Still Undecided?

Try the presidential issue quiz at Selectsmart.Com . According to the quiz, Badnarik should be my choice with a 75% rating. Bush got 57%; Dean 42%; Cobb 42%; and Nader 42%.

Kudos to James Guinivan for the tip.

Comments

sage | October 27, 2004, 4:57pm | #

Badnarik has reasonable positions on guns and drugs, the two issues most important to me. That's why he's got my vote.

Joe Majsterski | October 27, 2004, 4:59pm | #

Dean huh? Did you get 0% compatibility with Kerry?

raymond | October 27, 2004, 5:01pm | #

Still undecided?

Live outside the US?

Click here to see why you can't decide.

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to learn all about George anyway?

raymond | October 27, 2004, 5:04pm | #

ps - Don't worry George. No one here wants you anyway.

Bill G | October 27, 2004, 5:23pm | #

Kevin,
I'm not surprised by your results, they're similar to mine.

I think the surprise many people feel is that the polls usually only factor in your areas of positive agreement with different party platforms vs. trying to balance your level of positive and negative feelings about the entire package. At least that's what I guess from personal experience.

For example, Libertarian views on social issues are similar to those of the Greens, but generally very opposite them on economic issues. So, while in reality your attitude may be (as is mine) "I don't care if the Greens are for drug legalization and non interventionist foreign policy, their ridiculous taxation and spending ideas take them completely off the table for me", the poll sees that you agree with 50% of the Green policies and ranks them above parties you "agree" with less, but also "disagree" with less.

metalgrid | October 27, 2004, 5:33pm | #

Is it just me, or does Dean score higher than any other major party candidate on our liberty leaning scale?

Bodhiharma on Holiday | October 27, 2004, 5:35pm | #

Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (72%)
Cobb, David - Green Party (64%)
Nader, Ralph - Independent (64%)
Badnarik, Michael - Libertarian (45%)
Bush, President George W. - Republican (32%)
Peroutka, Michael - Constitution Party (9%)

I'm surprised Kerry did so well and Badnarik so low, considering I'll probably vote for Badnarik.

I followed the libertarian party line on social and gun issues, waffled a bit on economic issues, and put environmental protection on high.

Isaac Bartram | October 27, 2004, 5:53pm | #

I find a lot of these tests defective in the answers they omit.

For example for me the libertarian answer for education is "This is not a Federal responsibility". Now on other questions they offer "No preference/None of the above/Prefer alternate solutions" but not with education.

And frankly "Prefer alternate solutions" is not the same as "No preference".

Must stop rant.

Fabius Cunctator | October 27, 2004, 5:54pm | #

Badnarik
Dean
Sharpton

As for those of you confused about their second choices, without the option of being able to say "Should not be an authorized federal government function or presidential power" I suppose the "not Badnariks" could come out any way depending on which questions one answered with "other". Or on which ones are your sacred cows (abortion, environment, etc.).

Do you favor free immigration?
Do you favor free trade?
Do you favor property rights?
Do you favor free speech?

If you had inalienable rights, liberty and a truly limited government (defence, police and judicial) would you really care which nincompoop were president?

Then you really ought to vote for the LP wackjob and not be a trimmer.

Me? I voted for Badnarik.

Now if we had a real patrician running - one who would keep the plebs in line - I'd vote for him but no such luck.

Isaac Bartram | October 27, 2004, 5:55pm | #

thoreau posted while I was composing. I concur with his post.

Pavel | October 27, 2004, 5:55pm | #

Someone should do a meta-survey so I can figure out which surveys will piss me off the most if I try to take them.

This one would rank pretty high.

Jennifer | October 27, 2004, 5:59pm | #

I selected "no preference" for both environmental issues AND gun control, so how the hell did this thing decide that my ideal candidate (84%) was running with the Green Party?

mtc5499 | October 27, 2004, 6:00pm | #

2. Badnarik, Michael - (67%)
3. Bush, President George W. - (52%)
4. Cobb, David - (41%)
5. Nader, Ralph - (41%)
6. Kerry, Senator John, (38%
7. Brown, Walt - (36%)
8. Peroutka, Michael - (34%)


Well the first two are right (sort of see, below). I'm a little disappointed at seeing Badnarik at only 67%. Bush is so close because i checked the right for pre-emptive war and non-interventionist foreign policy. I guess it's an interpertation issue, I don't agree with Iraq, but I do agree pre-emptive war is justified under other circumstances. As for non-interventionist, I took that to mean not intervening in foreign matters that don't directly affect our security. Truthfully, I don't think I could vote for Bush even if Badnarik was much more of a loon.

I'm not indifferent as to who wins, but they shitiness of either them getting elected spilits pretty evenly in my book. If thought I could be certain of what Kerry seems likely to do, the split holds, but I'm not sure he might do much worse then Bush as prez, so a Bush win tuesday might leave me feeling slightly less nervous about the next four years. I assume this poll matched based on what the candidates SAY they will do, and in that I definitely lean more towards Bush. However, I don't beleive him much, so again, I'm comfortable saying there really is no obvious lesser of the two evils.

Isaac sez:
"I suspect that even we "pure" libertarians sometimes interpret and answer questions differently even though we are in general agreement"

Agreed. I think this accounts for why Badnarik only got a 67 with me.

Nathan | October 27, 2004, 6:00pm | #

Is it just me, or does Dean score higher than any other major party candidate on our liberty leaning scale?

I've been saying for a long time that pre-presidential candidate Dean was a pretty sensible and compelling candidate. Long story short Dean did exactly what he had to do in order to not end up like Lieberman (i.e. be completely and totally ignored from the get go): drive left and drive hard. You don't win a party nomination (Dem, GOP. Lib, whatever) without winning over their rabid base. I still think that had Dean won the nomination he would have tacked just as hard back to the center and been a pretty damn good candidate. I know a lot of people would disagree with me on that, and maybe his political conversion was real (in which case he wouldn't have gotten my vote; God knows he annoyed the hell out of me during the primaries) but deep down I wish he would have gotten the nod.

JDM | October 27, 2004, 6:04pm | #

"Someone should do a meta-survey so I can figure out which surveys will piss me off the most if I try to take them."

It pissed me off because I now have to check the 31-40 box. I'm lumped in with the 40 year olds.

Maybe I'm more sad than angry.

Lowdog | October 27, 2004, 6:05pm | #

JB - so far, we seem to be the 'highest scoring' libertarians on this site.

Our 'other' choices were a bit different, however.

And now I realise I don't see Kerry on my list, what's up with that? Must've copied wrong. Oh well.

Fabius Cunctator | October 27, 2004, 6:07pm | #

Issac,

Yeah, and I'm a closet Deaniac.

In a survey, it's all in how you limit the respondent's options. That's what makes the social sciences so scientific.

Sorry, that was a cheap (true) shot at sociology, political science, etc. that was way off subject.

bigbigslacker | October 27, 2004, 6:09pm | #

I DEMAND to know Joe's scoring!
(mine is in line with most already posted - but I closed the window already)

kwais | October 27, 2004, 6:28pm | #

Man, I wish I could edit a post after already posting it.

Anyways, I think the reason Kerry scored so high on the test, where he scores so low in my real opinion, is because I don't believe he is honest in what he says he believes. I don't believe he is honest in anything.

Now that I think about it, I am going to guess that the swift boat dudes are probably telling the truth.

Jason Bourne | October 27, 2004, 6:31pm | #

Lowdog,

Yeah, I consider myself to be a pretty doctrinaire capitalist and civil liberties supporter.

NoStar | October 27, 2004, 6:31pm | #

Badnarik scored 83% with me.
(I thought it would have been higher. I must be having an off day.)

Bush 57% (Now I know I'm having an off day!)

Everyone else was under 40 %

Jason Ligon | October 27, 2004, 6:41pm | #

Okay, figure this out:

1. Your ideal theoretical candidate. (100%)

2. Badnarik, Michael - Libertarian (69%)

3. Bush, President George W. - Republican (64%)

4. Peroutka, Michael - Constitution Party (43%)
5. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (43%)

6. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (40%)

7. Cobb, David - Green Party (39%)

8. Nader, Ralph - Independent (39%)

9. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (38%)

10. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (35%)

11. Lieberman, Senator Joe, CT - Democrat (33%)

12. Gephardt, Rep. Dick, MO - Democrat (33%)

Check out the tie at 43%. I think I officially make no sense now.

Douglas Fletcher | October 27, 2004, 6:52pm | #

I might vote for Lee J. Cobb, but certainly not David Cobb.

Jason Bourne | October 27, 2004, 6:58pm | #

Just think, only five days, six hours, 1 minute and

Jason Bourne | October 27, 2004, 6:59pm | #

Just think, only five days, six hours, 1 minute until the election! (According to MSNBC.com that is.)

deron | October 27, 2004, 7:01pm | #

I had similar results as others. Badnarik topped the list, and oddly other 3rd parties I don't even think about.

I guess what this really says is I'm an independent, and probably ought to remain that way.

Lowdog | October 27, 2004, 7:03pm | #

Me too, JB. I just think it's funny that there are a lot of folks posting here that aren't quite as much.

James Guinivan | October 27, 2004, 7:06pm | #

I appreciate Mr. Bailey's acknowledgement, but the real hat tip should be to Fr. Jim Tucker, who noted the survey on his blog "Dappled Things" (http://donjim.blogspot.com/2004_10_01_donjim_archive.html#109848850792166972), and to whom I gave credit when I called Mr. Bailey's attention to the quiz.

Like some others who have commented, though, I'm not sure I can take the results very seriously. I was astonished to find that I am a gung-ho supporter of President Bush, even after having said I was opposed to pre-emptive military strikes and in favor of trying terrorist suspects in civilian courts.

metalgrid | October 27, 2004, 9:11pm | #

2. Badnarik, Michael - Libertarian (90%)
3. Peroutka, Michael - Constitution Party (55%)
..
Those of you only slightly more Libertarian than you are Green scare me.


And those of you slightly more Libertarian than Theocratic scare me. Kinda makes me thankful that the assult weapon ban was lifted...

Xavier | October 27, 2004, 9:45pm | #

I had Gephardt at number 4. I didn't see him ranking very highly on anyone else's list. That one is a real mystery to me since I said I support free trade with high priority.

kevrob | October 27, 2004, 11:48pm | #

Badnarik topped the list for me at 80%, behind good ol' Theoretical Cabdidate at 100%.

I think I would have given Michael B. more love, except I used the "other" choice on the gun issue. The NRA aren't hardcore enough for me, nor are they for Badnarik, but do the surveymeisters see it that way?

Kevin

Mikiel | October 27, 2004, 11:52pm | #

So a local pollster just called me wanting to know who I was planning on voting on for President and the local Assemblyman (or is it Assmblyperson now?). I told her I had no idea who I was voting for in the Assembly race as I hadn't even looked at the candidates yet. Then she asks if I'm voting for the Republican or Democratic party for President. I tell her I'm voting for the Libertarian, to which she responds, "That's Nader, right?" I had to SPELL Badnarik's name for her because she didn't even have it in her computer. This little anecdote is further proof for me that the polls are worthless.

Cletus Nelson | October 28, 2004, 1:05am | #

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict a decent showing by Badnarik---In LP terms that means somewhere in the 3-7% range.

Why? I think Badnarik has run a highly effective campaign compared to Harry Browne's past two ill-fated efforts.

In '96, Browne raised $1.2 million and spent a paltry $8,850 in advertising. The following year was more of the same---Browne raised $2.7 million and spent a mere $117K in ads.

By comparison, Badnarik, with a meager budget of $575,000 has already spent $116,000 in advertising and has campaigned tirelessly since he walked away with the nomination at the convention.

Do I agree with some of his more outlandish proposals? No. But I think his sheer passion may earn him some votes among disaffected Bush supporters.

speedwell | October 28, 2004, 9:06am | #

I got Peroutka 76% and Badnarik 74%, and so forth. But I scored a 100 on the "libertarian purity test" they were passing around the URL for some months ago. And I'm an atheist... a STRONG one. This test is for the birds.

Jason Ligon | October 28, 2004, 9:11am | #

I can't help but feel my results were skewed with the civil liberties quesiton. I agreed with ACLU, but I couldn't muster strong support for civil liberties when the question was framed that way.

RJ | October 28, 2004, 3:02pm | #

Here we are ready to unleash either a guy who doesn't mind wacking the accessories to the WTC attack on his way to getting the actual perps or a guy who would still be pounding his fist on the table at the UN while we are sucker punched again and the undecided are discussing air quality. I don't get it. There is no other election, this is the election.

B. | October 28, 2004, 4:23pm | #

RJ-
"I don't get it"

No shit?