2+2 Presidential Primaries
 

Six quick polls. Please only answer if the affiliation descriptions in the title fits you. The first four polls are matchups, the latter two are comprehensive candidate fields. If you are AC, don't believe in voting, or never vote for the big two parties, scroll to the bottom.

Quick logistics question
 

Are you asking who we prefer, or who we would vote for?

For example, I am a registered independent. In the Clinton vs. Edwards question, I suppose I would prefer Edwards. However, if it came to a vote between the two, I would abstain.

EDIT: I would not, however, abstain from voting entirely.

Re: Quick logistics question
 

Who you would prefer to represent the party in the general election.

My positions
 

Poker is the dominant issue for me, so I picked Gingrich from the general field because I'm guessing he'd be the least likely of all the candidates to attempt to ban it.

I picked McCain over Giuliani because Guiliani seems the most likely to want to sign poker legislation into law given how he governed NYC. That vote is not an endorsement for McCain, because I am deeply troubled by his intention to increase American involvement in Iraq.

For the Dems I prefer Gore because I think he's the most likely to take positive steps on global warming and not escalate the Iraq war. However, I wouldn't support him over Gingrich if he came out in favor of further poker legislation.

Re: My positions
 

Right, those probable matchups are very much a "lesser of two evils" for many people. Like for instance: I dislike Kerry, but in the 2004 elections I was still supporting him just to get rid of Bush, and voted that way.

Re: My positions
 

That was the precise reason(getting rid of Bush) I did not support Kerry in the '04 primary, despite what every other New Hampshire voter was saying in the news.

I think Kucinich would have had a better chance to beat Bush.

Re: My positions
 

Yeah I didn't support Kerry in the primaries either. I thought Edwards and Clark had a better shot at Bush. Clark specifically. Once Kerry was the nominee, I had to bite the bullet and support him.

Re: My positions
 

I voted:

Clinton
Gore
Obama
Obama

Re: My positions
 

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah I didn't support Kerry in the primaries either. I thought Edwards and Clark had a better shot at Bush. Clark specifically. Once Kerry was the nominee, I had to bite the bullet and support him.

[/ QUOTE ]

The question that boggled my mind then, and has boggled my mind ever since, is how did people come to believe that Kerry was the "most electable" candidate? The notion popped up and it was never really questioned in a meaningful way. It really proved to me that if there's one thing Democrat's have no clue about it is what other people are thinking (I think this explains their reliance on polling). Almost Democrat I talked to said garbage like, "well, I like Dean (insert any candiate) but I don't think he has a chance in the general, so I voted for Kerry." And "well I'd vote for Kucinich but in the general, but I don't think anyone else would." Instead they picked the only candidate that could not, on his merrits or personality, get voters to vote against their party and did not exite the Democratic base....genius.

Re: My positions
 

I'm going to be very interested to see if the moral right screws the Republicans over this year in that same fashion. I think Giuliani or McCain eats any Democrat for breakfast. Time to donate to Romney and Brownback!

Re: My positions
 

I think Rove's notion of courting your base makes a lot of sense, but not in the current climate for Republicans. The Republicans have moved far to the right of the country, and the Democrats have arguably moved to the right of the country as well. I think this means courting base is +EV for Dems, but -EV for Reps.

Re: My positions
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think Rove's notion of courting your base makes a lot of sense, but not in the current climate for Republicans. The Republicans have moved far to the right of the country, and the Democrats have arguably moved to the right of the country as well. I think this means courting base is +EV for Dems, but -EV for Reps.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dems have moved to the right of the country??? I assume you mean to the right of their Democrat base, but I still disagree. Shrillary's posing notwithstanding, Dem leadership is still from the extreme left. Pelosi? Dean? Kennedy? right of the country????

Re: My positions
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dems have moved to the right of the country??? I assume you mean to the right of their Democrat base, but I still disagree. Shrillary's posing notwithstanding, Dem leadership is still from the extreme left. Pelosi? Dean? Kennedy? right of the country????

[/ QUOTE ]

Pelosi, maybe
Kennedy, on par
Dean, no effin way.

Re: My positions
 

I am a lofe long dem and the last person we need to represent our party is clinton. She is a good nominee but won't be elsected......If both party's were smart they would put her on the ticket as the VP candiate and put Rice on the ticket as the VP for the rep.....so no matter what that barrier goes away

Re: My positions
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think Rove's notion of courting your base makes a lot of sense, but not in the current climate for Republicans. The Republicans have moved far to the right of the country, and the Democrats have arguably moved to the right of the country as well. I think this means courting base is +EV for Dems, but -EV for Reps.

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't court, you don't get nominated. Not courting is EV- for any candidate. What you can do is frame the debate in ways that agree with the base, without touching on the really polarizing issues that kill you in general elections. Once you get the nomination, the message starts changing, and you hope to emerge with a minimal amount of negative soundbites to moderate ears. Rove was just better at this manipulation than the incompetent Dem campaign managers.

Re: My positions
 

Edwards
Gore
Obama
Obama

Obama/Clark Obama/Warner coming to a white house near you.

Re: My positions
 

[ QUOTE ]
It really proved to me that if there's one thing Democrat's have no clue about it is what other people are thinking

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
the Democrats have arguably moved to the right of the country as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh, the irony.

Re: My positions
 

[ QUOTE ]
If both party's were smart they would put her on the ticket as the VP candiate and put Rice on the ticket as the VP for the rep

[/ QUOTE ]

This would not be smart, given the real goals in an election. Breaking barriers isn't the goal. Winning is.

Hillary Clinton is hated by too many people. Condi Rice is in the Pro Bush/Pro Iraq camp. Both of these are detrimental, not additive, to any electable candidate on either side.

The best democratic candidates by far are Obama and Bayh.

On the other side it's not so clear. McCain is someone people respect, but he's way too old compared to everyone else, and his Iraq views aren't in synch with the national mindset right now.

Giuliani was a phenomenal mayor (i am a lifelong new yorker and was here for 9/11), and let me tell you that i have never seen someone more poised and effective in a time of crisis than Giuliani then. However, Giuliani isn't cut out for the office of President. He needs to be the master of his own domain. As mayor, he had that dynamic to his office. As President, he'd be too autocratic and this would stymie his effectiveness.

Re: My positions
 

Lol... not a vote for Kerry. Iron, no love?

Re: My positions
 

Yeah lol. Iron seriously, pick a better Dem. Maybe find an animation of Howard Dean going BYAAAAAAH!!!!!

Re: My positions
 

BYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! (Animated)

Re: My positions
 

I'd be all over either Kerry or Dean for this, except that I don't know if they're going to run. Obama more likely than Kerry: I really doubt Kerry is going to run and I think he'd have a good shot at getting the nomination.

Also, I whipped up this Howard Dean avatar. I'll slow it down if I decide to go with it:

http://img285.imageshack.us/img285/8...0001cb3mn4.gif http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/8959/dean3ja1.gif

Edit: Dean avatar slowed down.

Re: My positions
 

Make the Dean avatar a little less choppy and it'll work.

Re: My positions
 

Go with the Dean avatar. If you enjoy living the high life on your wife's money and have a great disdain for the enlisted man, I'd say you're most like Kerry. If you're just an angry little socialist dude, Dean's your man. Why not get an Obama avatar or something, maybe even an avatar of a paper shredder now that Hillary is nearing entry into the race.

Re: 2+2 Presidential Primaries
 

I've changed my mind. I think Barack Obama is the favorite to get the nomination. What brought me around was watching the Monday Night Football pregame show. They had Barack do the opening credits. Unfortunately, they didn't have him say "are you ready for some football?" However, anyone who can pull that off, make it funnyy and is enough of a media darling to get invited has a lot going for him.