I put this together in approximately 2012 to help understand the plethora of “voter guides” out there.
At the time, Straus was our Speaker of the House. He was as Republican as any Democrat can be. He was bought and paid for (by the owners / heirs of a big regional San Antonio TX grocery store chain and who are also big in the “new world order” movement). At that time a lot of new “conservative voter guides” came out.
Many could be tracked back to Straus or his associates. With names like (made up, most are not around anymore) “Conservative Texans for Liberty” and that type of thing, they tried to make left leaning politicians look more conservative. Conservativism was the winning ticket then, as it is now.
The references listed here are ones that have been vetted by Bastrop county people who are conservative. This included the Bastrop County TEA Party, the Bastrop County Republican Party, and others. This was done back in 2012. While they MAY have changed, most are still considered good sources. While the TEA Party is not as active, other groups are, such as the Bastrop County Conservatives. Look around and see who is in sync with your values.
A Framework for Informed Voting
How to vet candidates? How do we know for whom we should vote? Provided are several sources we have found reliable and educational in helping understand various state and national candidates. Here are some ways to get educated on the candidates.
1. Meet the Candidate(s)
Attend TEA party and political party and community meetings. Most candidates will attend meetings to get exposure. While some only make a speech and leave, many will spend quality time with individuals and answer questions. Nothing beats first-hand knowledge. The Bastrop TEA Party held two candidate forums for two key contested primary election races.
2. Seek Trusted Organizations
Use organizations you trust that do candidate analysis (vetting). They are listed below. Learn the biases of their analysis. Biased info is still valuable as long as you know how to interpret the bias. The best example of this is the NRA / TSRA. Their analysis favors incumbents. They clearly state so. This is a bias but one that is easy to work with.
3. Listen to Trusted Contacts
Listen to the opinions of others you trust – Get involved with the Republican Party, the TEA party or other groups you affiliate with. Learn whose opinion you value and who’s you don’t. People “in the business” can be helpful. For instance, asking attorneys or others in the legal profession about judicial candidates may be helpful. They live in that world.
4. Look at Endorsements
Lastly, you may need to look at endorsements. Some may be very important, such as contributors to campaigns, others may need allies in the legislature (or other elected position) or they just be friends of the candidate. Try to understand the motivation of the endorser.
Additional Resources
Liberty Institute’s Voter Guide
Comparative analysis of responses to survey by candidates. The Liberty Institute’s questions and the candidates responses are shown so you can better understand each candidate.Note that the candidates comments are not necessarily validated. Covers all (?) states with state and national candidates. Some regional (sub-state) races covered. Sign up to website required.
Learn more: freevotersguide.com
Texas State Rifle Association Voter Guide
A state affiliate of the NRA, the TSRA information is specifically oriented toward 2nd Amendment issues. It does not evaluate a candidate’s stance on non-firearms related issues. No sign up required. See their list of endorsements.
Learn more: tsrapac.com
Freedom Index
This index is useful only for incumbent candidates. It is a listing of the voting record on key issues by each member of congress. It states the legislation proposed, (or a specific aspect of some legislation, such as an amendment to proposed legislation) states this groups opinion of why a yes or no vote would be preferred and rates the Senator’s or Congressman’s vote accordingly. The provider of this information may be considered controversial to some, but we have found this index factually based and highly educational. As with all voter guides, it is up to the reader to decide which issues align with your personal viewpoint. Most viewpoints expressed by the preparers of this index are compatible with our TEA Party mission.
Learn more: thefreedomindex.org
Vote Smart
This is a site that identifies itself as the “Voter’s Self Defense System”. At this site you can search by candidate and a full listing of articles, opinions, and other information is provided.
Learn more at votesmart.org
iVoterGuide
This has national, state and some district races. Excellent resource.
Learn more at ivoterguide.com
Election Commissions
These sites show the information the state and federal “oversight” commissions have on candidates including information on campaign contributions!