Find Your Candidate: VoteMatch

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:01:08 PM EST
Tags: 2008 (all tags)

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Courtesy of the Dutch, you can answer a quick 25 questions and find the top Democrat (or Republican) that most closely matches your positions on issues -- you can even rank the issues in terms of importance to you before they calculate the final results.

VoteMatch USA 2008 is a product of the Dutch Institute for Political Particpation, made for and in cooperation with current affairs programme OneToday.

VoteMatch USA 2008 comprises eight candidates who will take part in the preliminary US presidential elections, three Democrats and five Republicans. These eight candidates are deemed most likely to win by authoritative research institutes such as Pew Research and Brookings Institution...

After you get the results, which are broken down by issue and specify on which ones the three Democrats agree and disagree with you, you can click and read their statements on those issues.

My results (and again, these are based only on the candidates' positions on issues)came out: John Edwards, very closely followed by Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama was third. There was a larger gap between Hillary and Obama.

Take the test, it's very quick, and let us know the results in comments.

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Find Your Candidate: VoteMatch | 38 comments (38 topical)

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Neat! (none / 0) (#1)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:13:21 PM EST

Took the test (none / 0) (#2)
by scribe on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:17:50 PM EST

and my results were
Edwards
Clinton
Obama.

The only two questions I did not agree with Edwards on were the one on gun sales and on the Patriot Act.

And, I think the Dems are opening themselves up to a lot of trouble come the end of June, if the Supremes rule in favor of DC in the gun control case.

As a comment, I thought the Patriot Act question was both confusing and open to internal contradiction. One can easily believe (as I do) that (a) the Patriot Act does not help fight terrorism and (b) that privacy must be more strongly protected. That choice, because of the compound question nature of that inquiry, is unavailable, so I had to answer "don't know".

: went back and took it again, not screening (none / 0) (#13)
by scribe on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:02:40 PM EST

the Repugs, this time but giving the same answers.
Results (# agreements):
Edwards (23/25)
Clinton (18/25)
Obama (16/25)
Huckster (6/25)
St. John McCain (5/25)
Rudy Cue Ball (5/25)
Freddo (3/25)
Mittens (1/25)
Y'know, I'd suspect the Ron Paul pitchfork-and-torch mob might show up on the developers' porch, given they left him out.

Same (none / 0) (#3)
by athyrio on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:18:08 PM EST

My result were the same as Jeralyn. Good test!!!

Vote Match (none / 0) (#4)
by jrod on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:22:49 PM EST

Took the test and came out very strong for John Edwards, which did not surprise me. However, I was surprised that Hillary came in second and Barack came in a distant third. Republicans were way out in left field, although Giuliani was the tops of all the Republicans which I find hard to believe as I can't stand the man.

: Just Did The Dems (none / 0) (#23)
by MO Blue on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 03:06:25 PM EST

but had the same results. Edwards a strong first - no surprise I'm a Edwards supporter
Hillary a rather strong second. A big surprise.
Obama a very distant third. Not really surprised because I do disagree with him on a lot.

Edwards! (none / 0) (#5)
by eric on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:23:06 PM EST

Edwards a nearly perfect match, followed by Hillary and then Obama.

I got Edwards, HIllary, Obama, too (none / 0) (#6)
by andgarden on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:27:29 PM EST

: A lot of the explanations are shifty (none / 0) (#37)
by andgarden on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 10:14:28 PM EST

I think all of the Democrats actually support a timeline for withdrawal, but this only thinks that Edwards does.

I wasn't surprised by Edwards (none / 0) (#7)
by sallycat on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:28:47 PM EST

as my primary choice but I was surprised that Clinton came closer to my choices than Obama. That was an eye opener.

Edwards (none / 0) (#8)
by magster on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:34:55 PM EST

then Obama and Clinton tied.

Thompson (none / 0) (#9)
by Wile ECoyote on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:40:48 PM EST

Hillary was the dem closest to my choices. Way down there though.

Rudy and Fred at one end (none / 0) (#10)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:45:37 PM EST

Barack and Edwards at the other.

I guess the economy's not an issue.

Hillary, then Edwards closely followed (none / 0) (#11)
by MarkL on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:54:17 PM EST

then Obama a bit further back---this mirrors my actual preferences exactly.

Crappy poll.... (none / 0) (#12)
by kdog on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:59:46 PM EST

No Paul and No Kucinich, only the frontrunners/corporate money raisers...lame.

To show you how lame, Rudy came in 3rd on mine, ahead of Obama. What's up with that?

If you got Rudy ahead of Bam, (none / 0) (#14)
by scribe on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:03:38 PM EST

maybe you just don't know your own heart well enough....


Possible.... (none / 0) (#16)
by kdog on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:15:36 PM EST

the older I get the more confused I get about things. But I'm still sure about Rudy being evil incarnate:)

Maybe it was the tax questions...I oppose all new tax increases under any circumstances.


I'd like to make enough to have to worry (none / 0) (#17)
by scribe on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:17:38 PM EST

about tax increases.


: I don't make enough to pay a lot either...... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:22:55 PM EST

just a couple grand a year. It's the principle with me...I'm funding the entity that wants me arrested, wants to wage war on foreign lands, and hand out welfare to millionaires. I don't wanna give that entity another dime, be it mine or yours or Bill Gates.

Hillary (none / 0) (#15)
by Patrick on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:10:43 PM EST

Was the top Dem for me, but way behind Fred Thompson.

Edwards was first... (none / 0) (#19)
by desertswine on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:31:34 PM EST

for me.
Lazy Thompson was dead last, or maybe just dead.

I got (none / 0) (#20)
by Jgarza on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:43:19 PM EST

Obama
Clinton
Edwards

: Romney was dead last for me (none / 0) (#21)
by Jgarza on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 02:44:42 PM EST

Guiliani was the number 1 repub, i don't get that i weighted talking to Iran.

My results (none / 0) (#22)
by CPo on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 03:05:41 PM EST

Edwards
Obama
Clinton

If you check the totals of those who've taken the test, Edwards is running way ahead

My results (none / 0) (#24)
by Big Tent Democrat on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 03:08:39 PM EST

Obama
Clinton
Edwards.

But that was AFTER I adjusted the errors in the answers.

For example, the poll states that Obama and Clinton "don't know" if Social Security beneifts should be lowered.

At least based on their statements, this is false.

: I noticed that (none / 0) (#25)
by Jgarza on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 03:11:41 PM EST

Also i thought the patriot act question was strange, so i voted i don't know.

I'll say this (none / 0) (#26)
by Deconstructionist on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 03:46:08 PM EST

The result actually matched my real preference.

Edwards followed by Obama then Clinton. Huckabee was the highest rated Republican.

I also put don't know on the Patriot Act question.

Interestingly (none / 0) (#27)
by Deconstructionist on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 03:56:17 PM EST

When I gave the same answers but didn't give any extra weight to any at the end, Huckabee dropped from highest Republican to lowest and Giuilani became the highest but the Dems all stayed in the same order (but the gap between them narrowed).

I'm guessing that's because I gave weight to the tax and SS and trade issues the first time and Huckabee is somewhat populist on those but very conservative on social issues.

You get weird results if dislike all candidates (none / 0) (#28)
by roy on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 04:05:19 PM EST

McCain, Guiliani, Clinton, and Obama are all pretty much tied for first.

Beware though (none / 0) (#29)
by TheRealFrank on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 04:08:32 PM EST

A version of his thing has been around for the last 2 elections in the Netherlands. It's cool, but the problems start when parties become aware of it.

Noticing that it had become a noticeable influence on the Dutch elections, the "Karl Rove" of the Christian Democrats figured out how to give vague enough answers to the list of answers sent out the the campaigns, so that his party would get a higher score. So the system can be gamed.

Perhaps the lesson is that in politics, substance doesn't win, because the Christian Democrats won the election.

: Err (none / 0) (#30)
by TheRealFrank on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 04:09:14 PM EST

"list of answers sent out to .." ==> "list of questions sent out to .."

Looks like I need to join TomP (none / 0) (#31)
by oculus on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 04:19:38 PM EST

[Edwards, Clinton, Obama, Guiliani].

spaced about equally (none / 0) (#32)
by Klio on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 05:08:05 PM EST

Edwards
Clinton
Obama

John Edwards (none / 0) (#33)
by Maggie Mae on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 05:15:55 PM EST

followed by Hillary then Obama. But I wasn't surprised by that outcome.

Same as Jeralyn (none / 0) (#34)
by koshembos on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 05:54:18 PM EST

Edwards (none / 0) (#35)
by jazzcattg1 on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 06:45:55 PM EST

In a landslide for moi. Where is Ron Paul though?

E-C-O (none / 0) (#36)
by estill on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 08:15:01 PM EST

Like many others who have commented, I was interested or amazed that Clinton was closer to me than Obama.

Add another flake... (none / 0) (#38)
by pansauce on Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 12:18:48 PM EST

to the E-C-O avalanche.

And like most, I was expecting E-O-C.