The Candidate Match Game
Ben Domenech ·
December 20, 2011 at 4:30am
I am typically unimpressed with candidate match games, since they tend to be far too simplistic and only ask hot button issues. "Would you like to give poor Americans houses and hot meals and reality television, or would you like to make delicious soup from their bones?" And so on.
But this USA Today test is actually pretty well done I think. The ability to weight certain portions that matter, and diminish those that do not, is particularly worthwhile.
I'd encourage you all to take the test and share your results. In the interests of full disclosure, I'll go ahead and share how my graph came out.
I think I sense a problem for Willard in the general.
- Comment (58)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (0)
Comments:
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Hrmmm...
Sep '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
1) Gingrich @ 56.3% 4/11 issues
2) Huntsman @ 56.3% 5/11 (not sure why he is ranked second... must be the weights)
3) Perry @ 52.2% 4/11
I played with the weights a few times as I really thought about the issues and Gingrich/Huntsman/Perry were perennially in the top three with an occasional upset by Santorum.
Notably, and a bit worrying, was that in every instance, Romney underperformed Obama by a noticeable margin.
I think something to note here is the either/or proposition it rates candidates on, you either are completely aligned on an issue or you are not.
In some cases I'm 80% in agreement with one position on an issue, and 90% with another candidate, but the marks aren't distributed that way. The first candidate gets 0% and another 100%. Gingrich would have gotten nearly all ~80-100% for the a very high score in my book, but other candidates stole them away here and there. Still, those gains were distributed among them so none out performed Gingrich significantly.
Jan '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
I want to see the visual results for some of you. Please post pictures!
Jan '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
I enjoyed this poll and I could think of one way to make this it even better. Coerce respondents to truly reveal what they feel strongly about by not letting them weight everything as so important and force them to make tradeoffs through a constraint on preferred issues. Sort of like I spell out in this post.
May '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
How embarrassing.
May '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
This is from my second time (closed the browser window without thinking, d'oh!). On the first Perry was still #1, followed by Gingrich and then Bachmann. Although I am keeping the Governor on my short list, I haven't been too enthusiastic about the Congresswoman. Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something...
Jun '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Perry 54% - No problem with this
Gingrich 52% - My man
Paul 52% - It makes sense only because he's pretending to be a Republican
May '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
It confirmed a suspicion I've had for a while: I might like Huntsman more than I've admitted to myself in the past (and so might others).
Perry still came #1 for me though.
May '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
I note Mitt and Obama are nearly neck and neck. Maybe I do sit this one out.
Edited on December 20, 2011 at 8:36amMay '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
My result don't really surprise me. After spending ample time thinking about it, I had already realized I fit with Perry on most issues. As I lean libertarian, Paul's position doesn't surprise me. Everyone else is under 50%, which I also more or less knew already. My only real surprise was that Romney was well lower for me than Obama. I disfavor him, but not that much...
Apr '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
It's a BS survey when it comes to Romney answers. On "energy", the only answer that correlates to Romney is to support Nuclear and expanded drilling, but not to deregulate or look to shale and Canadian oil. If you look at Romney's actual energy plan, it's about deregulating (even the support for nuclear is in the form of deregulation) and looking to shale and Canadian oil.
Likewise, the actual Romney answer on healthcare (expand HSAs, personal, portable, health insurance deductability, med mal reform, possibly some form of exchanges) gives points to every other candidate except Huntsman, and gives none to Romney. For Romney, the answer is apparently "repeal Obamacare but states should be allowed to create a system that requires residents to buy health insurance". This answer only gives Romney points, despite the fact that every candidate would allow states to do that.
On Medicare, it suggests that Ryan plan supporters should view Romney, Newt, and Obama as equivalent. Apparently Ryan knows less than USA Today.
On Immigration, it understates Newt's Amnesty plan, but is basically right on Romney.
The "experience" question is accurate, but stupid.
Apr '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Social Security is fair.
Climate Change draws no distinction between Newt's "No cap and trade, but an energy tax" and Mitt's "no cap and trade or energy tax" positions.
It suggests that under Newt and Perry's plans, everyone would be paying the same flat tax rate. In fact, a relatively small minority would be; it is an option and most taxpayers would be staying on the current system. Of those who moved, many would be paying 0%. It also draws no distinction between a 15 and 20% rate.
On defense, it does not make a distinction between increasing defense spending and not cutting it, removing an issue on which Romney is to the right of all other candidates.
On Gay marriage, it suggests that if you like the status quo, you should prefer Obama to GOP candidates. This seems to be obviously false, although this misrepresentation seems more reasonable than the others (it can be justified by references to the text).
Apr '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Here's a tip: check none of the above for the poorly constructed "experience" question. I had Obama in my top 3 because we "agreed" that he had executive experience. Silly. The other issue on which I supposedly agreed with Obama was gay marriage (anti-marriage, pro-civil unions).
After tweaking the weights I'm 1. Huntsman 2. Newt 3. Paul.
Back in '04 I always got matched up with Alan Keyes. This is where these surveys fall short. There's no taking philosophy, temperament or other intangibles into account.
Frankly, these tend to help a Democrat like Obama seem more reasonable. Many of his official positions sound center-right, but once in power he just has his leftist czars and judges run wild.
Dec '11
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Bachmann 69.8
Paul and Santorum 62.9
Jul '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
No surprises here
Dec '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Seems like a lot of folks on Ricochet end up liking Paul and Huntsman in the top three.
Interesting.
Does anything think Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul would agree to form a ticket with each other? How weird would that be?
For the record, I had Paul just barely beating out Huntsman and Mittens. Mittens ranked highly because I answered the questions with half and eye towards what is politically feasible.
Sep '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
I got:
Obama and Romney were almost indistinguishable to me.
Nov '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
1. Gingrich: 65
2. Perry: 63
3. Bachman: 57
I think it's kind of strange that my preferences based on policy positions align (at least for 1 and 2) with my preferences based on personality and debate performance.
By the way, Mollie, Huntsman is last on my list, after Obama (!) based on the fact that Obama has some legislative experience and Huntsman doesn't.
Nov '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
Oh, and my last three go like this: Romney, Obama, Huntsman. So there you go, it isn't just a matter of style that makes me dislike Romney; it's substance too.
Sep '10
Re: The Candidate Match Game
So after seeing the results and everyone else's, why do I get the feeling that the Republican establishment and pundits don't give a hoot what we think? Mitt shows up practically dead last for almost all of us and yet he's being forced down our throats like a good dose of castor oil.
Whatever the results of the primaries, it's been a bad election cycle for the George Wills of the world.