Saturday, November 05, 2016

Whom should I vote for?

So the way this works is that, if you get past the first two questions, you should vote for whichever candidate gets the most total points by the end. The choices are loosely based on what the candidates have said. Feel free to reword the question to fit how you would put the alternative. Also you are welcome to count according to what you think they will actually do rather than what they've said.

1. More than anything else, do you want to protest both of the candidates or the system in general?
Vote for Gary Johnson, Evan McMullin, or Jill Stein. Don't read any further.

2. Is your overriding concern the possibility that a president might appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, thus making it possible for laws prohibiting abortion to be passed in individual states and Congress?
If so, vote for Donald Trump. He's your shot. Don't read any further.

If this is an important but not the overriding issue for you, give one or more to Trump if you believe he will decrease the number of abortions or to Clinton if you believe she will protect what you see as women's rights in this area. Then proceed.
_______________________
From this point on, give points to one or the other candidate, depending on your choice.

3. Which candidate, if either, do you think is less likely to use the presidency to advance his or her own financial or other corrupt interests to the detriment of the United States?
Give one or more points to the candidate you think is less likely to use the office of the presidency to advance their own personal financial or other interests to the detriment of the nation. Or give a zero if you think they are equally corrupt or that neither are corrupt.

4. Which candidate do you think will most improve the character and "feel" of the nation? Who will model most love of God and neighbor? Who will most improve optimism? Who will most model appropriate language and action for our children? Under whom will we have the least civil unrest due to tone?
If you think Trump, give him one or more points. If you think Clinton, give her one or more points. Or give a zero if you think it's a wash.

5. Should we should appoint more Supreme Court justices like Scalia and Thomas or more like Kagan and Ginsberg?
For Kagan and Ginsberg, give one or more to Clinton. For Scalia and Thomas, give one or more to Trump.

6. Do you believe that Obamacare should be completely repealed to start again from scratch or do you think it is a good start that needs to be fixed?
If it must be destroyed, give one or more to Trump. If it only needs to be fixed, give one or more to Clinton.

7. Do you think we need to set up trade walls to make it more difficult for foreign countries to trade with us (and us with them) or do you more or less support the status quo of trade? Alternatively, do you think that open trade victimizes the poor in the countries with which we trade?
If you believe we need to slow trade down for any of these reasons, give one or more to Trump. If you don't want to go protectionist, give one or more to Clinton. If you think it's a wash, give a zero.

8. Do you think a wall along the southern border would be an effective way of stopping illegal immigration and drug traffic, regardless of expense or cost to our relationship with Mexico?
If you do, give one or more to Trump. If you think it would be counterproductive, give one or more to Clinton. If you don't really care, give a zero.

9. Do you think we should have moderate gun control legislation or no limits gun use in the United States?
If you want moderate gun control, give one or more to Clinton. If you want free use by almost everyone, give one or more to Trump.

10. Do you believe that reducing taxes on the rich trickles money down to the poor? Perhaps you believe that taxes are wrong in themselves or that the government taxes the wealthy too much? Or do you believe that the wealthy bear a greater responsibility for resourcing government services than other classes?
If you trickle down, give one or more to Trump. If you think the wealthy need to help more, give one or more to Clinton.

11. Do you believe that Social Security and other government programs need to be privatized (or that it is not the government's job to take care of the needy), or do you think government programs should be expanded to cover more insured, to pay for education, etc?
If you want to privatize or reduce, give one or more to Trump. If you want to expand services, give one or more to Clinton. If you think both are crazy, enter a zero.

12. How well do you think each candidate would be on reducing the national debt, and how important do you think this issue is?
If you think Trump will reduce the national debt, give him a one or more. If you think Clinton will, give her a one or more. If you think they'll both expand the debt or if you don't think this is an important issue, give a zero.

13. On foreign policy, who do you think is less likely to get us into international trouble with other countries? 
Feel free to give one or more to either Clinton or Trump. Or give 0 if you think they are equal on this issue.

14. Do you value our relationships with NATO more or our relationships with Russia?
If you value NATO more, give a one or more to Clinton. If you value Russia more, give one or more to Trump. The more you support NATO and our current allies, give more to Clinton. The more you want to change things up, give more to Trump.

15. Do you believe that the United States should be fairly exclusive in its support to Israel over and against Palestinians and other Arab countries?
If we should focus on Israel to the exclusion of the surrounding Arab countries, give one or more to Trump. If you believe we should be more even-handed in our relationships with the Middle East, give one or more to Clinton.

16. Do you think we should let the Assad government in Syria retake full control? Do you favor more or less indiscriminate bombing regardless of civilians to get rid of Isis?
If so, give one or more to Trump. If you think we should continue to support civilians in Syria and those fighting against the regime, give one or more to Clinton. If you favor a slower but more targeted approach to Isis, give one or more to Clinton.

17. Do you believe that we should distinguish between illegal immigrants who are violent and those who are peaceful, many of whom have grown up here? Do you believe peace-loving illegals should be given a path to legality or even citizenship? 
If so, give one or more to Clinton. If you think we should pretty much kick them all out, give one or more to Trump.

18. Do you think the best approach to crime and urban unrest is to crack down with a heavier police hand, maybe even martial law, or does something need to be done to build up the inner cities from within?
If you think force is the answer, give one or more to Trump. If you think the criminal system needs to be revamped significantly, give one or more to Clinton. If you think it's a wash, give both a zero.

19. Which candidate do you think is more likely to support the rights of women, African-Americans, and other civil rights? Or do you think "political correctness" is out of control and needs to be curbed? 
Both seem to have the same stance on gay marriage and gay rights, but if you think Clinton will advance civil rights more, give her one or more points. If you think "political correctness" needs to be stopped, give Trump one or more points. If you think they cancel each other out, enter a zero.

20. Which candidate do you think is more likely to advance religious freedoms of concern to you?
If you think the religious freedoms of Christians are more in danger, give one or more to Trump. If you think the religious freedoms of other groups such as Muslims are more in danger, give one or more to Clinton. If you think it's a wash, enter a zero.

21. Do you think that climate change poses a serious threat to the planet or is it more or less hype without any basis?
If you think climate change is serious, give one or more to Clinton. If you believe climate change is an agenda with dangerous consequences, give one or more to Trump. If you don't think it matters either way, enter a zero.

How did you do? Who should you vote for?

2 comments:

Martin LaBar said...

Those questions pretty well cover things, except for global climate change, and, er, decorum.

Ken Schenck said...

I added climate change. Thanks! I meant to cover decorum under #4. Thanks for reading!