# Find your candidate for 2008 (not really a debate) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 7, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638 "2008-01-07T21:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/1 "2008-01-07T21:14:10Z")
Just thought it might be fun if some of the politically oriented 'dopers wanted to take the time to do one of these little internet quizzes and post the results…and how they vary between who the web site picked as your perfect candidate and who they actually plan to vote for. I put it here because it has some aspects of debate…and perhaps some of witnessing. It’s not a poll…this is just for fun (are we allowed to have fun in GD these days?? :)). Anyway, [here](http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html) is the link. I’ll start off. Apparently my optimal candidate is someone by the name of Joe Cox (R). I actually have only the vaguest idea of who that is…and afaik he isn’t even still in the running. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/2 "2008-01-07T21:18:46Z")
My optimal candidate is either a tattoo of wings, or you’ve attached the wrong link. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/3 "2008-01-07T21:24:30Z")
Hm…maybe it’s a bad link. [Here](http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html) it is again (mods correct the OP if you would): Let me know if it still doesn’t work if you would. -XT ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/4 "2008-01-07T21:40:06Z")
I have a 75% match with Mike Gravel, followed by 70% for Richardson, and 65% for Cox. I actually have absolutely no idea who I’m going to vote for. I don’t particularly like any of the front runners for either nomination. I do kind of like Richardson, but don’t think that he has any chance. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/5 "2008-01-07T21:48:33Z")
I get 85% for Kuchinich, 78% for Gravel, 71% for Obama and Richardson. Obviously i’m not going to vote, and i’m afraid i’d be uncertain as to who to vote for anyway (i’m not much better with elections over here). ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/6 "2008-01-07T21:48:55Z")
I plan on voting for Richardson as long as he’s still around when Pennsylvania votes (but I doubt he will be). I ended up a 81% match with Gravel, 77ish for both Kucinich and Richardson. ---
**Author:** ![Dunawake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dunawake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunawake)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/7 "2008-01-07T21:51:07Z")
78% Cox, 78% Paul, 73% Gravel, 69% Tancredo WTH? Who the hell is Cox, and why is Tancredo on there? Seems flawed to me 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/8 "2008-01-07T21:53:04Z")
87.5% for Gravel and Obama. My support is for Richardson, fifth at 79.17, but Obama is my second choice, so that’s fine. Lowest was Duncan Hunter 12.5%, and of the serious candidates, Fred Thompson at 25. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/9 "2008-01-07T22:22:14Z")
Seems if you don’t change anything and go down the list with “Yes” you get Guiliani If you do the same thing with “No” you get Ron Paul, and the same thing with Unsure you get Biden - whose not even running anymore. I’m still voting for Barack. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/10 "2008-01-07T23:20:37Z")
I don’t need to stinkin’ quiz. Jack Bauer is still my President. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/11 "2008-01-07T23:33:33Z")
Apparently I’m still a Ron Paul type of guy. I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed or not. Gravel is next ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/12 "2008-01-07T23:38:41Z")
I’m 93.33% with Mike Gravel. :eek: I’ve heard interviews with him a couple of times (including a pretty long one on NPR–like 30 minutes or an hour)–and he came across to me as a fucking idiot. And yet a fucking idiot with whom I apparently agree on almost everything. Hmm… What does it all mean? Well, at least Brownstain came in dead last for me. That’s some consolation. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/13 "2008-01-08T17:51:13Z")
It was accurate, for me: 1. Gravel 2. Kucinich 3. Edwards 4. Clinton 5. Obama Discounting Ron Paul, who’s sitting at 55%, there’s a long drop from my lowest Democrat (Dodd, 61%) and my highest Republican (Cox, whoever he is, 29%). In the real world, Gravel and Kucinich aren’t on the primary ballet in Texas. If they were, I’d vote for Kucinich, as Gravel doesn’t seem too sharp. I’ll probably vote for Edwards in the primary. Also, since I’m in Texas, I don’t really have vote in the general election. But I’ll show up, as usual. I don’t know what in the world Tancredo is doing on the list. And, along with Cox, I have no idea who Hunter is. Whoever he is, he’s at the bottom of the bottom of the barrel. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/14 "2008-01-08T19:04:22Z")
My top matches came out for Kucinich (67%), Ron Paul (65.5%), Bill Richardson (65%), and Obama (64%). Dead last for me is Romney at 19%, which comes as a surprise to me, because he’s been my probable choice for the Republican nominee. I can’t stand Huckabee, but he came in at 40%. My probable choice for the Democratic nominee (and probably for the general election) has been Obama. I also like Richardson, but he hasn’t been able to get his campaign off the ground. I’m a pro-choice, pro-gun rights, pro-stem cell research, pro-free trade, anti-Iraq War (but pro-Afghanistan War) registered Republican who thinks religion has no place in politics. It’s too bad that my top candidate match is only 67%. No wonder I haven’t been too thrilled with any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/15 "2008-01-08T19:41:13Z")
[QUOTE=robby] My top matches came out for Kucinich (67%) [snip] I’m a pro-choice, pro-gun rights, pro-stem cell research, pro-free trade, anti-Iraq War (but pro-Afghanistan War) registered Republican who thinks religion has no place in politics. [/QUOTE] That’s fascinating, because I’m a pro-life, anti-gun, anti-embryonic stem cell research, pro-free trade, anti-Iraq war, pro-religion independent – and my top match was also Kucinich. The only issues we agree on are the war and free trade, yet we got matched with the same candidate? ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/16 "2008-01-08T21:35:32Z")
But of course voters don’t just vote the issues – they also vote for someone who has a fighting chance of winning. So bye-bye Mike Gravel (and Dennis Kucinich), hello Obama. What was sort of interesting to me is that the leading “composite candidate” (who represents the average of all participants’ views) is Joe Biden – followed closely by Obama. Bodes well for him, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/17 "2008-01-08T21:53:18Z")
86% Cox (I’m with **Dunawake** – who the hell is Cox?) 81% Ron Paul 71% Gravel (please, let’s not go there) 62% Sam Brownback I support Obama. Not because his views match up with mine so much, but I like the way he approaches and analyzes issues. I can live with someone who comes up with a different answer than I do, as long as he “shows his work” and is clearly looking at things thoughtfully and carefully. (Unlike one GW Bush, I might add.) ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/18 "2008-01-08T21:54:04Z")
Since others are sharing, and because my post was nearly devoid of content - I’m pro-abortion, pro-gun (“No way”, I hear you saying), pro-gay marriage, anti-illegal immigration, pro-war (anti-Iraq war), undecided about health care, financial conservative, I usually vote independent, and I suspect I’ll vote for Obama if he’s still around come November. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/19 "2008-01-08T21:55:43Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] Since others are sharing, and because my post was nearly devoid of content - I’m pro-abortion, pro-gun (“No way”, I hear you saying), pro-gay marriage, anti-illegal immigration, pro-war (anti-Iraq war), undecided about health care, financial conservative, I usually vote independent, and I suspect I’ll vote for Obama if he’s still around come November. [/QUOTE] I’m similar, although guns aren’t an issue for me. But what does it mean to be “pro-war” and anti-Iraq war. Are you “pro” any other war we might want to get into as long as it’s not Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Ice\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Machine)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638/20 "2008-01-08T22:04:54Z")
Mike Gravel 87% Dennis Kucinich 84% Barack Obama 68% John Edwards 61% Since I don’t even have my green card yet nevermind citizenship, I won’t be voting and since I’m in Texas it doesn’t make much of difference anyhow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/find-your-candidate-for-2008-not-really-a-debate/432638.md?page=2)