US election candidates positions in one pretty graph

[matgb]

The Political Compass has an analysis of the candidates in the US Primaries 2007:

Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel are depicted on the extreme left in an American context, they would simply be mainstream social democrats within the wider political landscape of Europe. Similarly, Hillary Clinton is popularly perceived as a leftist in the United States while in any other western democracy her record is that of a moderate conservative.

and plots the candidates like so on the graph:

It's telling how close together they all are, and I concur completely with their analysis on it being linked to the electoral system. It also shows why I keep getting Kucinich on all those "who should you vote for" things that are kicking around.

Of course, the US media is even more biased than in the UK, and is almost completely beholden to corporate/advertiser interests; at least in the UK the press is following market positions at the same time as trying to affect that market (if anyone really thinks Murdoch backed Blair for political reasons then they really weren't paying attention). The result of this is that candidates coalesce around a media friendly center, but the media/mainstream is so far to the top/right that anyone else looks extreme. Ah well.

Land of the free, home of the brave. As long as the corporations are happy with you.

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I keep getting Mr Chinnychinchin too.

[matgb]

Aye, the great shame is the US system gives him no chance at all, it's one of the few countries with a worse electoral system than ours.

Ah well.

[susanne-est-moi.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, dear Dennis.

There's actually quite a few really good reasons NOT to vote for him. He was the mayor of my fair city back in the day and although he's a really decent guy with a few great ideas, his leadership abilities are sorely lacking.

I'm thrilled, however, that he has remained in the political sphere, just so that people realize that there IS another voice, another opinion out there.

I think it's quite telling that the Democratic candidates are quite towards the center. Most people over here are starting to realize that we really aren't going to get anywhere with extreme candidates in one way or the other. Moderates are the future and, after these horrid eight years are over with, I don't think you'd find it surprising at all that moderates are considered to be "radically left-wing". Right now, I feel like we're off the map.

[matgb]

Centrist candidates in FPTP is good. Big problem is that they're the wrong side of the center, that top right quadrant is far too packed.

And yeah, an analysis of opinion/issues is never going to tell you much about character and competence, it's just a shame that there are so few out there in the right quadrant. Currently.

Read a good post by Tim yesterday, he's a bit to my right but has a good point:
http://timworstall.typepad.com/timworstall/2007/09/rhetorical-ques.html

[susanne-est-moi.livejournal.com]

This is a very good point. Of course, your lot and my lot would be much more thrilled if the Barack/Hillary types were hanging out down with the Dennis types.

That was a lovely post by Tim. The irony in this nation at the moment kind of hurts me. First we have Mr. Kiddie Porn in Florida and now Mr. Toilet Flirt in Idaho.

Urgh. I'd love to just blame it all on Ann Coulter. If only.

Here's my theory: You have to be at least a bit insane to toss yourself in the political arena, particularly in the presidential category. Perhaps the majority of the follks in the Dennis K. quadrant are too busy being sane, rational, and contributing members of society to bother with running a country. Hmm?

[sylo-tode.livejournal.com]

When I did a survey in 2004 that matched your political stance against the candidates, I got a 100% match with Kucinich (this did not include my opinion on eating meat or other superfluous concepts). Sharpton was second.

Bush was 0%.

[matgb]

That doesn't surprise me at all.

What does surprise me is that there are so many USians within the bottom quadrant, but seemingly completely unrepresented within the actual elected sphere.

We have that problem, but we have many politicians talking to us, and many of them get treated seriously by the media. Even if only barely.

[baseballchica03.livejournal.com]

I know HOW MUCH does this country suck? It may as well be a one party state for all the "change in power" matters.

[baseballchica03.livejournal.com]

It also, by the way, supports my theory about fucking Bill Clinton and his stupid fucking "New Democrats" pulling everyone in this country further and further to the right so that we have no actual Left to speak of. *grumble grumble worst thing to happen to the Democratic Party hate*

[matgb]

Oh, electorally what Clinton did was right—Downs et al—but it hasn't helped that the media has followed him and the left either caved in or allowed themselves to be portrayed as idiots for, well, acting like idiots.

We have similar problems over here, but our districts are small enough that concentrated ares of traditional left can get some fairly radical politicians elected to national office, unlike say over there where the Greens and similar are a power in San Francisco but barely scratch the radar anywhere else.

Then there's the whole race/class divide which splits the left far too much—Kanye said George Bush doesn't care about black people—untrue, he's got black friends. He just doesn't care about poor people. At all, but divide and rule stayed in effect even during the horrors of Katrina.

Better to be in power with a centrist than be in opposition with someone of your opinion. But better still to have an electoral system that allows your opinion a say as well. It's why I'm a Lib Dem and not a Green, the Lib Dems have MPs and a chance of government, the Greens don't.

[tyrell.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty amazed just how liberal Hillary shows up on there. Doesn't say good things for Barak or Biden.

[matgb]

Aye, but then all are acting within the system they're in. Barack remains my choice to win, simply because he's got a chance and is closer than the rest.

I suspect I'll not be happy with the result regardless, but lesser of two evils is still lesser.