One candidate stands out from the others...
Still yet another Internet quiz
Internet quizzes are all the rage these days. But I couldn't pass up on the "2004 American Presidential Candidate Selector," which I found out about over at different strings. After all, what if I was really a rabid supporter of Howard Dean? I had to know.
To take SelectSmart.com's "presidential candidate selector," you answer 16 questions on your political and social beliefs. The idea is to find out which candidates most closely match your beliefs. ("The candidates' positions have been determined first by the candidates' actions, then their public votes, followed by their public statements, and whenever possible, special interest group rankings of the candidate have been factored in," the Website explains.)
In order to get the most "real world" results possible, I excluded from consideration those candidates who are not affiliated with the Republican or Democratic party (no third-party candidate is going to win in 2004), who have not announced their candidacy (I hate it, for example, when I see Hillary Clinton listed in polls for the 2004 presidential race because unless she's running -- and she says she is not -- it's pretty meaningless), and candidates who announced but then withdrew their candidacy (although I can't think of any who did that).
My results, which show to what percentage I share each candidate's views, are as follows (drumroll, please):
1. Dennis Kucinich (96%)
2. John Kerry (85%)
3. Dick Gephardt(77%)
4. Joe Lieberman (75%)
5. Howard Dean (75%)
6. John Edwards (74%)
7. Al Sharpton (72%)
8. Carol Moseley-Braun (67%)
9. Bob Graham (63%)
10. George W. Bush (7%)
I'm not surprised by the results. A little while ago I wrote, "I would love to see a President Kucinich, but it's not going to happen, folks, at least not in 2004." Kucinich is among the bottom of the nine Democratic presidential contenders where fundraising is concerned, and although he took second place in moveon.org's online pre-Democratic primary last month, nationally he polls only in single digits among registered Democrats and registered voters who lean toward Democrats. The majority of Americans -- who think that Iraq had something to do with the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and who give "President" Bush favorable approval ratings (more than 60 percent) -- are not evolved enough to elect a President Kucinich.
So if I eliminate Kucinich because I'm not going to give my time and energy and money to a candidate whom I like but who cannot win the Democratic nomination, next on my list is -- John Kerry, who can win.
I'm not a big fan of Gephardt's, so his third-place ranking makes me wonder if maybe he doesn't do a very good job of getting his message out. I am a bit distressed that Lieberman, the "Democrat" I dislike the most, is No. 4 on my list. Howard Dean is No. 5 on my list (whew), which affirms my belief that his record and his current campaign claims are quite different -- shit, if Lieberman is No. 4 and Dean is No. 5, then he really isn't my candidate. (Note that Gee Dubya, with whom I agree a whopping 7 percent, shows up at No. 10 only because thus far there are only 10 announced presidential candidates, the nine Democrats and Bush.)
I highly suspect that, because of the disparity between his record and his reinvention of himself for the '04 presidential election as a flaming anti-war liberal, Dean would appear lower on even his avid supporters' lists than they would think. (Yes, that is a thinly veiled challenge to Dean's supporters to take the "presidential candidate selector" -- answering all of the questions honestly and to the best of their ability, as I did -- and see where Dean ranks.)
Kriselda over at different strings, for instance, wrote, "I've been leaning towards Dean lately, but I want to make sure that it's him I like and support, and not that I'm just getting caught up in the Internet buzz he's creating." (Smart woman that Kriselda is, which is why I link to her weblog.) Dean shows up at No. 12 on her list, behind even Al Sharpton, but she allows for candidates who are not Republican or Democrat and who have not announced their candidacy. However, if you correct for that, Dean is No. 6 on her list and Kerry is No. 3. Kucinich is No. 1 on her list also. (Like I said, smart woman.)
1:19:12 PM 
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