Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Straw Poll Time

For anybody that remembers the heated political debate that took place in these boards a month ago, I've decided to run a straw poll and settle it for once and for all.
So I give you this question: If an election were held today (ok tomorrow for those of you across the dateline), would you vote Democrat or Republican?

To make the Americans happy I have created seperate answers for foreigners because we know they are mostly Democrat. Also those other parties are not included in this straw poll...merely because if they only get something like 2% of the populations vote, they aren't going to be getting much here.
Alex.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

Re: Straw Poll Time

Thanx for the special catagory for little old me

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Well, your dutch, living in Australia and knowledgable in American politics. I figured someone as diverse as you needed to be part of the leadership race...
Alex.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Re: Straw Poll Time

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Originally posted by tantousha
For anybody that remembers the heated political debate that took place in these boards a month ago, I've decided to run a straw poll and settle it for once and for all.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

Toolkit for President

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

quote:

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Originally posted by dampeoples
Toolkit for President

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Elkins Park, Pa
Posts: 577

Look at Toolkit. There's an IMPOSTER! MULTIPLE IMPOSTERS!

Anyway, a better system for the foreign votes would have been "liberal" or "conservitive" and there should have been two "others", a "liberal other" or "conservitive" other.

Question: If the election was Gore vs. Dole, would there be mass suicides after each debate? Who would be able to sit through one??? Ugh.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by ernieba1
[...] Anyway, a better system for the foreign votes would have been "liberal" or "conservitive" and there should have been two "others", a "liberal other" or "conservitive" other. [...]

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

If your taste test is between Coke and Pepsi, are the results valid? Will you have any clue how many prefer RC, Dr Pepper, 7-Up, Yoo-Hoo, Gatorade, etc.?

Unfortunately, this is sort of the situation we have in America. Millions of us are not really represented by the two exisiting parties, but our system is sorta skewed in their favor. Other parties exist, but there are a lot of hurdles they have to overcome to inculded on the ballot.

Personally, I think it would be sorta cool to have each voter take a small test to determine party affiliation (sorta like the "Worlds Smallest Political Quiz" http://www.self-gov.org/lp-quiz.shtml) and then actually register for the party that really reflects your views! Something like that may wake people up a bit out of this 'republican/democrat' coma most American voters are in!

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Do what you can, with what you have, where you are at!

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by Madkins007
If your taste test is between Coke and Pepsi, are the results valid?

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

I can not truthfully answer the poll because none of the answers can be answered in a truthful fashion by a person such as myself due to the simple fact that I would abstain from voting if I only had those five choices.
I actually think Josh and Toby would make very colorful running partners (I think that they're both elegible)

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by BobbyMike
I can not truthfully answer the poll because none of the answers can be answered in a truthful fashion by a person such as myself due to the simple fact that I would abstain from voting if I only had those five choices.
I actually think Josh and Toby would make very colorful running partners (I think that they're both elegible)

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I'm missing eligibility for the next Presidential election by a slight margin (about 2 months from election time, although I'd be eligible by inauguration). You'd have to wait a while for Josh.

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Look...it's a straw poll. Don't you know what a straw poll is? or is it Canadian only?
A straw poll is a -->Simple<-- poll usually between the top two or three running parties to find out what the populous is thinking. There is no research or statistical analysis done, it's just to see which end you would lean on...there are no abstaining ballots, nor would those be counted. Quite frankly I was asking more of who would you support more....no candidates or presidents or senators just party principals.
Alex.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by tantousha
Look...it's a straw poll. Don't you know what a straw poll is? or is it Canadian only?

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No, it's not Canadian only. It's meaningless in many countries. A straw poll with a self-selected sample means less than nothing. So... what do you think you'll find out?

quote:

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A straw poll is a -->Simple<-- poll usually between the top two or three running parties to find out what the populous is thinking. There is no research or statistical analysis done, it's just to see which end you would lean on...there are no abstaining ballots, nor would those be counted.

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So, it's a totally asinine and meaningless effort. OK.

quote:

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Quite frankly I was asking more of who would you support more....no candidates or presidents or senators just party principals.

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The answer is still neither since the party _principles_ are as variable as the party _principals_ (which _would_ be the candidates, senators, president, etc.). That's why they 'rebuild the platform' every four to eight years. I identify with neither of them, hence my straw vote for ToolkiT (would that make him a "straw man"?).

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Hmmm...straw men reminds me of T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men". If you want to read a chilling account of where he thinks humanity is going than check it out, other wise steer clear.
Alex.

"Headpiece filled with straw"

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 604

Toby's commentary reminds me of the Simpson's Halloween episode when the Aliens impersonate Clinton and Gore during the '96 election. When Homer exposes them, they cackle that voting for anyone else is a wasted vote.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by VTL
Toby's commentary reminds me of the Simpson's Halloween episode when the Aliens impersonate Clinton and Gore during the '96 election. When Homer exposes them, they cackle that voting for anyone else is a wasted vote.

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Registered: May 2001
Location: NY metro area
Posts: 219

Toby said

quote:

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A 'straw man' is a type of logical fallacy.

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Jonathan

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Read the poem and you will understand what I was getting at. In the poem, Eliot compares people of modern society to scarecrows meaning they are hollow of soul yet stuffed with materialism...it's quite a good piece...a little haunting though.
Alex.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by tantousha
Read the poem and you will understand what I was getting at. [...]

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