Monday, July 07, 2003

Politically Correctable I don't subscribe to any one particular political theory.  Though some would quickly label me a Democrat, I often times agree with what Republicans are clamoring for.  Occasionally I wholeheartedly concur with what the Libertarians are up in arms over.  It just depends on what the subject is and where I'm at in life.  I don't think it is healthy to pledge your undying loyalites to any one political group.  None of those groups are entirely right or wrong about any one issue.  And right this second, to be honest, none of those groups are exactly inspiring me to action.  That said, I do think it is important to assess from time to time where your political ideologies lie.  You may surprise yourself with how your views may have shifted over time.  In fact it would be odd if your views didn't change at all over the years.  You're not the same person you were when you were ten years old and you'll be very different when you slip into the golden years of your life.  If you wish to claim that isn't so, you're fooling no one but yourself.  There are several website online that are more than happy to help you decide which political group you should align yourself with.  Many are thinly disguised recruiting campaigns for a particular party.  Even so, it can be facinating to find out what the Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and any of the other fringe groups will try to convince you of to get another vote.  One place to try is the 2004 American Presidentil Candidate Selector.  After taking their short survey I found out, to my shock, that I should feel most comfortable throwing my weight behind the Reverend Al Sharpton.  Anyone who knows me must be giggling right now after reading that, but according to the survey, I agree 100% with his views.  Dennis Kucinich was a close second.  Now while I've heard of Sharpton for years, I'd never heard of Kucinich.  Maybe he's the guy who is speaking for me.  Maybe.  Maybe not. Another good place to go is The Political Compass.  There you don't find out just how far left or right you are on the political map, but you also discover where you lean between being Authoritarian or Libertarian.  After taking that quiz, I found that I lean toward the left and Libertarian side of the scale, roughly in the same area as Nelson Mandela and Ghandi (which should be of no surprise as I am often compared to the two).  That's actually a subtle shift from the last time I took the quiz a few months ago, but then I'm not the same person I was then, further proof that people change. If you don't have much time, you can take the World's Smallest Political Quiz.  They claim I'm a Centrist.  Politopia's quiz claims the same thing.   The good news is that no one seems to think I'm a fascist.  But then again, no one has asked my students yet. Related links: Directory of U.S. Political Parties OpenSecrets.org:  Your Guide to Money in US Elections 1:54:56 PM     |

© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.