Bizarre USA Today presidential poll/game

[Populist_Prole]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/candidate-match-game

Sent to me as one of the constant right-wing email forwards my father bombards me with. I knew it had to be fishy, since he turns his nose up at any other newspaper other than the WSJ or Investors Business Daily. Even he knew the rightward bias, even if for bad reasons.

The questions sure seem loaded to be biased to the right. Worded so that anyone who is trying to be anything other than deliberately left would pick one of the more "reasonable sounding" answers. I answered honestly, even though I knew it was a fix, and so made my choices with this in mind.

The bizarre? The 3 most likely candidates that would fit my view were, in descending order: Barack Obama, Ron Paul, and get this....Michelle Bachman! WTF?

[JoePhilly]

1. It was very right wing.

[Scuba]

2. I picked "none of the above" alot. n/t

[baldguy]

6. Appearently that means you support Ron Paul.

Not only is the poll skewed extremely to the right, the pollster doesn't even seem understand the issues.

[Sherman A1]

11. But, beyond that

it was a great poll....

[yurbud]

8. no shit. Most of the questions could be summed up ''how much of your nose would you cut off...

to spite your face?''

[quakerboy]

13. that has to do with the answers

not the questions.

And the quiz maker didn't make the answers, they used statements from the campaigns and candidates.

And that's a problem.

[yurbud]

14. I had a feeling that was the case, but hoped it wasn't, especially since the options included Obama

[quakerboy]

15. Yup.

All any of these quizzes do for me is to show me how none of the candidates have the right position on most of the issues.

If I have to pick the "best" answer, I end up with Obama first, and then Paul.

If, like this one, I have a "none of the above" option, I end up with Paul first, Obama second. Because I don't agree with any of them on most of the answers. And I agree with Paul that we should get the heck out of Afghanistan now, if for entirely different reasons.

I would say that these quizzes would be the most use to a Republican trying to pick between their crappy options. For a democrat they are basically useless. None of the candidates agree with me, but there is only one candidate who has a majority of opinions that are even remotely, vaguely acceptable.

It would be interesting if they started bringing in some of the smaller candidates into the quizzes. I'm sure the Greens will/are run someone, also the independents, the Libertarians, the constitutionalists, the socialists, etc. But that wouldn't fit the narrative. Still, it would be interesting to see those small candidates included just so that people had an option to see if there were any candidates/parties that truly aligned with their beliefs.

I wonder if anyone really lines up with Vermin Supreme on the issues?

[tridim]

3. Same result for me. Obviously stupid questions.

Many had no progressive option at all, so I had to answer none of the above.

[quakerboy]

16. The questions aren't the problem

Its the answers where the problem lies

[JoePhilly]

4. Try it ... but pick the most CRAZY right wing answers ... I got ...

Perry, Santorum, Bachmann.

[chemp]

5. Rick Perry is my #2?

Seriously?
Because 1/11 issues coincide?

What a douche poll.

None of the above answers give Obama points. Silly

[daleanime]

7. I may kill myself....

Ron Paul


Michelle Bachmann



Newt.

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. The poll attempts to put everyone into a box of the candidates creation

Thus, the spectrum of choices for those of us who are concerned about energy is "Yes, I'm all for drilling for more domestic oil, while promoting alternative energy sources" to "Yes, I'm all for drilling for more domestic oil, while nuking the countryside and maximizing pollution"

[Sherman A1]

10. I got

Obama, Huntsman & Newtie (Yuck)...............

[quakerboy]

12. I disagree completely

The questions seem basically neutral.

What should the US policy be in Afghanistan?
How should the government promote increased US energy independence?
What should the federal government do about health care?
What should the federal government do about medicare?
What should the federal government's emphasis be in dealing with illegal immigrants?
What experience is most important to you in a presidential candidate?
What should the federal government do about the future of social security?
What should the us government do about climate change?
What should be done about income taxes?
Should the Us cut more from defense spending?
Should there be a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?

A few of them show how successful the right has been in controlling the discussion. For instance the fact that there is a debate about a federal amendment to ban gay marriage is deplorable. But it is a part of the public debate. It is a part of the public platform of a number of the major candidates. But then a RW'r could make the same argument, reversed, in regards to the climate change or defense cuts questions. But, to be fair, each of the issues is what is in the current public debate. But in terms of question content, the questions themselves are close to neutral, and do not lead to any specific answer.

The problem with this quiz is in the answers. In a great number of the questions, the best option is "none of the above". And that's not the fault of the quiz maker, that has to do with the candidates and their stated policies.

[Little Tich]

17. I got Barack Obama, Michelle Bachman and Ron Paul.

Now I've got to retake the quiz to regain my sanity.