted to express somewhere (and why not here at the Hog’s Head?
) the sense I had after voting this morning. I was surprisingly filled up with a poignant sense of gratitude and humility after casting my votes. What a messed up country we live in, and a flawed process for electing officials, and yet, we’re safe and secure to have our different opinions, and we can vote confidently, and this screwy democracy suddenly feels like a great privilege in which to participate.
(Ah. I feel better now, having expressed that!)
I’m torn over the Malfoys. On one hand they wouldn’t bother to vote because they know that doesn’t affect who’s really in power. Or they’d be secretly managing Jeb Bush’s push for President in 2012 (he’s from such a well-connected family).
I agree with Red Rocker that Harry wouldn’t bother to vote, or something will distract him on the way and he’d forget.
Lovegoods for Nader.
Hermione was crushed Hillary didn’t win the nomination but will vote for Obama because of the message that’s sending. But if Condoleeza goes for 2012, Hermione’s there.
Ron will vote for McCain because Palin’s HOT.
“Ron will vote for McCain because Palin’s HOT”
Only because she’s a dead-ringer for Rosmerta.
revgeorge,
Travis says no political debate so I won’t point out that Voldemort and the Death Eaters already had their eight years on the throne.
Black Angus,
Agree totally that the divine Ms. H was heartbroken over the other Ms. H. On the other hand, as an advocate of house elves, she’s totally thrilled with the results of the election. And her view of the divine Ms. C would depend on whether the latter had purged herself of Death Eater (aka neocon) ideology come 2012. I can sort of see the Lovegoods voting for Nader – conspiracies everywhere – although I think their natural affinity would be for Frank Moore.
And as much as I fear and loathe almost everything Palin stands for, sexualizing her is discriminatory – unless we’re prepared to do the same for the male candidates.
OK Red Rocker, fair cop.
Lupin voted for Obama because Biden’s HOT.
Black Angus, I thought that we were so over the Lupin’s a closet gay speculation. Also, Biden is not hot, no matter what one’s sexual orientation. But I think you’re dodging the obvious: Obama is hot, if you’re into tall, cool and patrician. But no one says that (well, maybe the fangirls and the odd fanboy do) because we’re more interested – dare I say, vitally interested – in his politics.
… Or should I have said that’s why Dumbledore voted?…