Still undecided about which political party best represents you? Curious about how your views compare with others?
I came across an interesting website last night that can help with those questions — ISideWith.com. Complete the questionnaire and you’ll be given a detailed assessment of your political views and the parties with which you align on each issue.
I answered all the questions, including the additional questions offered in each category, fully expecting to be told I’m mostly a Democrat, with Republican views on immigration, unions, and maybe some economic issues. I was a bit surprised to be told that overall, I align most closely with the Green Party. My fault, of course, for once again forgetting there are more than two political parties out there, despite what the media seem to think and despite my being registered as unaffiliated.
No, I won’t be voting for any minority party candidates. None on the Colorado ballot are viable. But across the nation there are some interesting races where independent candidates offer a chance for voters to express their unhappiness with the major parties. I’m especially interested in the Kansas Senate race, where the Democrat actually dropped out and left the race to an independent and a Republican.
You might find it interesting to assess your views and then browse the information offered on the site. Look through the poll results on each issue; they break down the answers from the questionnaire. Or, if you’re really bored, you can even see my results (they’re so detailed, I’m still exploring them myself).
Interesting, although the test didn’t surprise me. The test is a worthy effort to promote, if only to improve voters’ thinking in advance of being confronted by the ballot in three weeks. Case in point:
😉
Oy vey. And yet those people are allowed to vote. Hundreds of thousands of them. And I doubt any would voluntarily complete a political questionnaire like this.
Some surprises for me in the poll. I came out about as Green as I think I am, but quite a bit further left on non-environmental issues.
I knew I was pretty green on environmental issues, but didn’t think they’d outweigh other issues as much as they did. Not sure how those other small parties slipped in there, either. If nothing else, it’s an interesting distraction from an election that I fear is going to leave me very unhappy.
This is cool. Sometimes it helps you clarify your own thoughts by analysis like this.
I had heard the Kansas candidate was in trouble with her party for something, but didn’t know she dropped out. That doesn’t seem right – to abandon a race so close to the end. But I don’t know much about what was going on there.
Wish there were other choices – the big 2 command all the power and money making it hard for any change – our local races are not only annoying – but sad that this is what we have to choose from.
The last thing I heard was that the Kansas Democrat had abandoned the race but did so after the ballots were printed so her (?) name is still on the ballot. Which makes me think the vote might still be split between her and the independent, giving the race to the Republican.
What a mess.