BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey

Subject: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: lisa null
Date: 18 Jun 07 - 11:55 PM

Hi:
In my day job, I work as a web researcher/writer and editor. I just finished a fascinating new project researching the positions (real or implied) taken by five GOP and five DEM candidates in the Presidential Primary on 12 issues. The end result is a game -- users vote how they feel on the same issues (which have pro/con arguments available as a pull down menu) and how important those issues will be for them when they vote.

At the end, users are matched with the candidates who most match their own stands, and these candidates are arranged in descending order. You also get to see how you fit into the lineup of candidates based on how other respondents vote.

At the end of the intro which heads up the game, you can click on the "here" and tap into how all the candidates feel about each of the twelve questions. Its a simple little survey but a lot of work went into it,

My client was frustrated that it's so hard to find out what candidates actually stand for -- especially the less famous candidates. We didn't have the money to do all the candidates, but those we did do are on equal footing with each other. Anyway, check it out!

http://www.positivepress.com/president/survey.cgi

What has this to do with folk music? Well, just getting an honest opinion out of a politician is radical and artistic work.....

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 12:00 AM

Interesting. After 'voting' I never heard of the first 2 I matched, but #3 was Obama.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: jacqui.c
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 06:53 AM

My list:-

Barack Obama - nyynyyynynny - 26
Hillary Clinton - nyynyyynynny - 26
John Edwards - nyynnyynynny - 20
Bill Richardson - nyynnyynnnny - 18
Dennis Kucinich - nyynnynyynyn - 8
Ron Paul - nynnnnnynnyy - 4
John McCain - yynyyyynnyny - 0
Mike Huckabee - yynyynynnyny - -2
Mitt Romney - yynyynynnyny - -2
Rudy Giuliani - ynnnyyyynyny - -2

The top group is pretty accurate, if I was a voter here, although the lower group would not be in my own list. Mitt Romney scares me - makes me think of the Stephen King novel, The Dead Zone.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: kendall
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 09:07 AM

He will be ok as sonn as he decides once and for all what he believes. I wonder what's for supper? Flounder just crossed my mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 09:52 AM

Kucinich for me, then Edwards and Obama. Giuliani brought up the rear with a negative 18.

Several of the questions do not really lend themselves to y/n answers. Actually they are all more complicated than that but there were 4 or 5 I was uncomfortable answering with a simple y/n. I did anyway.

It would be nice if you could go back and look at the questions again after you have completed the poll.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: artbrooks
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:16 AM

Well, mine comes out Dennis Kucinich - and that will be a snowball in hell. I used to live in Ohio. Jacqui, this list goes from positive to negative numbers, and the bottom ones in your's are negatives.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: lisa null
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 12:09 PM

What I do to get back to the questions is to open up the survey again in a new window. I also do this to look at what each candidate had to say about the issues. That way i can compare them. It's hard to figure out why the answers come out the way they do at first, but seeing how they stand on issues makes that clearer. For better or worse, a lot of us who vote take on other factors than just the issues alone. Presumably we want someone responsible who can communicate, can make common cause, can persuade, can administrate, and can make good judgments in unforeseen circumstances. Okay, as performers, many of us might even want someone who won't bore us to death,

Also, this survey has the opportunity for a resppondent to indicate how important an issue is for them. That gets calibrated into the full mix.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Ebbie
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 12:26 PM

Mine come out Kucinich, Richardson and Edwards, in that order.

Let me make a prediction: If the Republicans take the White House in '08, it's going to be with President Fred Thompson. No one will pay any attention to what he says. They will respond to his avuncular reaganistic aura.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: kendall
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 12:30 PM

Well said Ebbie

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Becca72
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 12:39 PM

Obama was top, followed by Bill Richardson followed by Hillary (for whom I will NEVER vote). The candidate I was leaning towards (Edwards) came out at #6.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 12:42 PM

Well, several of the questions were badly phrased, as a 'yes-no' answer is not really fair....but you may color me pretty well spread out in my responses. I quickly refused to check ANY of the "my vote will be based on this issue" items.

Barack Obama - nyynyyynynny - 10
Hillary Clinton - nyynyyynynny - 10
John Edwards - nyynnyynynny - 8
Bill Richardson - nyynnyynnnny - 6
Mike Huckabee - yynyynynnyny - 2
Mitt Romney - yynyynynnyny - 2
Dennis Kucinich - nyynnynyynyn - 0
John McCain - yynyyyynnyny - 0
Ron Paul - nynnnnnynnyy - 0
Rudy Giuliani - ynnnyyyynyny - -2


Candidate        Average Score
YOU               4.36
Barack Obama        3.27
Hillary Clinton        3.27
Bill Richardson        2.91
John Edwards        2.33
Ron Paul        2.22
Mike Huckabee        1.85
Mitt Romney        1.85
John McCain        0.73
Dennis Kucinich        -0.31
Rudy Giuliani        -0.79

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: lisa null
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 08:54 PM

Well, I can't take credit or blame for the questions, but I know they were phrased in balck and white 2 dimensional issues
a)to force a position and
b) because that's a good way to force those who take the test to qualify, shade, parse, and calibrate their own answer.

Unlike a poll, there is no winner here, only a process to help people refine their own thinking with reference to the candidates in question. We don't get much chance to do that on tv during the debates. I'll stand by the issue paragraphs that underly the survey -- I may be right or I may be wrong, but those issue analyzes are pretty damned nuanced!
You can get to them by cicking the "here" in the intro paragraph on the home page.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:12 PM

Here ya go.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:15 PM

1. Dennis Kucinich - nyynnynyynyn - 14
   2. John Edwards - nyynnyynynny - 14
   3. Bill Richardson - nyynnyynnnny - 12
   4. Barack Obama - nyynyyynynny - 8
   5. Hillary Clinton - nyynyyynynny - 8
   6. Ron Paul - nynnnnnynnyy - -2
   7. John McCain - yynyyyynnyny - -6
   8. Rudy Giuliani - ynnnyyyynyny - -8
   9. Mike Huckabee - yynyynynnyny - -12
10. Mitt Romney - yynyynynnyny - -12

Sorry, Dennis. No. But an Edwards-Richardson or Edwards-Obama ticket would be interesting.

Who's Ron Paul?

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: Riginslinger
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:13 PM

I couldn't make the results copy, but Ron Paul turned out to be my first choice, followed by a bunch of candidates I probably wouldn't vote for.

            I wonder if the quesntionaire was too brief. Some of the issues didn't seem to be covered, or the question left the test taker with a no-win dilema.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Jun 07 - 12:08 AM

No surprises with my results:

   1. Dennis Kucinich - nyynnynyynyn - 14
   2. Bill Richardson - nyynnyynnnny - 12
   3. John Edwards - nyynnyynynny - 10
   4. Ron Paul - nynnnnnynnyy - 10
   5. Barack Obama - nyynyyynynny - 8
   6. Hillary Clinton - nyynyyynynny - 8
   7. Mike Huckabee - yynyynynnyny - -8
   8. Mitt Romney - yynyynynnyny - -8
   9. John McCain - yynyyyynnyny - -10
10. Rudy Giuliani - ynnnyyyynyny - -12

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: lisa null
Date: 20 Jun 07 - 04:45 PM

Hi:

If you go to the hot-linked word "here" on the introductory paragraph to the quiz (home page) you'll find a full paragraph about each candidate's stand on every issue. We probably haven;t been clear enugh about that. As for Ron Paul, he ran for libertarian candidate last time but is running with the Republicans this time. He is a Republican candidate from Texas, the only one to vote against the war. If he were a classic libertarian, he woud believe in civil liberties. fpreign non-intervention, and economic lassiz faire == but he argues that stand primarily for the federal government, allowing individual states the right to determine many decisions for themselves as per the constitution. He does not believe that the big federally subsidized corporations have much to do with economic laissez faire and would be likely to think of them as a product of corporate welfare, an unwarranted intrusion of the government.

Subject: RE: BS: Nonpartisan presidential politics survey
From: kendall
Date: 20 Jun 07 - 05:00 PM

Obama
Clinton
Richardson