In “The Frame Around Arnold,” Lakoff (re)suggests that people vote their identity:

In ‘Moral Politics,’ I suggested that voters vote their identity they vote on the basis of who they are, what values they have, and who and what they admire. A certain number of voters identify themselves with their self-interest and vote accordingly. But that is the exception rather than the rule. There are other forms of personal identification with one’s ethnicity, with one’s values, with cultural stereotypes, and with culture heroes. The most powerful forms of identification so far as elections are concerned are with values and corresponding cultural stereotypes.

I don’t think that i agree. I think that they *use* their identity to vote, but they don’t vote their identity. For example, i used my identity to vote *against* a candidate in the recall and SF mayoral elections, not particularly *for* any candidate. In fact, i don’t identify with any of the candidates i’ve ever seen… i choose the lesser of evils. Most candidates represent a very small percentage of people. Certainly, some of the represent what people would like to one day be (and if your ideal is to be the Terminator, goddess help you). In the States, they vote Protestant Ethic style. But seriously, who in California really represents the Mexican community? Who represents the disenfranchised migrant workers (oh, wait, they can’t vote…)? And who on earth does Ahr-nold really represent? I’m sorry… but i don’t buy that he represents the strict father morality to most people.

That said, i really appreciate a lot of Lakoff’s arguments, particularly his deconstruction of the framing of the election.