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The results of last week’s poll are in. A majority feel social values cannot be ignored when choosing a even as economic issues will be at the forefront of the 2012 election.

Social values important 66%
Economics only 34%

Pro-choice, pro gay-marriage Republicans will get no traction in 2012 regardless of economic acumen. Note to Rudy Giuliani--do not bother.

If you have not already surmised, I usually cast a vote these weekly polls, too. I play sporting and vote only once, and I also avoid polls in which the outcomes matter like the Star Trek: Voyager v. Babylon 5 review poll which made me question American cultural rot and democracy as we know it, but I do vote in the political polls. Except for this week. While I came up with the question regarding the importance of social issues in choosing a 2012 nominee, I have not come up with a good answer.

In my young idealistic days, I thought social issues mattered because I thought political leaders ought to set the cultural tone. I am not that dumb anymore, nor have I been for a long time. These days I recognize politicians are a reflection of the culture that put them into power, not the other way around. I not only have no faith in a politician to guide our country’s moral direction, I am not so sure he should. I am now a bottom up, not top down believer in where true change comes.

So what is the value of gauging a candidate’s position on social issues? It is a litmus test more than anything else. I want to know a candidate’s position on abortion even though I know abortion will be the law off the land for the duration. But I want to know because the rationale behind his belief speaks volumes. I think Bush 43’s sincere Christian beliefs convinced him to be pro-life. I think his father switched from pro-choice to pro-life in order to score points with southern and heartland conservatives wary of his New England blue blood. Barack Obama’s attitude that a baby is a burden speaks volumes about his character. You can tell what these mean and women are all about when you honestly look at why they believe as they do.

This time around, I am very much in the Anybody But Obama school of thought. I am even more adamant about it now than with John McCain in 2008. Back then, Sarah Palin allowed me some warm fuzzies in casting my ballot. The GOP has the best chance of winning the White House they have ever had in my 18 years of seriously following presidential elections. That is, assuming they do not blow like in 1996 when they handed the nomination to a candidate solely because it was ’his turn.” If they do not field a social conservative with fiscal responsibility, it will be time for true conservatives to jump ship for a third party.

This week’s poll is back to the less serious. I still want to know how many VOY fans there are out there. You guys and gals are awfully quiet compared to the detractors even though, according to poll results, there are a lot of you. So we are only the dedicated fans will care to answer. Was the character kes a waste of space or waste of potential?