Presidential-candidate quiz

[mckitterick]

The most-detailed presidential-candidate quiz I've yet seen (grokked from shellyinseattle:
AOL/Time Warner quiz
My results:
1 Kucinich Score: 100%
2 Sharpton Score: 95%
3 Kerry Score: 93%
4 Dean Score: 87%
5 Clark Score: 86%
6 Edwards Score: 79%
7 Bush Score: 0%

The Bush score doesn't surprise me (well, maybe a little -- I mean, zero? Nada? Is he not human? Oh, never mind...), but Sharpton sure does! Huh. I guess I'll be happy after all if Kerry gets the nomination! I should feel silly now after making (small) donations to Dean and Clark...

Chris

Comments

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

Did you put down that you'd only look at democrats? That'd put Bush at 0. Here's mine:
Too bad Kucinich doesn't actually have a chance. :-) I'm feeling more and more comfortable with Kerry these days.

1  Kucinich
Score: 100%

2  Kerry
Score: 96%

3  Sharpton
Score: 95%

4  Dean
Score: 89%

5  Clark
Score: 84%

6  Edwards
Score: 82%

7  Bush
Score: 22%

[tmseay.livejournal.com]

I showed up much the same way, Chris, but I've known for a while that Kerry is more liberal than Dean. I still support Dean, though, because Dean is the one who's been most consistent throughout the campaign. He said he opposed the war on Iraq, and he's kept that stance. He said he had trouble with No Child Left Behind, and he's kept that stance. He's pushed for universal health care, and he's still pushing. Sure, John Kerry is looking pretty appealing these days (even if he has all the charisma of a wet sponge), but only because he has reshaped himself in the image of Howard Dean.

Besides, Howard Dean is one of the few politicians on the face of the planet whom I trust even when I disagree with him. So...

-Thomas

Re:

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Nope, I kept it open to all parties. Wow, you got 22% for Shrub? Um... >g<

Chris

[http://users.livejournal.com/kai_/]

1 Kucinich Score: 100%
2 Sharpton Score: 87%
3 Kerry Score: 83%
4 Dean Score: 75%
5 Clark Score: 73%
6 Edwards Score: 71%
7 Bush Score: 10%

Hrm. Shrub only got 10% because of my answers on the abortion issues. As a good Buddhist, I really can't support abortion on an ethical level. And, absolutely, children should have to have their parents consent to have abortions. Parents need to be held accountable for their children's misdeeds.

[Ahem.]

Sorry for the rant.

And I think Sharpton's an idiot.

If I vote this year, I'm voting for Kucinich. I think we need a president whose name no one can spell correctly.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Well, the problem with teens (note that these aren't "children" -- few children have the biological capability to get pregnant) needing parental consent to have abortions is, for example, when the father is the cause of the pregnancy. Or the parents are otherwise abusive and are simply controlling -- say, won't let the daughter do anything to control her own body. This tends to be the kind of family where daughters do act out and get preggers, the kind of people who REALLY shouldn't be mothers, but all-too-often are. I mean, think about it...

Did you see the recent news story about the mother who prostituted her daughter? You think that girl should have to get "parental" permission to abort the monster-baby growing inside her? Eeeew.

Chris

[http://users.livejournal.com/kai_/]

Well, in those cases, there are ways to get around having parental consent, like petitions through the court systems.

And, if one is smart enough, one can convince a doctor, who is knowledgable about odd family dynamics, can choose to assist a young woman in facilitating menstruation.

One reason I believe that young women should have to have permission from their parents is because a young woman actually may not understand the full risks of terminating a pregnancy at her age. Furthermore, I believe that it would force people to deal with issues of birth control in a more direct way than they are doing now. Etc. Basically, I think young women should be allowed access to as much birth control as they want, but not abortion. Which, unfortunately is not the case in many states. When I was put on birth control (when we lived in Ohio) I had to have permission from my parents... but I did not need permission to get an abortion.

What kind of fucked-up thinking is that?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Hate to continue beating this thread, but "petitions through the court systems" sounds like a recipe for disaster. I mean, there are two problems with that:

1) The offender can find out during a drawn-out court process, especially if a parent.
2) In anti-choice states, or if Shrub stays in office much longer, do you really think the courts will deal with such a petition in a timely manner? I wouldn't be at all surprised if such proceedings could take, oh, eight or nine months to be approved.

It's a touchy subject (the whole abortion topic, plus the "when are you a viable critter" topic), but until we have a political climate where it's okay for youths to have birth control -- again, something that's going backwards now with W. and his ilk in office; also, remember he stopped funding AIDS projects that discussed birth control, for crissakes! -- we need to protect young people from harm.

A law that says youths need parental approval except in a bunch of cases would likely get all watered down. Imagine:
1) Unless the parent is the impregnator.
2) Unless the parent was paid to let the impregnator fornicate with the youth.
3) Unless the state the youth lives in is anti-abortion.
4) Unless the youth was raped.
5...) and on and on.

See what I mean? Someone in Arkansas will want one of those stricken, while someone in Alabama will want a couple more, and so on. Anyhow, Catholic youths (thanks, oh Pope-dude) aren't supposed to use birth control, not even in overpopulated third-world countries.

The government needs to keep out of our bodies. Look at how much good the Drug War has done our nation and the world.

Chris

[http://users.livejournal.com/kai_/]

Comment responded to in email.

To sum: I think it's a rather pointless discussion to have in today's current political climate. Far fewer of these kinds of choices are being made by people such as you and me.