Americans, who will you be voting for as President in 2004?

[Mary Kissel]

I didnt see any either, thankyou for answering the q too josh

[CGW]

I'm a hardcore centrist.

[Natasha]

I knew who blair was, but the benn reference through me for a loop at first!

[Justin Kissel]

Wow Josh, you sound like my Father-in-law. As soon as I get into the car with him, it's "Did you know that the Republicans are doing this and that evil thing in Iraq?" or "Did you know what the low-down rotten scoundrel Bush did this week?"

[尼古拉前执事]

From the survey's FAQs:

Why have you put Stalin on the right of the scatter plot? or, Wasn't Hitler a socialist?

I haven't "put" the politicians on the scatter plot anywhere. I worked out -- to the best of my knowledge -- how they would have answered the questions, and then plotted them where they naturally fell. You can see the answers I've proposed for the various "celebrities" on this page, along with justifications where appropriate. I welcome emails [chris@politics.beasts.org] correcting me on any errors I have made there.

Really, Hitler and Stalin don't really belong on the diagram, because the test's questions fit firmly into a late-1990s, early-2000s view of politics. Hitler and Stalin appear as extremes on the diagram, but not nearly as extreme as they should. To fully bring out their positions, the test would have to include agree/disagree statements such as,

Code: Select all

* There are millions of people in my country whom the state should murder.
* All political parties other than my own should be banned.
* Starting a land war in Europe is a really neat idea.

Since -- presumably -- all the real respondents to the test would answer "strongly disagree" to these questions, they are not much use for determining people's present-day political leanings. Nevertheless, I thought that people would be interested to see where the two dictators come out on the plot.

(And, no, Hitler was not a socialist. He didn't nationalise industries, he persecuted trades unionists, and relied on the support of German capitalists for German rearmament and the war effort. The fact that the acronym from which the name "NAZI party" is drawn -- NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, "National Socialist German Workers' Party" -- contains the word "socialist" is an example of political spin (or, if you like, a lie).

[Joe Zollars]

The question is, should one flee the country and declare oneself a political refugee as say the Dalai Lama did in the face of the Chineese Communists, or move to SC and take 'Cracker's* Last Stand' if a certain candidate wins?????

*My fellow Southroners, Hillbillys, and Bonified Hicks (I am proud of all three titles), please do not take offense. Actually I meant it in reference to a very good song by my favorite band, the Rebelaires.

Joe Zollars

[Jakub]

I'm with Pat B., there is no real Democrat Or Republican parties anymore, they left their root traditions/ideas behind. Sounds like a Church I knew.

james