fishin' wrote:Anyone that actually reviews [Dean's] record would find that he is probably the most "issue oriented" politican we've had run for President in the last century. He doesn't tow a party line. Some of his positions are certianly on the left but others are to the right.
Thats what I thought. But this board's seen enough crowing from Conservatives about how the Dems should by
all means choose Dean, because he's supposedly so far left of centre that then Bush would be guaranteed victory! I consider that sort of labelling a kind of dirty campaiging (be it one as old as politics itself).
fishin' wrote:This is an interesting comment mostly because the only people I've seen make comments about Dean being an "ultra-Liberal" have been those from the left-wing contingent.
Really?
What about ....
[quote="georgeob1"]Dean, Nader -- all of this will merely make it easier for Bush to win by a very large margin in November. Democrats are in the grip of their various single issue left wing advocates. [..] A proven formula for defeat.[/quote]
[quote="georgeob1"]I'm not aware of any Republican groups to which Dean has any appeal, except perhaps as an eminently beatable Democrat candidate.[/quote]
[quote="timberlandko"]Yup, Dean is lining up for his position among other Democrat Greats ... McGovern, Hart, Dukakis, Gore ... I support his Candicacy Campaign wholeheartedly.[/quote]
[quote="Italgato"]Dean is a McGovern clone and would be destroyed in Nov. 2004.[/quote]
[quote="au1929"]I will never vote for a left wing democrat That is why I fervently wish that Dean does not get the nomination.[/quote]
[quote="au1929"]I will again make one point. The American public will not elect a left-winger to the presidency. Dean IMO is a loser and further more the DNC knows it.[/quote]
[quote="Scrat"][quote="Tartarin"]Aren't you guys interested, though, that Dean, this centrist Dem...[/quote]
Dean... centrist??? ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!
[etc][/quote]
Economic Left/Right: -3.25
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.56
That was my score.
This discussion is based on the theory that people choose their authorities depending on their overall ideological closeness.
This is not how the voting decision is made, specially in presidentialist systems.
Voting decisions in the vote market are often based on the economic situation, on single issues that are important to the voter, on weighing the capacity and personality of the candidate, and, finally, on the candidate's possibility to win (thus, s/he is often voted not as the best choice, but as the better choice among those who have an opportunity to win).
Just did the test for Mexican President Fox (I know quite well were he stands in most issues). He is considered here a right wing conservative:
Economic Left/Right: 3.00
Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.05
That would put him near John Kerry or the British Liberal-Democrats. It sounds logical.
This also means I voted for President 6.25 points to my economic "east" and 4.61 points to my social "north".
Now, the party I voted for Congress was 1.63 points to my economic "west" and 0.88 to my social "south". Quite close. But their Presidential candidate didn't stand a chance.
Economic Left/Right: -0.25
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.72
Economic Left/Right: 5.00
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67
======-==============-======
Caveat: I found many of the questions extremely leading and offering no response that accurately represented my point of view. For example, consider this question:
Quote:Good parents sometimes have to spank their children, to teach them right from wrong. (Strongly disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly agree)
Personally, I believe that spanking can be used to help teach a child to discern right from wrong, but I do not think it ever has to be used. There are lots of ways to teach a child; some work better for a given child than do others. Spanking is neither always essential to teaching a child nor is it always inappropriate. The question above does not allow for this point of view, as it asks specifically how you feel about the notion that spanking sometimes has to be used, when a better and less leading question would have been to ask whether you think spanking can be effective in helping to teach a child.
BTW, I prefer this version of the "Political Compass":
The World's Smallest Political Quiz
