I’m sure that you’ve seen several different flavors of the quiz/meme where you provide answers to several political questions, and you see how you stack up against various candidates for political office.
Those quizzes are frequently lacking — either by virtue of presenting the results linearly (failing to recognize that the political landscape is far more complex than a one-dimensional depiction can provide), or from having either inane questions or inadequate possible answers.
The Wall Street Journal Online is linked up with one of those quizzes, the Electoral Compass. I have to give it props for having better questions, and being somewhat more aesthetically pleasing than the usual quiz.
My results are shown (click the graphic for a larger version). The pencil-point represents my score, out in territory where libertarianism meets centrism. Only Ron Paul is within the circle of acceptability. And, while it’s no surprise, I can’t help but notice the other major-party candidates (and former candidates) clustered in different quadrants than I’m in.
It becomes a little easier to see why I get frustrated with both of the major parties, and why I wish a viable/realistic alternative would emerge on the political scene, yes?
