Who Are You Voting For?

Don\’t worry, that\’s a rhetorical question. I would never ask who you plan to vote for, but I\’m certainly willing to listen if you\’d like to tell me.

But before you do, you should go here to see who you *should* be voting for: http://www.speakout.com/VoteMatch/Pres2008.asp#sec0

Unfortunately, much of the content on speakout.com isn\’t up to date, but you can go to ontheissues.org for some slightly more up to date information on candidates across the country. However, the VoteMatch quiz on speakout.com is insightful and helpful. I took the quiz to find out that I am a Moderate Liberal. I think that is fairly accurate, although I was surprised I didn\’t have more of a Libertarian slant to that.

What was even more surprising is that the candidate I matched best with was the Green Party candidate, Cynthia McKinney. How is it possible that I get matched with the Green Party Candidate???

Well… while I agree quite closely with Ms. McKinney on several issues (Abortion, Patriot Act, School Vouchers) I completely disagree with her on a whole host of other issues (Reparations for Slavery, Affirmative Action, Health Care, her touch of 9/11 conspiracy theorist, and her support of the Hip-Hop community as a movement for Social Justice… and no, I\’m not kidding about that last one). Additionally, for those of you with good memories, you\’ll recall that Ms. McKinney was the member of Congress who in March of 2006 walked through Capitol security without her \”member of congress\” lapel pin, and when she was stopped by security guards who didn\’t recognize her she assaulted one of them.

So how could I have matched with her? Well, when I say \”match\” that means I totaled to a score of 45%. That\’s right; the best match for me out of all candidates (even the fringe candidates) was 45%. The scoring broke down like this:
Personal Matching Score: 44%
Cynthia McKinney poorly matches your views on personal issues.
Economic Matching Score: 46%
Cynthia McKinney poorly matches your views on economic issues.

So, out of all the candidates, the one I match the \”best\” with poorly matches my views across the board. How depressing…

Here is how I matched up with some of the other notables for this year\’s Presidential race:

• Hillary Clinton
  
  • Total 43%
    
  • Social 31%
    
  • Economic 50%
  
  
• Ralph Nader
  
  • Total 43%
    
  • Social 25%
    
  • Economic 54%
• Barack Obama
  
  • Total 38%
    
  • Social 19%
    
  • Economic 50%
• Bob Barr – Libertarian nominee for President
  
  • Total 25%
    
  • Social 19%
    
  • Economic 29%

• John McCain
  
  • Total 18%
    
  • Social 19%
    
  • Economic 17%

Realistically I am voting between two candidates who don\’t represent much of what my beliefs and positions are. Breaking it down further, it looks like this:

• Personal Matching Score: 19%
  
• Barack Obama very poorly matches your views on personal issues.
  
• Economic Matching Score: 50%
  
• Barack Obama matches your views on economic issues acceptably.

• Personal Matching Score: 19%
  
• John McCain very poorly matches your views on personal issues.
  
• Economic Matching Score: 17%
  
• John McCain very poorly matches your views on economic issues.

Going even deeper:
Looking at McCain on Personal Issues: I agree with him on the death penalty, but disagree with him on abortion (well, he used to agree with me, but not anymore), prayer in schools, and tougher drug laws.
On the flip side I agree with Obama on abortion and prayer in schools, but pretty much disagree with him on everything else.

Looking at Economic Issues I agree with Obama on Social Security, school vouchers, alternative energy, campaign reform, the Patriot Act. While McCain and I only agree on alternative energy, free trade, and campaign reform.

This is why people have become \”issues voters\”. When you don\’t agree with so much of what a party or candidate stands for, how do you decide? As someone who values social issues more than economic issues, this race is even more difficult for me. How does one decide between two men whom you agree with 19% of the time on social issues? Out of all of these issues, which are the ones that a president can truly influence, and I care most about?
These are the questions in front of me… and in front of you. Good luck!