I agree with Bernie Sanders on 9 out of 10 questions. And even through it was not asked, I disagree with him on abortion. So that is why I will be voting for Donald Trump.
313
Good for you!
Godspeed. You are making this country "great" again!
63
@Thomas
I am so glad that this comment is a "Times Pick" so that hopefully more people will read it and understand that it can sometimes only take one issue to secure the vote of many.
298
@Thomas
A simple indicator that religion ignores logic.
May I ask a question?
How many unwanted kids in perilous lifestyles that you saved from abortion live as adoptees in your home?
1939
Your quiz is nonsense. It is impossible to give accurate answers to yes/no questions. You didn't mention climate change, which is my top topic. The fact that I don't object to bilionaires' existing does not mean I'd vote for Bloomberg. The healthcare and university questions are particularly misleading, since some kind of mixed solution was not even contemplated. A waste of time. C-, needs improvement.
14
@Rebecca Oddly enough, I said that I do object to billionaires, and still Bloomberg was my result. Funny that.
5
Sanders is the candidate that can beat Trump and revolutionize our government. Government should work for the majority and we need to take it back from the oligarchs. Main stream media is controlled by the oligarchs and they are afraid of a Sanders presidency.
9
It's hilarious and ridiculous that so many commenters, after taking the test, find that their answers align with Bernie's policies and priorities, yet still do not want to support him. Sigh...
13
I think the Biden people truly need 2 look at how he treats others, he's 2 conservative and his record shows he is not what we need at all. Warren means well, but 2 say she is "liberal" is farcical. She's a Goldwater girl who is a Clintonite.
IF Bernie is 2 liberal, then why is he the ONLY candidate that can pull voters from BOTH sides? We need a candidate that can do that, Biden and Warren are far 2 partisan in people's minds. And truthfully, seeing Biden's temper and his gaffes along with his record, Trump is prepared 4 him.
Trump doesn't know how 2 handle Sanders' base, the corporate Democrats that kowtow 2 Wall Street would rather give Trump 4 more years than allow Bernie 2 have a chance.
Universal healthcare and free tuition, if we don't get it now, we won't get it for generations and it will ONLY get worse.
What we need is a president who tells Israel and other nations, we can no longer afford 2 give them BILLIONS when our own people r without healthcare, education and housing.
Then we need 2 raise taxes on the extremely wealthy and a minimum wage and social security tied 2 inflationary markers or just go 2 an MMT financial system.
As 4 voting solely on one issue while you agree with 90% of the other issues is foolish. Abortion will NEVER b made illegal because it is impossible to enforce, but if you believe that is your ticket 2 heaven good luck, maybe you should not judge others or expect government to make decisions for us.
2
Not a good predictor. It said Yang would be my last choice. actually, he's my second choice after Sanders.
5
I would really like to see a question on climate change in future quizzes, as I see it as being on-par with issues like health care and higher education. Thanks for this though, a very informative tool.
1
The Washington Post candidate selector is way better. All the questions in this survey are binary and many focus on identity politics. Is 70 too old to be president? Should candidates take big donor money? Should there be billionaires? Should university be free? None of these are binary answers, yet the reader is forced to make a binary answer that doesn't truly represent his their views.
8
Centrists move over: I will not vote for the centrist and so how safe are your "safe" candidates if some Democrats like me won't go out and vote for Biden or Klobuchar.
3
@William Why wouldn't you vote for a centrist? I don't understand this.
1
I was curious to see if there was any predictive value in this test, so I took it. I scored Biden and Steyer, and Bloomberg was very close too. The other candidates were clustered a few bars less than my top three, except for Sanders who was at the bottom with only a couple of blue bars. That actually seemed to reflect where I'm at in terms of choosing; if I had to pick one and vote today, I'd feel somewhat stuck. In watching the debates, I've found things in each that I like, excluding Bernie. He's too brash and too far left for me. Against DJT, Bernie's democratic socialist label would be bashed and used very negatively by DJT with his base. What is scarey is the thought of having another for years with DJT. I'm disgusted with many of his sycophant enablers, e.g. McConnell, Mulvaney, Pompeo, and Pence, as well as individual senators and representatives who seem to be afraid to disagree with him. Consequently, even if I don't like the Democratic pick, I will still vote for him or her. The good thing about the large field of candidates is that they all seem to be successful, knowledgeable people.
2
I'm genuinely surprised, and upset, that not one question in this quiz asked about the climate crisis/ environmental destruction. Ok- it's meant to be a fun little distraction but this is THE most pressing issue of our life times. Yes- health care, taxes, college costs etc ARE important but if you can't breath have no clean water to drink or food to eat ........
3
Tulsi Gabbard is not included on your survey. Therefore I will not take it.
7
Interesting quiz, because I come out as being most compatible with Warren and Sanders on the issues, but I am very concerned as to the manner in which they present themselves and their ideas, thus making their electability questionable to me. Sanders is an even bigger concern than Warren, because he presents his views on income inequality and other economic issues primarily in negative moralistic terms and sounds like he thinks punishing the rich is a moral imperative. Warren would at least present the same issues in a more practical and positive way, for example, pointing out the need for new revenues for valuable new programs and claiming that tax increases on the very rich provide a source for such revenues without unduly or unfairly burdening them.
4
The quiz might've worked better if it had a third "don't care" choice for each question.
4
It’s a bad quiz.
Bloomberg is head and shoulders above all the other candidates for being someone who can make a difference and get things done- based on a proven track record. The quiz paired me with Biden twice but I view Biden as someone who both can’t beat Trump and shouldn’t win the nomination. For starters, Burisma will absolutely sink Biden in the general election- even if it is factually bunk.
Yes, Bloomberg has an exponentially larger wad of cash than all other candidates- combined!- and that includes Trump. However, Bloomberg has a maverick and unconventional streak which is appealing because, at this stage of his life, he is clearly sincere in wanting to do good. Furthermore, Mike B. is the real deal and, as such, the opposite of Trump who is a real phony. What better way to spend his billions than on a winning campaign to replace one of the worst presidents of all time.
Why would a guy like Mike in his late 70s, who has been NYC mayor for 12 years and is worth north of 50 billion dollars , want to go through all this if not for the purpose of eliminating the existential threat of Trump winning re-election and doing good on a planetary scale? Certainly not for power or ego.
None of the other candidates have the collective gravitas of Bloomberg. He will be a great president if given the opportunity.
8
Such a set of lame question.
The most important questions are:
1) Climate Change
2) Campaign Financing
3) Universal Health Care
4) Permanent State of War
3
There are no environmental considerations in this survey!
4
I am not quite sure what the purpose of the questionnaire but took it nonetheless. I believe what the real test will be for those of us wanting to vote Trump out of office will be if we as a party will vote whoever is on the ticket as the Democratic nominee? That needed to be a question. If whoever is the democratic nominee can we all come together, be unified and vote for who is the Dems Candidate. I would be so disappointed if we don't use the result of the impeachment hearings to our advantage and continue to show how our democaracy is moving toward a dictatorship. We need to get the vote out and get those independents or those that might be upset if their candidate doesn't get the nomination won't possibly vote. Yes we needed a few more questions. Truly hope Steyer and Blumberg that have the passion and have the money will get ads and print into the midwest states to reveal the corruption in this administration. We do not want to endure another four years of this madness.
1
10/10 Warren and it was absolutely correct.
1
The duopoly of answers is irritating. Where is the "Don't know" button, the "Hell No" button, and the "Who cares?" button? In other words - where is the ranked choice that would give a more accurate result? Why in the world didn't you include questions on climate change, military spending, infrastructure investment, border safety and immigration reform, and criminal justice reform, all of which can help discriminate between candidates with superficial similarities.
3
I really thought I was going to get Tulsi Gabbard.....
1
Biden is showing the deterioration of age that Bloomberg has so far escaped. Bloomberg’s goal is to replace Trump with someone Presidential who has good character traits, is not narcissistic, and who will do the right things for America, Americans and the rest of the world. If he is not the nominee he intends to continue to fund his organization in support of the Democratic Nominee. My dream ticket would be Bloomberg with Klobuchar, Steyer, Yang, Booker or Buttigieg as his younger VP and presumptive successor. This test is insufficient. You need 20 questions at least.
5
Like others, I didn’t care for some of the questions. They were too absolute. I want a candidate that will beat Trump, as he represents Satan to me. However, I don’t necessarily want to vote for a candidate based on race or gender.
It said that I was more likely to vote for Sanders, however, I like Warren because she is smart and thoughtful. She’s also a fighter. I would not vote for her because she’s a woman, I would vote for her because I think she’s QUALIFIED.
2
I was advised that "Based on your answers, there are multiple candidates that you agree with." Not surprisingly, I agreed with all of them EXCEPT Sanders and Warren. What a surprise, given that I am interested in winning the election against Donald Trump. Give me Amy Klobuchar any day.
1
the quiz really didn't address any kind of reality. I guess it was for fun?
1
I found the binary choices particularly simplistic in regards the gender/identity politics and private vs government sponsored health care. I will not be voting for Warren as a woman but as an individual with brains and plans. Are there really people who would choose a candidate based on identity politics regardless of personal merit?
And asking private vs government health care confounds people who don't believe it has to be all one or the other. And that's the difference between Warren and Sanders. She says Medicare for All only if she can make Medicare the preferred choice. Sanders says Father Knows Best; believe, you'll like it.
1
Who says that this list of questions is the right one? The instrument you use to get someone's preference determines the answers.
And what's not on the list? Here are a few things: the environment, gun background checks, funding for the Centers for Disease Control, preserving DACA.
Not to mention a solid record of achievement (Bloomberg and Biden and Warren can claim this), and having changed the national conversation in a positive way (which Bernie Sanders has done).
This survey was superficial and not worthy of the New York Times.
2
The questions are a little narrow. Re #5: I don't care if the candidate is white, black, or turquoise. I don't care if they are male, female, straight, gay, bi, whatever. I don't care if they are rich, poor, or somewhere in middle (though I do believe big/dark money should be limited in politics). I want someone smart and reasonable, who understands that they will take an oath to uphold the constitution for all citizens, not just those that voted for them. A healthy dose of compassion and humility would go a long way for my vote, too.
5
Where is the question on climate change?? I'm so tired of living in a country that panders to the right. That would sure end quickly if we better educated our populace. America is ready for a woman and America is ready for change. Since we have gone backwards for the last 3 years, any forward movement will seem huge.
1
Any of the Democratic candidates are much better than Trump. Trump is destroying America. He is not preparing America for the future. He is supporting dying industries instead of putting America in the forefront to lead the world. The questions were not well phrased and in many cases a yes or no was not a good choice.
3
Took the quiz twice. Over 70 is unaccepable for me as they are the WORST Generation ever -- leading us into culture of debt (the US is going bankrupt, but these old dudes never mention it), environmental disaster, social nightmare (how can the minimum wage be below the poverty limit) and a political nightmare.
Get some younger, smarter people in office (Think OBAMA).
1
@Luke Kimble There are no "younger, smarter people" running. Bernie's Climate Plan is the only one the scientists and climate organizations have endorsed.
1
Cool survey! Don't know how NYTimes did it, but my results, Mike Bloomberg, match my preference. He is only Democrat, when matched with Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland, who I believe can go toe-to-toe with Trump and come out unifying the country, the public, Congress. He can also interact globally to advance U.S. interests in all sectors especially agriculturally that will ratchet restart of international relations.
I like Bloomberg's alpha male, take charge approach to government; willingness to take hard positions (ban on sugared sodas). And Trump would quake in his presence, a tonic our democracy needs now! I see him being able to canvas every region of country successfully forging rapport and reducing the level of public animosity and anger.
But the Democrats won't, I believe, think outside the box and nominate him. Too bad for the country though. Impeachment is played out, I'm sad to say. 45 maintained his status as:
The truth was largely withheld from the "trial" that was not remotely a trial. The facts could not expose reality: He is a predator, and a straight up crook! That is what I have believed for some time and he is well known in business circles to be. (BTW: It has saddens me to have this view.) Americans love a victim who is the wolf in sheeps' clothing like 45.
So, the Senate caved and continues to enable destruction of our democracy 45 imposes on the daily.
4
Love the hanging chad animation!
3
A little more comprehensive questionnaire with variances including neutral, or a scale would be a lot more helpful. I was thinking about sharing this when I saw the article in my inbox, but now, I think I will refrain as it won't help any of my more conservative friends to see who most lines up with them.
1
I appreciate this quiz, but I was a little surprised with the outcome my case. The most important issue to me is climate change, and this was not at all mentioned, which is also why I like Steyer more than what my personal results showed. Also, blending race, gender, & class rather than keeping them separate must result in some inaccuracies.
This is one of the silliest NY Times quizzes I've ever taken. For each question, you might just as well have substituted the name of a specific candidate.
In picking a favorite from among the current Democratic field, for everyone except Thomas in Oakland, there are far more than 10 very b&w questions to consider.
3
Totally bogus questionnaire. The questions are not indicative of what many of the priorities are for many democratic voters. For one, no questions on climate change, no questions on infrastructure or, no questions on international relations. Yet because of this mind blowing simple minded questionnaire one is supposed to get a sense of what candidate best represent their values. Absolute non sense. I except better from the Times.
7
This quiz and the recent one from the Washington Post were both exceptionally weak on aligning candidates based on their proposed responses to climate change. While I don't like the extortion of foreign governments for political dirt, I am really freaked out about our current "rollbacks" of environmental regulations (to use the popular Walmart term). Destroying the earth should be an impeachable offense.
3
One question on here is probably the most important question in this quiz: Is it important the candidate makes it a priority to work with republicans? The answer is yes, and it should always be yes.
I understand that the republicans are very difficult to work with and they have been unwilling to compromise on basic issues, but these people are only 25-30% of the population. Most people are reasonable. One thing I see with the candidates aside from Yang is an unwillingness to talk to non democratic voters or even listen to them. How are they supposed to do anything if they are not willing to talk to the other side and drum up support for their policies?
Democrats have facts on their side, but they are unwilling to use them, approach problems from neutral territory, and always seem to have to have that partisan tilt that turns people off. One reason I like Yang as a candidate is he has many of the same ideas and policies of mainstream democrats but he knows how to talk about them and he is willing to ask for support from anyone, not just democrats. If democrats want to win this year, they have to do this starting yesterday.
1
Only a far left ideologue could have composed this imbecilic "test."
2
Ok, this is crazy. I took the test a *fourth* time, trying to get Bloomberg or Buttigieg. My answers were largely the same as before, including that I don't want to replace private healthcare with a government-run system, and that I don't care about electing a historic first. So who pops up? Elizabeth Warren! Along with my previous four other candidates, two moderates and two progressives.
The questions are perhaps good for distinguishing candidates, but don't really reflect my priorities. Since Global Warming mitigation must be the first priority, I ask myself who would actually get something serious done about it. Assuming Dems will not retake the Senate, maybe Biden could get something done. Steyer and Bloomberg are actually doing what they can now--could they do more as President? At least they are not captured by industry. Klobuchar is likely captured, and Sanders and Warren have linked Global Warming to a host of other ("higher priority"?) programs ("Green NEW DEAL"), which would likely insure that little gets done on Global Warming mitigation itself. Overall, somewhat "pro business", pro Global Warming mitigation, Dem/Repub/Independent Bloomberg seems best.
My dad used to say, I'm stuck on stupid. Seems fitting with our way the country is running.
Did I miss the question about climate change and the green new deal?
1
Questions are worded in such a way as to be impossible to answer. Cooperation with Republicans a priority? Compared to what other issues? Billion dollar fortunes might be "okay" if they are taxed sufficiently so that the populace has proper health care, a safe place to live, a clean environment and good nutrition. History is made by a president who acts to secure those benefits. Is there any Democratic candidate who does not favor those policies?
4
Conspicuously missing from the questions:
• Climate Emergency
• Gun Control
• ERA/abortion
4
The venerable New York Times, vacuuming up "consumer" preferences in order to more efficiently (and more deeply) indoctrinate the public—all in the form of "a quick quiz" designed to help The New York Times instill in these consumers an even more deeply pro-corporate mentality.
After all, a private multinational corporate network spanning the globe doesn't provide for The New York Times' existence out of the goodness of its "free market"-privatized heart.
It wants answers to its demands that The New York Times fulfill its duty as a private multinational corporate-owned "free press" (where our "free press" = a network of private multinational corporations running news presses for the primary benefit of a global network of private multinational corporations using immense private power to lead and/or control governments and publics worldwide).
The ploy in this quiz is offered in its introductory explanation: "To make it a little easier, we [i.e., corporate-approved people] stacked up the eight most viable contenders and tried to determine how they would respond to a mix of questions."
It's that "we* . . . tried to determine how they would respond" —to questions created by corporate-approved people at The New York Times—that shows how shaping public opinion is done by the pros. This "tried to determine" is in fact a move to determine (in both meanings here) how the public thinks.
*corporate-approved people
4
This is based solely on ideals rather than all the other characteristics that make a good president.
Moreover, you should allow us to weight the answers and provide a "don't care option." For example, while i think it's nice to have a woman/minority president i don't weigh that as high as someone who I think can do the job better and match my ideals.
5
Great quiz but you should ask a question about illegal immigration.
2
The "hanging chads" are hilarious!
Thank you for the good laugh.
7
Biden and Bloomberg come up as my compatibles, but Mr. Personality Biden is steeped in Biden clan quid pro quo’s. Plus he’s not too bright. Had to give up as pres of freshman class at U of DE as his 1.9 GPA was too low. He graduated 508 out of 688, and 76 out of 85 at law school. Decisions on complex issues require ability and patience to learn, and advanced critical thinking, so no.
Mr. Bloomberg got (bought?) a third term as mayor, switches his party as it serves his ambition, is not getting his hands dirty working hard campaigning/debating, to swoop in with his billionaire cape and buy his way in? No. Much worse was enacting laws to erect NYC supertall buildings, bypassing local community input. Our skyline is permanently marred. Neighborhood charm, small businesses, sunlight, etc, gone forever...bc of sweet tax deals for his $ developer friends. Also unforgivable was his raising number and cost of taxi medallions to fill city coffers, punishing political rivals, and leaving mostly immigrant drivers with loans for devalued medallions that will take lifetimes to pay off, and in some cases, taking lives themselves (suïcides.) Horrible.
That leaves Trump. Looking beyond defensive tweets and divisiveness by biased dishonest left media/DNC, Trump has made unexpected and extraordinary gains on many fronts. Admit it or not, we’re all doing better! If combative media could approach neutral, we could get along, tweets less urgent. DJT actually works to keep his promises. Novel!
1
@Walk Away Gains on many fronts? You mean alienating friends and courting enemies? Keeping promises to wipe out Obama's improvements in air, water, and climate change? I'm not doing better, since a major corporation bought the company I worked for last year (with help from the Koch brothers). And now he's talking about cutting social security and Medicare, so if he retains his status in the November election, he'll just continue to take the USA tumbling downhill.
3
Biden, Klobuchar, Yang. Pretty much nailed it.
1
I was a Steyer advocate/fan/voter before I took your challenge and that is how I scored. VOTE FOR STEYER.
Fun, but not a well-designed set of questions! For one thing, there was no measure of how strongly you felt on any of the issues. There were also several parts to many of the questions, with no allowance for nuance (like the Supreme Court: I don't feel the number needs to be expanded, but they shouldn't be lifetime appointments). Some of the questions seemed irrelevant, while others, like the wealth tax, seemed like a poor stand-in for measuring concern about income inequality. I changed my answers on tossups three times, until my top choice, Andrew Yang, made my list with three others, including Amy Klobuchar (ok), Tom Steyer (I prefer Bloomberg), and my dead-last choice, whom the quiz said was my consistent first choice, Joe Biden. Bernie Sanders, my actual second choice, wasn't even on the radar, probably because I have reservations about Medicare for All with no other option. If I said I wanted a "historic" first-something president, Buttigieg probably would have made the list.
1
The questions are set up for a forced choice only. Little in life is either/or. I want someone who is a leader for and with the people and will work to rebuild our country respectfully. Someone who will build bridges while also taking care of underserved people and make sure the wealth pay a fair share.
4
@LT I agree with you wholeheartedly. Then again, it takes two to tango. One cannot build a bridge if the people on the other side of the metaphorical river not only fiercely resist those attempts but also make very effort to thwart them. To wit, on the night of Barack Obama's first inaugural, while he and Michelle were swaying to the tune of Beyonce's rendition of "At Last", a number of Republican party big wigs were already scheming on how to make life a living hell for the first Black POTUS. And, boy, did they ever, from what they called "Obamacare", which they are still fighting nearly four years after Mr. Obama left office, to Mr. Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. The caricature of Pre. Obama as a Black baby in a loin cloth or diaper and a bone through his nose carried around by members of the Tea Party during their protests is seared in my memory (the closest caricature I have seen of the current president is just the "baby Trump" balloon). It is, therefore, beyond me how one goes about building bridges with the current crop of Republican members of Congress.
2
There isn't anyone "sharper and more intelligent" than Elizabeth Warren in this race. I admire Bernie Sanders, but he is too old for the race, though he could slap down dummy Donald Trump and put him in his place in any argument, but so could Elizabeth Warren, with even sharper debating skills, and she "thinks" and responds with great accuracy. Donald Trump would be so intimidated by a woman who is head & heels above him in intelligence, grace and verbal acumen that he would not be able to stand up to her intelligenceand pokise. I also believe that she would receive a greater share of women's votes than Bernie Sanders which would offset those males who would not vote for a female candidate. No matter who receives the Democrat's nomination - he will most surely receive my vote!
1
Why isn’t Michael Bennet on the list? I match 9 out of 10 with Tom Steyer. I will not be voting for him.
Really dumb poll. Do I want someone to be President because they are gay or female? No. Would I love to have Pete or Amy? Yes.
4
Where is Michael Bennett in this pole?....Media Bias once again
Are the questions here based on polling? That is, are these the top ten issues of concern to Democrats? I doubt it. That would be a better poll.
3
Agree with Tom Steyer on 8/10. BUT, the yes/no format lacks nuance. I had a lot of "not necessarily" answers. Like, do I CARE if the president breaks a categorical ceiling? Well, I WANT her to, but I'm voting for the Democratic nominee. And so on.
1
Bloomberg was the candidate who most often disagreed with me. Is it strange that I find that reassuring?
2
I align with Sanders, 7 out of 10, but the only way I’d vote for him is if he actually becomes the Democratic nominee. He is waaaay over 70 and is always so angry. I will vote for Amy in the primary.
3
It's a shame the questions aren't a bit more precise. Here in France, for example, it's true, university is free. But universities are also held to extremely strict budgeting requirements. The French state spends only $12,850 per university student, about the same as California. Except that, in California, they let the universities tack on $30,000 in tuition and fees. So, France and CA are spending the same, but the CA universities have no budgeting process and they get to pass on whatever costs to students they want.
If dems were arguing we should make university free by forcing universities to stop building monuments to themselves and spend 90 cents on the dollar to hire faculty and teach students, you'd have 100% support from both parties. But dems' vision appears only to including raising taxes to lavish more resources on an already spendthrift system.
1
Agreed with Bernie on 10 out of 10 questions!!! And you are definitely right, NYTimes. #FeeltheBern
1
I found the questions not very useful. Missing were questions about international relationships, the environment, civil rights, workers rights, implementing the ERA, corruption and more. Some questions required total agreement or not. For example I am for universal health care that is preventive oriented, avoids astronomical cost for individuals, and is accessible. I am don't care that much if it is private, non-profit, or government run. So I don't think this set of questions and how they were presented was very helpful.
5
Blah, blah, blah, blah. Charles M. Schulz got the voice for adults spot on. Ask our young people, and then really listen. What do they want for their future? Then choose best for them. I have asked and overwhelmingly they are concerned about the changing climate. Priority number one for most of them. BTW This wasn't asked in your fancy questionnaire. They want to see real action and not just words.
2
There weren't any middle of the road answers like: in most but not all cases is this ok? I'm still going with Amy Klobuchar, she fits what I want to see in a president. Bernie will be our next Jimmie Carter , with less personality. Biden has lost his edge. Warren has the same problem that Hillary did (not Bill btw). Buttigieg is still too young. Bloomberg is trying to buy his way in. Yang will cause inflation and ruin the economy with his ideas. I know nothing about Steyer.
Wow! I never would have guessed my top match. Tom Steyer, of all people! I guess I have to take a closer look at the guy. Mayor Pete was number two, which didn’t surprise me at this point in the race. He’s done the least to turn me off.
2
This quiz is ridiculous. To the first question, yes, I think it would be dreamy if it were possible to work with Republicans, but how likely is it in the present environment?
Is a historically significant candidate important to me? Certainly, but that's not really a reason to vote for anyone.
On and on. According to this quiz my candidate is Tom Steyer, who I can assure you is not my first, second, third, fourth need I say more choice.
The WAPO did a better job with this little party game.
2
These survey questions stink. Make a better survey.
"Important to work with Republicans?" Sure-- but not when districts are so Gerrymandered that extreme republicans block everything IE Mitch. "A candidate that would make history based on gender or sexual orientation" ?? Sure -- that would be wonderful-- but we can't just vote for a candidate based on these considerations alone. Bad question. The Healthcare question -- should be worded better. "Do you want to replace the private health care system with a universal health-care insurance system-- where everyone is covered." ? would be better. Putting in the government angle -- scares people. "Public colleges and Universities -- free for everyone" scares people off -- Should say "Should people have the option of free public education after high school. " The Supreme Court question is too specific and doesn't address the root issues.
2
I found this frustrating and ineffective when I was matched with Tom Steyers.
There should be a question "would you ever consider a billionaire with no experience in government?" Otherwise it's a waste of time.
I can't see voting for a candidate that so many other voters aren't interested in. The eliminates Steyer, even though supposedly my stands on the issues agree with his more than they do with any other candidate.
Second on your list of my choices is Pete Buttigieg and although I like him, I don't think America is ready for a gay President, which means if he's nominated, Trump gets re-elected. So I won't vote for him in the primaries.
Third among the candidates I supposedly agree with is Amy Klobuchar, and I was very impressed with the case put for her in the NY Times editorial a week or so ago. It seems like she really gets things done, and has enacted a lot of legislation, so if she's still a viable candidate by the time New York's primary rolls around, she may get my vote.
Then again, maybe not. It's still early days in the campaign and a lot can happen between now and then.
@Piri Halasz We had the exact same top 3 in exactly the same order. Strange. The only one of the candidates I’ve really considered is Pete.
Poorly constructed. The questions require a response that do not reflect my preferences, i.e., I do not require an "alternative" candidate...it is just not a factor.
2
"Some voters still resent his run in 2016.. and blame the division his campaign helped sow for the election of President Trump." - don't you mean the division the DNC helped sow?
This quiz was very poorly done. I am very happy for the next candidate to make history based on race/gender/religion/sexual orientation, or to be older than 70, but that does not affect how I will vote. I will vote based on the content of their arguments and the quality of their character, which this quiz does not at all touch upon. Very strange...
6
@Linda K. Yes, I agree. Some off these are not yes or no questions. But then again, we live in a world where nuance is dead.
2
I had to stop at Question 5. While I would support a history-making candidate that’s not a reason I would vote for someone, unless their policies and values were a fit. Your poll doesn’t include a “doesn’t matter” choice.
4
You didn't ask the single most important question - Do you want a candidate who can beat Trump?
1
Told me what I already know
1
Accurate survey! I want a revolution and I think that the majority of people want that too, except that this time instead of voting for something like Trump we have several honorable, intelligent candidates to choose from and former radical ideas (like ensuring that people do not have to choose between going bankrupt or dying) are now mainstream. Certainly Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are the ones I believe in, but I find Warren more capable when it comes to actually having a plan on how to bring about change. Biden is too conservative and just mentioning the inane idea of having a Republican in the ticket confirmed that he is out of touch with reality. He should retire.
1
I wound up with a two-way tie between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Too bad both of them are unelectable: Bernie Sanders is too old, Elizabeth Warren is a woman, and both are liberals.
This country is currently ruled by stupid, conservative bigots. Neither Sanders nor Warren would survive a campaign against the hate-mongering morons.
Why isn’t Tulsi Gabbard part of this pole?
2
Horrid quiz.
2
An option of "neutral" should be added, especially to questions such as "do you want a nominee who would make history", or the question on rich donors. Forcing a choice between yes or no, to someone who does not see this as a criteria, is forcing the reader to "disagree" with some of the candidates, when that's not their intention.
2
I don't know about this quiz. Many questions were stark and without information about they included. Three voters in family took it. All of us got Biden. But I am the only one who supports him. My husband will stick with Trump, even though he dislikes him, my son is voting for Yang in the primary, but is willing to vote for dead potted plant as long as it isn't Trump.
1
Either or questions don't reflect the realities of life. If I answer according to the social democratic ideology that I've believed in all my life, I would vote for either Sanders or Warren. In real terms however, I think that Sanders is too far to the left to be able to defeat Trump and Warren is a woman and I don't think enough people would vote for a woman at the present time. That also cancels out Klobuchar which basically leaves me Biden and hopefully a woman like Kamala Harris as his VP.
While I agree that many of Sanders' supporters, including myself, are loyal in the sense that they are committed to voting for him, I do not appreciate the assertion that "for those who support Mr. Sanders, he can do no wrong". NYT seems intent on portraying his appeal as some sort of cult of personality, thereby drawing implicit (and sometimes explicit) comparisons between him and Trump and implying that his supporters are all obsequious "Bernie Bros".
For one thing, Sanders' movement is the antithesis of Trump's cult-like following; the campaign literally sells merchandise reading "not me, us".
For another, Bernie Sanders can, has and will do wrong, and he should be called out for his mistakes (like voting for sanctions on Iraq). Just because millions of people recognize him as the best choice does not mean they fail to acknowledge his imperfections.
Survey says, Elizabeth Warren and me, agree.
I can't vote for Warren or Sanders cuz Trump can easily defeat them. Buttigieg, Klobuchar, or Biden, they are the Dems best suited to defeat Trump, an existential threat to our democracy.
Your survey would be more to my liking if each question had say 5 ratings from totally agree to totally disagree. More complicated yes, but more accurate!
There is only one question worth asking right now: “Who do you think has the best chance to unseat Donald Trump?” This quiz not only refused to acknowledge that this is the only real question, but fails to even include it.
This quiz is really asking the important questions. /s
Please reconsider. PLEASE!!
Biden is the closest for me but I'll be voting for Trump!
Guns and religion are good!
The government needs to stay out of peoples lives!
MAGA-KAG-Drain the swamp!
This Quiz would be much better if there was an option to say you don’t care about an item. For example, I don’t really care whether the next a president makes demographic history. There are much more important issues, and I would never vote for someone because of their gender, sexual orientation or skin color. That would be stupid.
2
Thomas below says that he like Bernie but will vote for Trump because of one issue: abortion. Meanwhile Trump is trying to dismantle the affordable care act - certainly not improve it - and deny immigrants basic rights, to name just two injustices. I dare say a lot more more people are harmed because of Trump's racist actions then are saved by his attack on abortion. Just saying. How about we fund family planning and try to make abortion a last resort. But hey you can vote for Trump, Thomas, and show that you prefer a racist, misogynist white nationalist as president because of one issue. What a stupid country we are.
1
You missed electability, electability, electability, and so on. Your questions andd the whole somewhat stupid parts of compaigning overestimate the power of any president on ertain issues that actually will need congressional approvalfunding, whatever.
Democrats [candidates, voters and the DNC] DO NOT BE STUPID -- as far as I can tell none of our candidates are deranged or evil so for god's and our sake KEEP FOCUSSING ON ELECTABILITY.
I took the WaPost one and it was more issues based. The wording and even the basis of the questions in this quiz are not designed to give me an actual candidate anywhere close to my real priorities, because most of the questions didn’t really ask me about them.
1
These questions are narrow, vague and leading all at the same time. What do you mean are billion dollar fortunes "ok"? This is the third quiz on NYT that I have found to be exceedingly unhelpful and disappointingly skewed.
2
Thanks for the insulting,"you like big bucks, and you cannot lie!" tagline for getting Bloomberg. Not impressed with this quiz, NYT.
1
mike bloomberg
2
Why have you excluded Tulsi Gabbard?
3
@Paco because she's out of the race; she couldn't get more than 2 percent support.
This quiz is terrible.
4
I'm open to a few candidates still, based on what I'm hearing from them - my priorities are environment, fair elections, and then health care. I hate to see the attacks on Bernie Sanders from the main stream media and political establishment. He was the first one out there walking the walking of not taking money from extremely wealthy donors. He was the first one pushing for single payer health care. He's strong on the environment. If he's ruffled feathers by being honest and committed to his values, that is not a negative on him, in my book. He deserves respect and thanks, not the derision this newspaper and others have sent his way.
1
My results were no surprise...Sanders and Warren! I really like Warren and I'm so sorry to see her lose momentum. I don't understand why Americans bulk when given the truth. Biden said he would have to raise taxes (50%) and Sanders will not divulge how much his health care & free tuition will cost. But Warren did reveal her health care costs and she's punished for that! So if Biden wins the primary AND wins the general, our taxes will be raised and I can assure you Americans will not be happy about that. Companies may also exit our shores, causing unemployment to go up..up..up. It reminds me of the old saying "You get what you deserve"!
1
@J. G. Smith I'd rather pay taxes for healthcare and climate change action than get nothing for them.
I apparently "agree" with multiple candidates; however, the rankings of those items on which I agree narrows it down significantly.
I got 7/10 for Bernie and Elizabeth, equally. No one else comes close. I'm in Canada, but curious!
1
Whether or not the candidate has held major elective office removes three before I even consider policy.
The poll is so black or white, yes or no, but some of these questions are not important to me generally, while some are quite important. I like a ground-breaker to win--some non-white, Christian male, but that would only be in an all-other things being equal, which they are not. There needs to be a "not a main issue" choice. And LOTS of big issues were left out for that pointless question. Also--would I like someone younger than 70. Again, sure, all things being equal. But, there is too at stake to worry about, that either. I want someone who won't lie to me on the daily. I want someone who believes in democracy. I want someone who thinks we should care about sick and poor people.
The results are nonsense! I wouldn't vote for Sanders and I prefer Bloomberg. As someone who has lived in Europe for a couple of decades, universal health care is not radical. The German or Swiss versions are rather conservative. Free education also is a necessity. The costs of US university educations are scandalous. I graduated from U. of Southern California and I can tell you it was a waste of money. Subsequently, I attended three European universities for additional degrees and only paid a couple thousand euros. My Masters did not put me into a lifetime of debt. But this doesn't mean I'd vote for Sanders.
I also like Amy Klobuchar and Yang, but the quiz put them dead last on my list. I contributed to their campaigns!
And they are all wrong on immigration.
So much for polling!
So my answers say Joe Biden should be my candidate. Hmm President Trump or Joe Biden?
jobs, a good economy, life expectancy is going up and we haven't gone to war with North Korea and there is the possibility of peace in the Middle East compared to going back to the old way of doing things.
Well I guess my choice is pretty easy
Some of those questions were definitely not a yes or a no. There has to be a middle ground. I don't care about a candidate's religion or sexual orientation, just as long as they have the country and the environment as their top priority.
As for a wealth tax, A lot of people have worked hard to make that amount of money and if they do good things with it, like endow universities, shore up the dismal urban public schools, give to museums, environmental improvements, then they shouldn't be taxed as harshly as a jerk like tRUMP who hasn't given a dime to anyone or anything.
2
A useless questionnaire. Important questions missing and some of those asked are not important to me.
Based on my answers here are the candidates that were matched to me
Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Yang, Steyer and Biden.
I would pick Yang, Buttigieg or Klobuchar.
This is awkward, I won't vote for Trump and the questionnaire says that my answers align with a candidate I view as a pandering crook.
Elizabeth Warren would be a gift to our Nation, a voice for all, and the key to our future well-being within the larger international community.
1
Yes or No is that all the choice we get. On some on the question. I wold have checked a middle way is OK. e.g an expanded public option and more grants for help for college students.
Many of the questions were forced into a Yes or No binary choice when they were more appropriate to an Important / Not Important answer. Rephrased the questions could be more revealing.
1
Your question on whether I want someone who accepts contributions from big-money donors got a big no! from me.
This answer supposedly aligns me with Steyer and Bloomberg.
But I consider those two to be big-money donors to themselves. No way would I vote for either of them.
No billionaires, never!
1
Sanders does not have the personal funds to fund his own campaign. While he is a millionaire from the book he wrote, Bloomberg has a net worth of $56 Billion. Sadness pulls in donations from my individual people- no super-PACs, no billionaires donating to his campaign, nothing. Bloomberg spends an entire election’s worth of his own pocket change to have a long-shot bid at winning the nomination.
1
Naturally, the questions are difficult to answer out of any context. For instance, I do not believe that being over the age of 70 is disqualifying in general, but I believe that Biden's ageing is disqualifying. Otherwise, I think that my answers captured my true preferences: Klobuchar and Bloomberg.
2
A cleverly designed quiz (I'm sure issues like gun control and climate change were left out deliberately) that has engendered a lot of interesting debate in the Comments section. I enjoyed both the quiz (couldn't predict who I'd get but was please to get Warren) and reading the resultant comments.
Thank you, NYT.
1
Every question should have a third option: No opinion, or "it depends", etc. This quiz is a bit simplistic.
Not one of your questions asked about protecting nature--wildlife and public lands. That is my number 1 concern.
1
Poorly designed quiz! Sure I want a person of color a a gender we haven't seen before or...l.. but is it a priority? No. So there's no way to answer the question. Many questions should have had a third choice.
and ZIP about Climate Change? That's my number 1.
This was a fun exercise though I really only needed one question-
Do you want an intelligent, humane, honest human in the White house?
3
No question on the environment, which should be our number one issue. Number two is creating good paying jobs! Vote for Mike, vote Blue. Peace
2
@John Montuori
Bloomberg is one giant scam after another. Do some research into how Mike really does things.
If you do, you will notice that Bloomberg is all about paying millions to contractors who pay minimum wage to contractors. That is how he handled hurricane Sandy relief. That is how plan for public education. That is what he did to the city payroll system.
Bloomberg refused to negotiate any new Union contracts for the entire eight years in office. That's not a guy interested in good paying jobs for anyone by himself.
Then he used that to claim he saved the city money even though everyone knew that the raised would be retroactive, back to the end of the previous contacts, which meant no money was actually saved
I am disappointed that Tulsi Gabbard was not one of the candidates in this quiz. She is still running and may do well in New Hampshire.
3
Including Steyer and excluding Gabbard devalues this survey. IMO.
This is silly and wildly uninformative. For example, I answered "No" to "Is someone in their 70s too old to be President." This one answer completely changes my selection, because somehow that is being taken as a point in favor of the three that are in their 70s, and against those that are not.
But saying it's *ok* to be in their 70s (I consider it a case by case basis -- Biden seems to be having issues, while Warren is not) is not hte same as saying I *prefer* someone in their 70s, and don't prefer someone who is not!
1
So - I lined up nine out of ten w/ Bernie and Warren so why did the quiz show Bernie as my first choice...and not Warren. A lil bit of sexism built in?
1
Where were the questions on climate change, foreign policy, or immigration?
1
Oh, my, the vitriol against Thomas. The commentators are “It’s my way or the highway.”
So, so liberal...yet lacking in tolerance.
Love thy neighbor...if he/she agrees with ME!
1
@SmileyBurnette
There is vitriol against those that want police to interfere in our private lives.
The Constitution says the government should regulate trade, not our sex lives or reproductive systems.
This leftist is done tolerating intolerance.
Dear Dems (and other sensible Americans),
Please, whatever Democratic candidate is chosen, the world is surely counting on you that you will all rally behind him or her! Another four more years of MAGA is just too much...
Vote him out, vote him out!
2
@Richard van den Boogaard
Right now, I'd vote for Nixon. He at least had enough respect for the Constitution to resign when caught.
1
Too many of the questions were binary. There is not a simple yes or no to many of them. The world, and my answers, are more nuanced than that. Health care, for instance. The question was do I want to replace the current health system with one run by the government. Is that really the only choice? What about something in the middle that doesn't require replacing what we currently have? And the question about choosing a candidate who will make history because of his/her sex, or race, etc? It was either a yes or no. How about a choice that would indicate it makes absolute no difference to me? I know it's just a stupid little test of the kind we see on facebook every day, but I wish that a quiz on the Times would have been more substantial, and would have actually led me to reconsider a candidate who I might not be aware has similar views as me.
i knew who my candidate was before (without) taking this quiz. I hope Bernie when President, does not change like Obama, and every other clown that becomes President. Special Interest lobbyists are corrupting the World!
Wrong questions..."Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?"
Voting for someone based on gender, race or sexual orientation is as stupid as voting against someone for those reasons. The question should be does a candidates race, gender or orientation matter?
You don’t get it. I would never vote for Bloomberg. Recheck your algorithm.
What about Climate Change, mass extinction, immigration, deportation and detention?
The "make history" question includes four different topics, and it doesn't make a distinction about whether the making history is desirable or undesirable history. My statistics background suggests that this in many ways is sixteen questions.
This didn't represent the most important issues to me. There were no questions about the environment (not even climate change, much less biodiversity and public lands protection). There was nothing about education, sustainable job creation, foreign policy... there was hardly anything about LGBTQ rights... there was no question about whether I want an open border (I actually don't, although I don't want the wall either)… there was nothing about making election security and voters' rights a priority. It was impossible for my answer to represent my views.
1
Unfortunately there is no middle ground in the questions, but a lot of middle ground in my thinking. That leaves it difficult to figure out with whom I align. I rather like Klochubar, but she is only mid-way up the list developed for me.
1
The healthcare question was misleading. I answered "no" because I don't want govt run healthcare insurance. I want the people to own the hospitals and hire the doctors. If you had worded it, "single-payer, universal healthcare," I would have said "yes." Trump's election being an anomaly or not seems like a semantic question. I'm not aware of any substantive difference between Sanders; assessment of Trump and my own. I wouldn't establish no-cross line on billionaires. I think if the upper 1% were paying a fair share of taxes, there would be a lot fewer of them ... maybe none. But "billionaire" is not my line in the sand. "Fair share of the cost of govt" is. I also don't see a substantive difference between my position on this and Sanders.'
@James Call...Excellent response.
Why is there a binary question about electing someone because of their gender or persuasion? I would never allow that one variable decide my vote. I also would never disallow a candidate that I believed aligned with my positions.
Interesting how so many believe Medicare is good enough for old folks, but not good enough for them.
3
Not sure how you scored this quiz. I love Elizabeth, but i love Bernie too. I thought my answers could have described either candidate. Not sure why you showed Warren as my 1st choice. Is it even possible to get Bernie as the winner?
This is what the Times says on Sanders:
"Some voters still resent his run in 2016 against Hillary Clinton and blame the division his campaign helped sow for the election of President Trump."
This is laughable. The opposite happened--the Clinton campaign worked with the DNC to freeze Sanders out of the race by getting delegates to switch to Clinton. This is what divided the party. By now, the whole world accepts this. The centrists tried to push Bernie out and failed. Clinton still can't be quiet about it.
2
I think your game is rigged. I'm for Pete but no matter how I change my answers he never comes up.
And in your endorsement for pres, you picked Amy and Liz, and Pete was brushed off with little rationale.
As time goes by, I am leaning more and more toward a Bloomberg/Klobuchar ticket.
I have to say, these binary quizzes are rather unilluminating. In my case, it told me my two top candidates were Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren. While I like both of them, Bernie Sanders is the one I am planning on voting for, despite all of the scary headlines the major media and Super PACs are running against him. (talking to you, Mark Mellman.)
I mean, it’s really reductive to ask do you want billionaires or not. Under both the tax plans of Bernie and Elizabeth, and in fact under everybody’s tax plan on the Dem side, billionaires will pay considerably more in taxes and that is a good thing. But last time I checked, no one had proposed a 100% confiscatory wealth tax on any fortunes above $999,999.99.
Same thing goes with the obligatory diversity question. In a world where all other things are equal among two candidates, I am very much in support of a groundbreaking candidate when it comes to diversity. However, Martha McSally is a woman and Clarence Thomas is an African-American man and I have zero interest in either one of them becoming president.
With all respect, New York Times, you may be my favorite newspaper, but you can do better than this quiz.
1
Well, that was dead-on. I'll bet Alphabet designed the survey.
Well, I am in line with Bernie on 9 of 10, but I still think that the strongest ticket the Dems can put forward would be Biden/Booker. In these most perilous times, it's absolutely essential that we go with the strongest, most likely to win team possible.
1
On the centenary of women's right to vote, the election of Elizabeth Warren as president would confirm the national commitment to gender equality. Bernie Sanders would be an ideal running mate: a doer at the helm, a philosopher as navigator.
1
It's accurate. I'm supporting Warren but I've found myself agreeing with Tom Steyer which is who this quiz says I'm most simpatico. Nevertheless, the reason I support Warren is based on her views on corporate regulation, spc. financial services. That wasn't included on the quiz.
2
Well, I got Joe, and he's been my pick all along. So I guess this thing works.
1
Congratulations to one of these candidate-most-like-u qujizes which actually worked quite nicely. My choices are Warren, Steyer, Sanders in that order and my result on the quiz was Warren, Sanders, Steyer in that order.
Note: The question on age asked if a candidate in his 70's is ok and I said yes but I actually discriminate against Sanders because he will actually be a candidate - i.e. putative president - in his 80's for most of his first term. I see that as getting risky.
2
Weird quiz. Two of the questions are for things that have chance of ever being enacted law (national healthcare system, tuition free education).
Are these things I'd like to see happen? Sure.
Are these things I want to put the next election at-risk because these positions are scaring away voters who could swing the election? Absolutely not.
1
I hope Biden and Klobuchar are the ticket in the fall. I think votes for Bernie are helping Trump. The attacks on Biden reminds me of the dirty tricks that Nixon used to get McCarthy as his opponent.
1
“Anti abortion people” That's why there is “PRO choice” - you have the right to believe in either “against or for” abortion. No person, man or women should have the right to make a “choice” for any woman’s body. That’s her choice between herself, physician and her greater being....
Questions are too one-sided. You need a third option between yes and no. For example, Universal Health Care is a dream but I would be happy with the Public Option. Free tuition for some but not 100% free across the board. How do you answer that you don't care what color the candidate is?
Why would we want our thinking about the candidates framed and categorized for us? Human beings are very good at drawing conclusions from diverse and complex information. Manipulating public opinion like this is shameful.
1
Superficial questions that don't offer a thoughtful assessment of my political leanings.
New York Times, you're better than this.
I took a similar quiz in the Washington Post with complete opposite results. Just goes to show you that the questions that are chosen skew the results. For example, there wasn't one question about the environment.
2
One should take the quiz without high expectations. Especially since it has only 10 questions and only a few of those questions specifically address your positions on issues (i.e. wealth tax, healthcare, tuition).
Not a nuanced or realistic quiz. The Washington Post had a twenty-question quiz that captured readers’ opinions across a wide variety of issues. It yielded answers in line with my candidate preferences. This blunt instrument was way off.
Too many of these questions wanted yes or no, when not an issue would be my answer.
The danger of these quizzes is that they often lead to self-fulfilling prophecies based on an individuals preconceived notions which have been informed by media, personal biases, and limited exposure to political education and critical thinking.
These questions and topics do not simply have an "either / or" answer or solution. They are multi-faceted, complex, and warrant a more varied response.
We need to educate people through comprehensive and effective outreach mechanisms. The past political process that led to the election of Donald Trump is symptomatic of the United State's failure to educate its masses, a failure to inform its people in a way that empowers them, and a failure to truly operate this country under a Democratic system.
1
“Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?” This has to rank up there with the old ”Are you still beating your spouse?” Of course, I would welcome a president from a non-traditional background. But if the candidate is a straight, white, Protestant male whose policies are acceptable to me, I will vote for him. And as for replacement of insurance with a public single-payer system, I would welcome that, but if private plans cover additional non-essential benefits that don’t destroy the public system, I don’t have any reason to oppose private insurance. Many of these questions simply don’t acknowledge the complexity of the problems before us, and I worry about the voter who chooses her/his candidate on the basis of a flawed survey.
2
This quiz merely tells me what I already know. People always believe that a majority agrees with their ideals. A better approach would be to show the results were for everyone so you can see if you are in the minority/majority.
@Devin G Considering Biden and Bernie have been leading in the polls all year, you can compare it to the polls.
What this mostly demonstrates is the need for ranked choice voting in primaries.
These joke questions are more irrelevant than similar quizzes in Reader's Digest in 2008.
Where are questions about actual substance that would have value when politicians are actually governing?
The Questions we have are like this:
Will they be over 70 when they take office?
What is their net worth?
Will they have enough money to be seen and heard by the people that will decide the election?
How will their identity and narrative inspire the next generation and the world?
These are facts:
Any policy will be opposed by the GOP for maximum political gain.
The GOP has made their base on a Sine Qua Non demographic that cannot be discouraged with micro-targeted reprisals-as-policy. (War on Drugs/Crime/Civil Rights/Immigration/Terror/Trade)
The GOP can win despite losing because Democrats-as-usual need a critical mass of House/Senate votes to prevent economic collapse "on their watch." The Devil's bargains will secure more pork for GOP districts.
Tax hikes on the wealthy are passed down to the less wealthy through higher prices and depressed wages.
The President's core functions are as a check on the Legislative branch, the selection of Judges for the Judicial branch and the Head of State to determine the shape of the United States' foreign policy. The first two are mostly partisan weighted. The last is determined by the individual President.
This quiz asked way too many "identity politics" questions, and was overall pretty light on actual policy.
Like, "Do you want your candidate to make history based on gender, race, etc..." Uh, I don't care who or what you are. I care about what you say you're going to do.
This is based questions with black and white answers when there is really more gray area. The Washington post quiz which allows you to pick between positions for the one that most closely matches your own view is a better quiz.
To NYT,
There is no world in which this is a test that should be taken seriously. The questions barely cover the top issues of most candidates and are way too binary to contain any nuance. Sure, this is fun, but this can also be heavily misleading.
2
Why is Michael Bennet not on the list of candidates?
Did I see a hanging chad in each of these questions?
1
How about something about climate change? What will it take before this issue gains any traction in the mainstream media--snorkel tours of Miami?
1
I was nine out of ten for Warren and when I re-took the quiz with one different answer I aligned with Sanders and Warren ten out of ten. Two out of ten with Biden.
As a progressive I am quite pleased with either choice.
2
Sure, I’d like a president who could work with Republicans, but I’d also like Republicans who would work with a Democratic president. That didn’t happen last time, and it doesn’t look any more likely next year.
1
Any candidate, who can defeat Mr. trump in the election and send him home is more important to me. I am not ready for another four years of trump term.
1
Sanders and Warren might appear equivalent on this questionnaire, but they differ on one very important point.
Warren is a feminist, she wants to see positive discrimination - very like HRC, who gave the Presidency to Trump .
Sanders is genuinely inclusive because he does not believe in any sort of discrimination.
His grasp of the real economic threat to the USA is by far the strongest.
But I disagree with him on many other issues - good job I cannot vote because I am a foreigner!
This quiz is missing a question: "Do you want to see Trump defeated in 2020?" Anyone selecting yes should receive the following result: "The candidate that wins the democratic primary."
1
This is a loaded question: Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?
For those of us who don't consider these attributes when voting, it is impossible to answer this in yes/no format.
1
Come on NYT! If you are going to offer a poll, include all candidates! I'm a match for Michael Bennett but you didn't include him as an option.
I'm okay with Steyer and Warren.
I'm voting for Andrew Yang (for now).
"Based on your answers, there are multiple candidates that you agree with."
My problem exactly. (And incidentally, the problem of the Times editorial board as well.)
I will support and vote for the Democratic nominee, no matter who that may be.
I’d vote for a ham sandwich over Donald John Trump.
2
I have two words:
Hanging chads.
1
Zero nuance in these questions.
@ Thomas
Really? Then I guess you don't give a rip that Trump is amoral and immoral and psychologically incapable of sharing your single-minded passion or any passion other than self-interest. All you are is a vote to him. That's what you want for a leader -- an empty shell?
1
Sorry, this quiz makes no sense. I am for Pete, then Bloomberg, then Warren. I want someone who is real, who I can respect and who can win. It's a stupid quiz, as I can't support Biden at least for now. I don't see how we can win given the current Democratic approach to the election. Don't understand why Bloomberg can't be included in the debates. Stupid rules may keep us from winning this year.
This quiz is bunk. It literally predicted the opposite of my pecking order. You must have chosen your questions and issues very carefully ... for some reason.
YANG
is at the *bottom* of my results, yet he is my top pick. This reflects a problem with the primary and the party as a whole. I like Andrew Yang because he seems to have his eyes open to our present and (likely) future realities, acknowledging and addressing problems that feel most relevant to me but which no other candidates ever speak about (except in the context of responding to Yang)--and because they don't, Yang gets barely any air-time, nor do the issues in his platform register in these quiz questions.
The party is entrenched in established issues, assuming we must re-use the same template every time, and Yang gets shafted for being with the times.
Not one question about immigration, like, Do you like losing your job to an illegal immigrant? Nothing about my guns that Warren offered to remove just today.
1
Dumb quiz, irrelevant questions, none pertaining to policy. But, somehow did connect me to the candidate I support.
1
Did anyone else notice that after you make a choice on each question, there is a "hanging chad" visible on the screen for your choice? Pretty subtle, NYT.
1
While I was not surprised to see Sanders and Warren at the top of my list, I was astonished to see Steyer and Bloomberg in positions 3 and 4. I can't stand Biden and Klobuchar- who were at the bottom of my list-but I would gladly vote for one of them over the billionaires.
2
The problem with exercises like this one -- and newspapers run them every election, it seems -- is that they account of only a handful of the considerations that will shape my choice, make no allowance for the priority I'd place on any of them, and do not allow us to say "yes, but...", "it depends", or any of the other equivocating responses we all offer.
Policy is critical -- it's my number one criterion, in fact -- but there's so much else involved as well, such as whether a candidate seems to exercise good judgment on a consistent basis. Finally -- and particularly this year -- my guesses as to who'd make a good president, and who'd be a strong candidate, can diverge.
To illustrate why all of that matters: several elections ago the Washington Post ran a similar set of questions and found that my supposed ideal candidate would be... wait for it... Dennis the Menace Kucinich.
Yeah, right...
1
My results was Warren, which is fine. I am a little disappointed by the questions offered, and they don't give much room for expansion. I'm most disappointed there was nothing about the environment or climate change, which I personally see as the greatest threat to the next president.
2
It lost me with the very first question. Normally it would be a high priority for most (I imagine) people, but it was shown since the very start of President Obama's first term that the Republicans would no longer be working with the Democrats. That resolve has only strengthened since then. When there isn't one single Republican Senator standing up for truth during this impeachment debacle, it's time to give up any rosy ideas of nonpartisan government. While I strongly believe Trump will win in 2020, how much 'working together' does anyone foresee if a Democrat actually pulls it off? I see Zero.
I would much rather the question "Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?" had either been left out or phrased differently. I won't be voting now - or ever - based upon these criteria, so I answered "No," but the more nuanced and accurate answer would be that I don't care whether the candidate is the first of a particular group to be elected president. I care about a candidate's policies and overall fitness for the role of president.
Thank you for offering the quiz and helping me sort out the politicians, but I found myself forced to choose between two options I rejected! Why are the only options "yes" or "no"? Where are the middle-of-the-road options? For example, is it either private medicare or government-institution? What about a third option that blends the two in some way?
Interesting results, given that some questions that require a 'yes' or 'no' answer on the quiz are not that in reality. There needs to be a way of expressing 'partially.' For a quiz to be really reflective of my ideas. For instance, "Do I think it is important to work with Republicans?" Well, yes I do - if the Republicans are willing to work on common issues - but no I don't if that means just caving to Republicans every thine they disagree or don't want to work constructively.
This was a pretty simplistic. I think there were no complicated algorithms going on behind the scenes. Mine came up Joe Biden. Agreed on 7 of the 10, but which 3 did we not agree on? I suspect at least 2 were the healthcare and education questions, which along with the wealth tax, are the biggest policy questions asked and I would think would be weighted more. Besides climate change, for me the biggest question that wasn’t asked is how important is beating Trump. Of course who people think can win is subjective, but the question could have been worded something like “Would beating Donald Trump in the general election be your highest priority” A yes then totally trumps (sorry) things like a ground-breaking win. Sure, I would dearly love to see a woman president in my lifetime—we are slightly over 50% of the population!—but that is certainly not a priority this election (and I don’t mean that I don’t think a woman can beat Trump—just saying, that isn’t a priority for me right now).
Allan Lichtman, whose system has correctly predicted all elections since 1984, says that 12/13 "keys" to victory are determined by the sitting president. Therefore, these arguments of "Pick my candidate, s/he is more electable" are nonsense -- the election will be a referendum on the sitting president, as were prior elections. Support a candidate who you think will do the best job.
@Thomas, @Keith -- re agreeing with Sanders but voting for Trump to prohibit abortion:
Thomas has no more right to tell any woman in his family what to do with her body than he does to tell me.
Abortion prohibition is just the emblem for control of women in all spheres.
And that, evidently, is paramount -- SO much more important than national security, upholding the Constitution, or taking action to ensure the survival of the planet that neither they nor any other issues matter.
People who want to control women will sacrifice anything, anything at all.
1
I prefer Joe simply because he is the only viable candidate that can defeat Trump. Others are too radical and we have enough of radical. His VP selection may make the difference.
You ask me what I like. But if I think none of it can actually be done and that a wealth tax will face a constitutional challenge tying it in court for years....what is the point in saying what I like in a vaccuum when that is not what I will base a vote on?
Any candidate that can't draw in moderates has already lost the election - the real, for all the marbles main election. That is a substantial piece of what guides my vote.
There is no "voting on principle" if that "principle" says a second term of Donald Trump is better than - well - absolutely any of the Democratic candidates - or even a cardboard cutout that isn't owned by Putin.
That's not a principle - that's a temper tantrum, for those who say that if your candidate isn't chosen, you just will sit out and let Trump have another term.
If Universal Basic Income were coming about I would only take issue with Andrew Yang on the ageist question and neutral on additional justices, history making candidates or Trump being an anomaly. Everything would be affected by a UBI and there are proponents from many spectrums now and in history. As it is, Mr. Yang comes in last or second to last for me when I cancel the influence of putting a floor under all citizens.
Pete Buttigieg is the candidate that best aligns with my values, although I personally think Biden will win the nomination.
You matched me with Sanders, who I can't abide and think would be a disaster as a candidate and as a president. Perhaps you need a wider range of questions. These are clearly pegged to debate performances and stump speeches.
1
It is difficult to overstate how atrociously bad this survey is. Whether I view Trump's election as an anomaly or want a nominee who's identity would "make history" has absolutely nothing to do with whether I agree with the candidate.
there should have been a "does not matter" third choice for some, if not all questions.
I am happy you value "the sanctity of life". But the "sanctity of life" is far more than just being born. What happens to those born with a severe birth defect? Have you given any thought how that can affect the quality of life of that person? Or to the inability of the parents to provide for the child's medical needs, not because they are counting the dollars, but simply because medical care is priced virtually out of their reach? And how about the emotional toll it takes on the parents? Yes, they will love that child, perhaps even more than their healthy children, but the emotional toll it takes on them cannot be denied and cannot even be imagined. Moreover, such parents cannot afford the "luxury" to think about their own death, because if they do they will go utterly mad, b/c thing about their death will for them raise the question, "What's going to happen to my child when I'm gone?" And so, to those so fixated on anti-abortion I'd say, "Think carefully about the matters I've put forward here before making your anti-abortion stance the alpha and omega of human life."
There was one question missing from your survey. You should have asked this: "Is it more important for the Democratic nominee to agree with you on the issues, or more important for the Democratic nominee to be able to win the Rust Belt states that elected Trump in 2016?"
I'm absolutely for Bernie or "I've got a plan for that" Warren. No question!
But, I think that you've written your descriptive-text of Bernie in a way that is patently uneven. I don't know how "favorably" you've treated the other candidates, but I do want to let you know how strange I found your statements.
First, you make him sound radical... and he really, really isn't radical. He (and Warren) just want to bring the US back up to the standard of the other Western Democracies.
Second, when you say " 'Medicare for all,' is a total reimagining of the health care system in America" you're completely missing the fact that Medicare already exists. Therefore, expanding Medicare cannot possibly require "a total reimagining."
I also don't understand why you keep repeating this story about how some of Bernie's supporters in 2016 ultimately ended up voting for Trump after Bernie dropped out. First, Bernie did then (and again now) make it very clear that he will support anyone who ends up running against Trump. What some small fraction (around 10%, as with Hilary voters who voted against Obama) of someone's voters do, does NOT reflect on the candidate. That's normal democratic waffling.
I'd like to preface my last comment by saying that I don't particularly care about the candidates' ages. (That is what a competent vice-president is for!) That said, Biden is one year younger than Bernie - so all of this "Bernie would be the oldest" nonsense seems pretty disingenuous.
1
Warren or Sanders are my choices. Both would be amazing.
2
I'm a never-Trump Republican. All of my 10 answers are in agreement with Biden. This makes me suspicious that the Biden campaign has been conducting focus groups to tailor his positions to capture moderate Republican voters who hate Trump.
Mouse over the gray and blue bars when you're done with the quiz to see WHICH answers did (not) align with the candidates'.
(That's if you're using a real computer, of course. Tablets and creepyphones may complicate the matter.)
There wasn't a single question on this survey about my number one priority in this election: climate change. Why won't the democratic party and its media lean into this crucial - and winning - issue?
This is nice and all, but who cares about policy details? There is one, and only one question that matters. Can they beat Trump? The rest is window dressing. This quiz is irrelevant.
Though I have my favorites, I would be fine with ANY of these candidates (well, except for Sanders, whose misogynistic and demagogue-like tones I dislike, but will vote for anyway if he becomes the nominee).
As someone said, don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Our number one priority is to get Donald Trump out of the White House and the GOP out of power.
These questions are too "either or" and do not take into account other factors, i.e. I would not mind a gay president or a female one, but it is not a priority. I am against Trump because he lies all the time. Who would want a father, mother, a priest, a teacher, or anybody in a leadership position let alone the US President, who constantly lies. One can't trust anything he/she says or does. I will vote for Bloomberg for the very opposite reason. You can trust him.
Regardless of which Democratic candidate ultimately wins the nomination, I'm voting for him/her. I want that criminal out of OUR White House.
(Biden and Harris or Stacey Abrams for the best chance of a win, though)
I don't care if the nominee makes history based on race, gender sexual orientation or religion; I just want the best candidate for the job no matter what his, hers, or their race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. So, I can't finish your quiz with a yes/no answer.
How simply ask " do you simply care who can beat trump?"
All of the dems issues are nitpicking while we have the Donald still in power.
1
The layout of the breakdown at the end is not helpful. Should just be question by question.
There is really only one question here: do you want the candidate most likely to beat Trump or the candidate most likely to fix America? The candidate most likely to beat Trump is Bloomberg (or, I should say Bloomberg and his money). He's a tough cookie and he can can match the Republicans dollar for dollar in what is going to be the costliest and dirtiest campaign in American history. If you want the candidate who is best able to fix America, vote for Warren. She shares most of Bernie's objectives but is much more likely to achieve them through detailed planning, negotiation and compromise. In both instances, the candidate should choose an attack dog Vice-President, someone who can scare Moscow Mitch back into his shell.
1
Your quiz doesn't work on my computer. After submitting my first answer, nothing happens. It just gets stuck.
Not that it matters, my being Canadian. But how many other people get stuck after the first question, I wonder?
"Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?"
This is a terrible and leading yes/no question. No, nominating someone based on their personal characteristics is not a deciding factor for me - I want a functional president and my vote does not rely on demographics. But of course, a nominee who broke down social walls would be nice. Basically, where is the third option for this question?
What a lovely metaphor for my choice during the election season.
This is a poorly designed "quiz;" no room for nuance, options, latitudinal response. I took it twice and results were nearly opposite. Agree with person who said you are asking about ideals, not the realities of the current constitutional crisis, corruption, lawlessness.
Where's Tulsi? Pretty sure I would have been matched with her if she were an option.
1
@Drew She has no chance. Hasn't been able to poll over 2%.
This quiz was the epitome of how style usually trumps substance in politics.
"Some voters still resent [Bernie Sanders'] run in 2016 against Hillary Clinton and blame the division his campaign helped sow for the election of President Trump. " What a gross thing to say after the Democratic establishment and news outlets regularly treated Sanders unfairly and systematically marginalized his campaign and platform.
I’m shocked the Vice Pres. Biden showed up!
I don’t care for him at all , as a President, that is. The one and only reason I would vote for him is if he were the nominee.
I think your algorithm is flawed, or skewed.
1
Like most polls (including campaign solicitations) the questions are too black and white. Where is nuance? I can't answer most questions without a scale showing the degree of support.
Are there any candidates who agree with health care for all both as a human right and a jobs generator and see the way to pay for it is by reducing our commitment to being the bully boy for global capitalism? Is it possible that we would be more secure- not less- by walking away from the game of installing corrupt local puppets so that we can be sure of oil prices?
@Stourley Kracklite Democrats, your silence is deafening.
Bernie,
whom I voted for in 2016
is still the one I will vote for in 2020.
Is there someway that the Times can provide
a summary of how the results of each reader's vote
turned out ?
2
The quiz is vague in spots and too simple. More questions should be added..eg. climate, epa, department of interior, agriculture, regime change wars, etc,etc.
This questionnaire is absurd. You ask a question "is gender, race, etc important" for president. And then I find that M Bloomberg says that's important. If that were so then he would not be running. The question makes no sense in and of itself.
Took this just for fun; not one question on the environment, cleaner water and air standards. The current administration has really let the foxes guard the chicken coop
1
Your quiz gave a skewed result. It listed me as supporting Biden, and I am not supporting Biden. The question about age is misleading because if you answer that over 70 is okay, it puts you in Biden's camp, but Biden is the one 70-something I think is NOT with it. The others all seem fine -- not Biden. I also think that whether his done did nothing wrong, he is now a flawed candidate.
I want a choice rather than Fascism or Socialism. Pragmatic politics and someone to stand up to the theofascists on the Right. Also who would up hold our constitutionally protected rights. Keeping government out of our healthcare decisions, separation of church and state and fiscal responsibility are my priorities. Say no to treason and kleptocracy. No to Trump and yes to Fightin Joe B. Just add Amy to the ticket.
your health care question is misleading. A single payer system is not the same as government run health care. I will support Warren because of her ideas and because she is tough enough to take on the Lier-in-Chief.
2
Questions are leading questions with little depth on the real distinctions between the candidates. Superficial!
Sanders and Warren, my personal favorites, would lose bad in North Carolina and be a drag on chances of dems further down ticket. I want NC to help elect a democrat Pres and elect a democrat senator and vote in democrat state house and state senate. Will not happen with either of my favorites at top of ticket.
I answered negatively to a candidate over age 70, and also positively to a more diverse candidate field. So, who do I pull? Bernie Sanders! Viva le white patriarchy!!!
2
You should be able to say you don't have an opinion or care on some of these. Like the race, gender, sexual orientation question.
yes/no questions disallow comprehensive answers. I don't care if my candidate is the first gay or female prez. I don't care if he/she's a billionaire. I don't care if he'/she's over 70 - my answers are driven by issues. ergo - "I don't care" should be an option on some of those questions. rework your quiz for a better read of what voters want.
this was interesting. as i'm sure many of the NYT staff know, the washington post did a similar quiz a few weeks ago. theirs (which i believe is still online) has 20 questions that seemed to be more relevant policy positions. this test felt more like litmus test questions (i DID like the hanging chad graphics. well played NYT)
despite that, for me both quizzes resulted in the same 1st and 2nd place results. the 3rd place result was different.
2
OK, I rose to the clickbait. And my first two choices in the questionnaire turned out to be a tie between my #1 ranking person and my #7 ranking person. Now how could that happen? Maybe because there was no question about wanting a candidate who has the capability of listening to others and doesn't make the ideal the enemy of the good.
'Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?'
I don't know if 'want' is the right word. I would support a candidate without regard for their making history in those areas. I just want them to do a good job for the country and get rid of Trump.
Useless exercise for me. Only one thing matters...who is most likely to defeat Trump ? With all the candidates arguing among themselves rather than attacking Trump's 3 years of ineptitude, cruelty, thuggery and world wide alienation, I throw up my hands. I am beginning to think none of them are up to playing Trump's game. Once we get rid of not only Trump himself but all of the incompetent appointments, can we talk about climate change, health care , foreign relations etc. etc.
I took the quiz even though I’m not from your country, American politics are so very divided that it was interesting anyways.
Your questions are too cut and dried.
There are some that I had trouble answering yes or no.
Interesting,I did get a genuine chuckle over the the hanging chads.
1
I'm disappointed there were no questions on climate!
1
No question on climate change? Everything else is deck chairs on the Titanic compared to the impending collapse of life on earth.
1
I am consistently getting Bloomberg in all the quizzes! Probably because I do not want an 80-year old president!
There needs to be a question on foreign policy.
I got Elizabeth Warren here. On another newspaper's website I got Tom Steyer. I am most likely not voting for either of them in the primary (but would support either in the general election).
One year I took this quiz and got Al Sharpton and another year, Dennis Kucinich. (Did not vote for either of them in their respective primaries, either.) I'm beginning to think these quizzes are not useful in choosing a candidate and perhaps there are other factors to consider besides just positions on whatever issues happen to be chosen by the quiz writer...
I will vote for anybody but trump. We must rid our country of the creature currently fouling the oval office. Please Democrats don't nominate Bernie. The opposition research of his past statements will crush him. Another 4 years of trump will irreparably damage the nation. Defeating trump is the duty of every patriotic American.
1
All that this really showed me is how uncomfortable I am with absolutist positions on issues.
1
Correction: Pete Buttigieg's birthday was January 19th. He was born in 1982. That makes him 38. Maybe now that he's a little longer in the tooth, we can leave behind the reverse ageism comments that Pete's too young to be president. Frankly, young or not, he's more than qualified.
Too bad these are not the top ten questions deciding my choice.
1
To make it easier to for us? They must think we're fools. This is a shameless attempt to influence the outcome of the nomination process and general election. Russian, Chinese, even Israeli influences are minuscule compared to our own media's (and political parties') manipulation of our democracy. Who granted them the authority to create and administer this interactive device clearly designed to shape political viewpoints that audaciously masquerades as a heuristic tool for our benefit? (One has to wonder whether NYT uses our answers to these questions for their own purposes.) Just by the questions they ask it's clear who they don't want us to vote for. The numbers for the final recommendations offered from this "helpful quiz" surely correspond little to the actual polling numbers (which are themselves typically framed in ways supportive to the establishment) and strongly favor establishment candidates. In short, the quiz is a sham. Tulsi Gabbard isn't even an option in it! Hers is an important voice with a devoted and legitimately grass-roots following, like Bernie's and Yang's. Listen to what she says and it will become clear whose interests NYT represents and why they want to suppress her message of peaceful conflict resolution. Bernie supporters and all those who are thoroughly fed-up with such manipulation will prevail this time around!
4
Your survey didn't allow for any nuance - for example either private insurance or public - not a public option which I favor. Not everyone's opinions are so black and white, so to speak. In the end though, i will vote for any Democrat of the corrupt Donald Trump.
Irresponsible. These sort of oversimplifications misinform and risk even even slandering the candidates. What does "Are billion dollar fortunes OK?" mean? Consider how you might be typecasting with that question. Do you mean to ask "Should billionaires be taxed at a much higher rate than they currently are?"
And do you believe your readers are incapable of answering a question in moderation? Can't you provide a way to vote on a sliding scale of support for issues? How about "How important is government-run universal health care to you?" That would better match reality. I doubt any of the candidates would feel comfortable fully owning your attributed positions as stated.
In my opinion, the biggest cause of the misinformation and division that is undermining society today is not lies but incomplete and misleading narratives. And the Times is complicit in this.
1
Most psychologists could explain that quiz construction has everything to do with responses. Here the constructors are NYT writers with a bias toward a centrist candidate who will support the elitist status quo.
Dive beneath the elite talking point that only a centrist can win,
A centrist will lose to Trump
1
What's with all these data collecting quizzes lately?
This quiz is not at all helpful. It reminds me of the card trick, where, by a process of elimination, the resulting pick is predetermined. Unlike the card trick, however, this quiz has much less entertainment value. I'm sorry I wasted my time.
1
I received an idiotic result. One of my choices was the fact that I would want a nominee who broke a gender or race barrier, and that I don't think people should have billion dollar fortunes, and I'm given Michael Bloomberg. People don't weight these things equally. It's a nice idea but doesn't really work.
1
@Michie I got caught off guard by this as well.
Then I looked back at the question: "race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion".
Bloomberg like Bernie, if elected, would be the first Jewish president.
So making history based on race, gender, etc. is more important than climate change or the economy?? This quiz is a caricature of itself
1
None of my answers aligned with the various candidates' positions. Lousy quiz.
I love the graphics, especially the "hanging chads" after voting!
The test was interesting. In order I got Biden, Bloomberg, Steyer, all of whom I like, but I probably like Buttigieg the most and he was last on my results. I din't check the obvious one of wanting gender orientation diversity, etc., so maybe that's why Buttigieg is so low in my results. I don't consider his orientation either a positive or negative factor, I just like such things as his ability to articulate intelligently.
Too bad the questions are not about the issues I care about.
1
Sorry, but this is not helpful or productive in my opinion. Your "criteria" are sound bites, not actual issues or positions. I think this just adds to the challenge of a lack of substantial discourse in today's political environment -- I expect that from candidates, not from NYT.
In the United States I'd be a moderate Democrat so a 5 way tie of Joseph Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang isn't that surprising I suppose. Wish I could vote!
This is dumb. It boils down complex questions into yes/no binaries. For example: "Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?" Where's the option for "I am ambivalent"? I'm good with norm-shattering candidates, but I'm also fine with candidates who fit the traditional mold.
The Washington Post's quiz was better. It was based on actual issues and not the most divisive and/or irrelevant candidate characteristics.
The questions in this quiz are simplistic and ridiculous. Are we really that shallow?
1
It is shocking and unforgivable that you did not include a question on climate change.
2
i'm offended at my choices: bernie, tom, elizabeth. what the hey.
1
Not a thing in survey about Climate Change.
1
Question 5 should have had a "Neither" option.
You have omitted Sen. Michael Bennet.
Machine says I like Pete but I'm voting for Joe because he uses the word 'malarkey.'
Whew (deep exhale), my quiz results jibe with who i actually support [strongly] for the Dem nomination. Cognitive dissonance is a drag, people: Find it, figure it out, do something about it!
1
The quiz drops the questions and only shows choices
Ach, all my chads were hanging.
1
Why not ask about climate change policy?
1
Mario Cuomo's 1968 DNC Keynote tale of two Cities speaks volumes on the 2020 choices.
First, trying to categorize people with 10 questions is a fools game and worthless as an aid. Too many important principles such as gun control, climate change, taxes, wealth inequality, and many more.
Second, someone on your staff has already rated the candidates on some matrix that is not revealed or explained so how do I trust your depicture of the candidates and their positions.
A pol based on a series of articles on each issue with some depth on the candidates stated position would be a lot more of an aid than scattering buckshot over an empty field.
If you can answer these questions you can work out your ideal candidate for yourself.
Cute graphics tho'
1
There should be an option called "wet sock on a stick as long as everyone pledges to vote for it".
It is absolutely incredible that the Times chooses to put out a quiz with only TEN questions! And not one concerning climate change, which is consistently ranked as a top issue among voters!
Lol my preferred candidate (Yang) came in last. But (except for one) none of the things I disagreed with him on are strong commitments of mine. There should be a "not sure/don't care" option.
Also, what's with the question "Do you want the president to make history in terms of race, gender, etc."? That put him as a "No" for me because of his ethnicity. But obviously I'd be thrilled. It's just a bonus, not a criterion I'm willing to vote on.
I thought the Washington Post's candidate matching quiz was flawed, but congratulations, you managed to make one even that's even worse!
The phrasing of your description of Warren is indicative of the
ways in which The Times, and other media, diminish her candidacy. As in, "her plan for (almost) everything..." drips
with sarcasm and echos a perjorative meme describing Warren
that I've noticed in writing about Warren in nytimes and others.
Stop it, fellas.
1
This is asking about ideals, not realities. It skews the survey. Instead, take the Washington Posts' which is routed in reality. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/policy-2020/quiz-which-candidate-agrees-with-me/
1
I loathe Mayor Pete. He is an inexperienced novice who has no business being a spoiler in this race.
I got Mayor Pete....no biggie....thankfully Dems are not single issue, closed minds voters. The only reality we know is that America cannot survive four more years of Trump and his ilk.
Vote blue no matter who....
2
As with most surveys, there is no room for nuance. For example, the Medicare question is binary, offering Medicare for all OR leaving it out completely. I personally think we should make parts A and B available - for all - and private insurance fill in the rest. They'll still make plenty of money, I suspect.
1
Some questions are not specific enough. For instance, universal healthcare would be great but you cannot dismantle an entire industry in years. It will take at least a decade. I think taxing the wealthy needs to be done but a wealth tax is ineffective, possibly unconstitutional, and you couldn't get the bill passed. What about capital gains taxes as regular income?
2
@jo This comment should be a Times pick.
The quiz did not seem to ask any questions that addressed Andrew Yang's key ideas. Perhaps because most of them are too easy to spot since no other candidate holds them. The Quiz tells me I agree most with Tom Steyer, yet I have grave misgivings about his approach to climate change. After Steyer, I agree most with Elizabeth Warren. Until Elizabeth Warren began running for president, this might have been true. I find her attacks on Buttigeig's Wine Cave and Sanders' alleged statements about women running for the presidency to be divisive. completely off-message and beneath her.
2
@David Nigel Lloyd: I agree! I generally like Yang, but he was lowest on my "agree" list.
Too much reliance on Either/Or Questions. Somewhat understandable, but not really indicative of my true thoughts on any particular question. I am concerned that the results will be interpreted differently than what they really reflect.
1
I felt some of the questions could’ve been worded better, i.e.: keeping private insurance for those who wish to/can keep one in addition to creating a public, universal health care system for all. The questions did however lead me to my ideal ticket. Haters gonna hate, but Bloomberg-Buttegieg works for me. They’re a mix of older and experienced, plus youthful hope and energy. Both are extremely intelligent and level-headed, and I believe, have learned from past incidents that didn’t bode so well in their cities.
I have long gauged my presidential picks partly based on who I would feel confident with sitting across the table from Vladimir Putin. (No lie!) Trump was NEVER going to be that person and has proven that to be true. Here, with Bloomberg or Buttegieg, Putin would never get under their skin.
Last, having lived 15 years in NYC and during Bloomberg’s three terms, I saw how the city improved. People were angry around the circumstances of his last campaign, but I believe those last few years were some of his best.
Good luck to us all. Peace.
2
We need someone who will work for transformational change (equality) and healing our nation. Both boldness and heart.
2
some of these questions require a yes and no. public health care - we won't get there overnight, so some combination of public and private will be needed for a while. no environment question, BIG qualifier for me. i also don't need a candidate who'll make history, that's an added benefit. it's certainly not a prerequisite for my vote. age is somewhat of an issue - warren's age doesn't bother me because she seems seriously coherent. biden's? that's an issue; there's a reason why his people keep him away from the press.
4
10 questions isn't enough, and the questions are on predominantly Democratic talking points, which is why a lot of people have beef with the debates format. People on the ground don't care about this stuff: as long as we can live comfortably and work a stable job and not have to worry about whether we can afford literally anything going wrong, we'll make it through the rest.
3
This quiz is unrealistic, sometimes your answers are in between i.e. 'it depends'. So are the answers i.e unrealistic, I said I did not want someone in their 70s and yet all the candidates that matched were in their 70s.
2
Thing is, the issues are not a binary as the questions suggest. And more importantly, this is why we no longer have actual deep, meaningful dialogue around issues - everything is framed as "you are either for it (me/my world view)" or "against it (me/my world view)"...one side against the other. Right answer versus wrong answer.
This really isn't helpful to anyone.
2
Quiz seems to have pegged me - Warren. I probably would vote for any Dem over Trump - except Bernie. In the 2016 election, Sanders’ announced intention for entering the Democrats' primary (he was/is not a member) was to influence the platform and gain exposure for his ideas for the country while avoiding the disastrous consequences of Nader's 3rd party run. The growth of such a devoted group of followers continued to a point where his objective apparently changed: and the campaign turned negative enough so that when Sanders didn't get the nomination, he was unable or unwilling to keep his followers from sitting out the election – most certainly contributing significantly to the election of Trump.
2
Your questions are much too simplistic! I agree that there should be a wealth tax-- if there was a model that was shown to work. 70 too old to be president? Maybe. Not necessarily, but I would prefer to see someone younger. Minorities? They're great. I would love to have a woman or minority for president but it would't drive my vote? I would love to see a president who could work with Republicans, given Republicans who would work with a Democratic president. Your little quiz shows that I "agree with" Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, but honestly I will vote for the candidate who I think will be the most effective in reducing inequality and getting the US on track to tackle the environmental crises.
3
This was a fun exercise, but there are no yes/no answers to several of them. There is no set age that's too high, for example. Most thinking dems will vote mainly against Trump, no matter who the candidate is, this time. The stakes are too high to quibble amongst ourselves.
3
This quiz was not very well designed. You need weights, at the very least, not to mention much much more diverse and detailed questions.
WRT weights, each item should be led or followed with questions about how important each issue is to a respondent. Is she a slight preference or a key determining issue?
WRT range, why is old age on there and not youth? What about experience w policy making? It's bizarre.
2
this does not take into account that we cannot afford to vote our beliefs. I believe in single-payer public health insurance. But I will vote for person with policy to include public option and let people opt for this over time. It is about balance of political strategy and values because most important is to get rid of Trump.
4
After 40 years of debating the same issues over and over again and watching congress after congress do whatever they want with little push back by the general public, I'm voting for anyone under 60 who will tackle protection of the environment with forward thinking solutions, reasonable gun control, decent equitably funded public schools in every state, a balanced healthcare program that incorporates care and research,term limits for judicial appointments at every level and equal rights for every citizen regardless of race or sex now! And under no circumstances will I vote for anyone who makes grandiose promises that are a complete waste of time and energy. I will vote for someone who will focus on realty and what is reasonably accomplished with thoughtful long term solutions that benefit all Americans, but not in isolation.
@Jude
Andrew Yang is a breath of fresh air when he talks about the jobs that could be created and need to be created to address climate change. He has built companies that can address the new revolution in jobs that is here.
I have a great deal of respect for him and his wife for sharing that horrific OBGYN story and seeing her two weeks ago in NYC speaking at the Womens march told me that they are committed to doing the right thing for everyone.
When we all showed such love for their child, she felt she could open up to the American people. I am glad she trusted us with her pain .
We need the converstion on how to move the country together all of us. If there are any GOP left who don't leave with Trump maybe we could work with them
Honestly I don't feel bad about any of the candidates. I think Bernie needs to rein in his rabid hordes online a bit, but their policies all seem fairly well aligned with what I'm looking for. I want this country to try to achieve normalcy before we go off on another crusade though.
I think one thing that our politics and policy really miss the point on - we need to reestablish faith in the government again. It's a pervasive and extremely serious problem when so few Americans have genuine faith in the government.
I all along have suspected that Biden was my guy; and the quiz confirmed it. (Bloomberg and Buttigieg were runners-up.) At the same time I have worried about narrowing my choice to Biden - or to any one Democrat - when the whole field is so capable and attractive. Replacing Trump with any of them is at the top of my to-do list; I don't think I would be measurably less well off with somebody other than Biden. Where I am focused is on the convention and the party platform, both of which must be unity efforts.
2
I wouldn’t vote for any of the top three candidates with whom your survey matched me. Your survey is flawed in that most people don’t vote for candidates based on issues or what they say they will do. Whatever candidates say they will do usually doesn’t happen once they are in office. The president has, at least until recently, not exercised dictatorial power.
@M
So just vote for Trump despite the fact that he is a very flawed man and be done with it. He is a dictator and he is a hater of everything that is not white.
Democrats dont need or want your vote.
These questions were not representative of what is on my mind with regard to who should be our next president. Most of my "No" answers were more accurately "Don't Care/Doesn't Matter". For example, I don't think being over 70 should be disqualifying; I care what the candidates say about healthcare, gerrymandering, the Supreme Court, voting rights, Infrastructure, Foreign Policy, etc. And of course, can they beat Trump? (Who I see, especially in light of this latest impeachment defense, as an existential threat).
3
While I favor Klobuchar it is not because she is female. I am not concerned whether a candidate breaks barriers. That has already happened. A woman has garnered more votes that a man. A Black man has been President. I am for Klobuchar because she is a voice of sanity and will attract those Rs who can't pull the lever for Warren or Sanders. It is not likely that Dems will gain a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, so free college, wealth tax and Medicare for all are not going to happen. Aspirations are nice but let's deal with reality. Amy Klobuchar does.
2
Well, this is just great. I have answered in a way that offers me 4 possible choices! I'm no better off now that I was before I took this quiz.
1
I'm amazed at the number of candidates who don't think it is important to work with the Republicans - for the past 3 years the Dem's have done nothing but build a case to impeach President Trump. Now if elected, they are going to continue the non-collaborative approach that has made Congress totally ineffective --why do we think that is ok?
I took the quiz 3 times and ended up each time with Elizabeth Warren. I won't vote for her because I think Trump will manipulate her. I also feel very strongly that the people who vote for Trump, and are very foreign to me, need to be respected. We need someone who can beat Trump and move the nation out of its divisiveness.
1
Not surprised that they tuck Warren in when the obvious choice put down by my answers is for Sanders. Warren has used super pac money for her campaign. That answer should have made it a clear result
@Adam Ansanelli
Yes she did it was super pac money that she could legally transfer from her senate race. So what is your point? Mayor Pete uses hedge fund manager, Bloomberg uses his wealth,
Vote Trump if you want but don't get into holier than thou, we are all sick of that smugness.
Wrong. Questions are too general.
I’m for Amy, the only realistic one in my opinion.
My answers to the quiz didn't match the candidate I plan to vote for.
Too many quizzes and polls don't offer a third, or less "either/or" choices.
Sadly, likability does play a part in our choices - not voting for Klobuchar even though The Times seems to be promoting her.
2
@Pat Boice. I agree. Klobuchar is getting support by voters that don't know what she is really like. I am surprised the year long AP investigation has not gone national. I live in MN. I would not support her because she is horrible on wildlife and the environment. She should be a republican. This story is in MN.
https://apnews.com/115076e2bd194cfa7560cb4642ab8038. If the link does not work, search AP "Amy Klobuchar Helped Jail Teen for Life, but Case was Flawed". The next article from AP " Stepfather of Slain Girl Fears Teen was Wrongfully Convicted. "
There is nothing about climate change in this quiz. God help us if we continue to ignore it. The press should be hammering the candidates on this issue at every opportunity.
2
I agree 9/10 with Bloomberg, but I really don’t like him. I like Bernie Sanders, but apparently I don’t really agree with him much.
Help!
not one question about the fate of actual planet. what good will any of these policies be when the world we inhabit is destroyed but these very policies and lack of courage to face the consequences of our inaction. there is no greater issue facing mankind than the planet that sustains us.
2
10 questions and not one about the environment or climate? Geeze... I'm not sure the Time's survey and reflects some of the core values of my generation (35 yrs old). This is why every poll results that makes claims about who is electable should be taken with a grain of salt.
2
I share the concerns raised by others about the issues omitted and about the lack of subtlety in the way the questions are posed.
To add a couple of other things not mentioned but that are high on the list of things I consider in voting: foreign policy, tax policy, and trade policy.
All of that said, the main thing is to get Agent Orange out of the White House and his fellow pathogens out of the Senate. I will vote for any Democrat in this field without the slightest hesitation.
It's all academic anyway, because by the time primary season gets to Texas I am sure I will have fewer choices.
4
@Bob23
Really I don't care who is in the White House as long as it is not Agent Orange ,Moscow Mitch, Ted Cruz everyone who is coming up for reelection
I think that everyone will pay attention to our elected officials after this very long hard fight we have to keep our democracy in charge. Our slogan is Trump needs to go and go now.
1
Wow. I agreed on 9 of 10 with Elizabeth Warren. She'd been my choice from the start. So I'm voting for her, even though I realize that there's no chance that a nation of people who would choose someone like Trump for a leader would suddenly transmogrify into a nation of intelligent, non-sexist grown-ups.
2
One problem. I took this several times and it turns out that this question was pivotal in my result:
Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion? When I said yes, I got Pete. When I said no, I got Joe.
But here's the problem: While I would love a candidate who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion, it's not something that's a deal breaker for me. In fact, none of the questions are deal breakers. If you're a Democrat, can stand erect, breathe and leave steam on a mirror, you're my candidate.
In fact, I'm pretty much at the point where I would support waiving the steam requirement.
4
I'm so glad I finally have my candidate. I can't wait to vote for , age <2!>.
1
For me, the quiz was very accurate - even though it asked questions at a very high level and ignored foreign policy.
While I may have a preference, I'm voting for any of these candidates, with any running mate in the general election. I'm tired of playing nice with the bullies. Let's not temper our votes out of fear.
1
I believe Elizabeth Warren would be a great president. I hope she will become the first female president to take office in a year.
1
I don't feel this quiz was accurate for me because it put the two people I would vote for at the bottom of the list.
1
Where's Gabbard from these choices? Oh right, DNC requires compliance to play on the field...who align with corporate and special interest groups.
2
There is really one one thing that is important here, and you missed it.
Which candidate has the best chance of beating Trump?
Everything else pales in comparison to this.
2
The nominee does not have to mirror me - my ideals - or be my soulmate.
I hear Independents bemoaning a lack representation in party affiliation - and refusing to vote. Just a reminder: we haven't always had just 2 parties, the 2 parties have not always been these 2 - we've had Whigs and Federalists and Bull Moose and Democratic-Republicans - and the current parties have not always stood for the same policies as they do now.
If you participate, the end result will reflect more of what you believe. But it will never reflect ALL of what you believe - because the country is made up of different sorts of people.
Perhaps my values do align with Tom Steyer more than Yang or Buttigieg, but he and Bloomberg are the wrong men for the job. Four more years of a billionaire in office? They don't even deserve that amount of money in the first place. I'd love to see Sanders elected (yes, New York Times, not Warren) and spread both those guy's wealth.
2
Your questionnaire omits an essential ingredient — experience in public service.
A history of public service indicates the person’s character. Experience in government shows they are ready for the job.
Past history is a fact. Promises are empty unless the candidate has something to back them up, and can navigate the many pitfalls of politics.
1
I also felt that a number of the questions were too either/or. Regardless, I am satisfied with the conclusion, that the candidate that poll concludes I most agree with is Tom Steyer. It's unfortunate that he more likely than not doesn't stand a ghost of a chance in gaining the Democratic nomination. He could give Trump conniptions - or maybe even a heart attack or a stroke - during presidential debates. It sure would be fun to watch.
There was a similar online "quiz" available to Canadians during the 2015 election, when the Liberals thoroughly rout the Conservatives. The quiz was prepared by the CBC and allowed voters to measure how close their views on a variety of issues were with the parties' positions on the same issues, based on parties' actual practices and their platforms.
It turned out that the quiz was highly effective in removing some misconceptions the voters had regarding the parties' standings. In post-election interviews, some voters indicated that taking the quiz influenced how they voted.
There were no questions on the environment, climate change, gun control, woman’s right to control her own body. And asking if a Medicare option other than forced Medicare was not present. I firmly believe you should have a Medicare option, or you can keep your private insurance if you choose. Asking if having a billionaire fortune is ok is nuanced. It depends on how it was earned and how the workers are treated.
2
The major flaw, and it is a huge one, with this quiz is the assumption that I care equally about the answers to each question. I do not, and it’s not even close. The other major flaw is that there are other issues I care more about than many of these.
3
I'm not unhappy with my result (Buttigieg) but I was uncomfortable getting there.
Better to ask questions with 1 to 5 ratings on our intensity of feeling.
I think over 75 is too old.
The problem of Medicare for All for me is that it's fine as an aspiration, but unnecessarily radical to expect to win over swing voters in battleground states.
The quiz should be focused more on realities.
2
I tried taking your quiz about 5 times. Each time I changed an answer to see what the effect would be. Each time the quiz told me I was matched with Bernie. I find this hard to believe. It’s my opinion that this quiz is rigged to make me want to vote for Bernie. Unless he is actually the Democratic nominee, I will vote for Elizabeth Warren over Bernie. I like her, I don’t need her to be perfect. I know that facts matter to her and that she will adjust her plans based on what is the best for us all. I respect her passion and her ability to get things done. I think she is brilliant, honest, dedicated, hardworking, effective, principled, and would make one the best presidents this country has ever had.
2
I like how these questions, along with other material presented by the Times, not only focus on issues but also values. Sometimes it's more than just about wonky policy proposals but also vision. We need a president who has the imagination to creatively and effectively tackle the growing problems of the 21st century whilst sticking to their principles rather than conduct "business as usual" or doing what's most politically expedient. When you look to see which candidates really have a passion for making the world a better place and the moxie and talent to fight for it, it's easy to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Bernie Sanders is the best candidate we've had for president in decades.
2
The problem with such a quiz is there are often not straight yes or no answers. I generally would prefer a president to be younger than 70, but the right person for the job may be older. I would love a female/minority/LGBT president, but I don’t vote based on those issues. I do want a single payer healthcare system, but I think the best way to get there may be incrementally because the current system will take a long time to dismantle and employs a huge number of people. I don’t approve of the vast wealth gap, but I don’t think wealth should be an issue in voting one way or the other. One of the problems with polls and this type of quiz is the limiting nature of the responses available. I was the only one among my friends and family who was not surprised when Trump got the nomination or when he became president, because I saw the polls as inherently flawed. They are written with very narrow parameters, but people are more complex...
2
The climate crisis is my number one policy issue. I am really surprised that no question was included since the world is in an existential crisis. I am not sure that the Green New Deal is the best climate solution so I prefer a candidate willing to consider all options, including a Carbon Tax with Revenue going to citizens. Carbon removal from the atmosphere must also happen since we passed the point long ago where stopping emissions would be enough.
The survey is not nuanced enough; too many of the questions ask for a hard yes-no distinction where actual policy is somewhere in between. Being open to bipartisan opportunities is important (even giving the appearance that's it's important is a prudent political position in the general election,) but counting on it happening is unrealistic. So is that a yes or no? As a political outsider who does not support many traditional GOP positions Trump's election is an anomaly, but the GOP exploiting racial resentment to achieve other goals is not. Relying on big donors is dangerous, but unilateral financial disarmament by the Democrats is probably imprudent. Polarization starts when everything is phrased in binary terms, and Democrats fare poorly when complex matters are overly simplified.
2
The survey honestly does not ask me about what I care about.
I want public polling on policy issues to matter to our representatives. I want to believe that major policy changes haven't been hacked by people who contribute the most to campaigns. I want one election that measures a true consensus of the people.
I want politics to change. Where is that candidate?
@James
People voting for change tend to be easy targets - you want something that is not actually going to happen, without voting for the incremental change. Revolutionary change requires a revolution - which is entirely wrong so long as we do have a democratic process electing our representatives.
The survey gives no room for weight on a particular issue. There are no questions that go to specific issues like structure of the tax system except a wealth tax. Foreign policy and defense are neglected.
2
This is certainly a poorly prepared set of questions. There is no subtlety. For example I think our candidates are too old, so I voted that a candidate should be under 70, but given the selection, I think the best candidates aren't under 70. Another question is about free tuition. I think a truly affordable tuition is ok even if is isn't. Public colleges in the 1960's and 1970's were often affordable. I love free, but I would accept truly affordable.
Politics can force people to make odd choices. After Hillary Clinton's attack on Sanders, I find myself moving to Sanders from Warren.
3
This quiz wasn't nearly as well-crafted as the one in the Washington Post a few days ago, but both gave me the same results: Mike Bloomberg. I wasn't planning to vote for him, but maybe I should be thinking about it.
1
If people would vote for the candidate that they truly support rather than who they think will win the general election, we would have a very different result. And that candidate would probably go on to win because they were the candidate that truly inspired the voters in the primary.
2
@Vanisha
That would only apply if there were only Democrats voting - and ranked choice. Once we are out of the primary, the candidate needs more than 50% of the Republicans, Democrats AND Independents to choose them.
there should have been a question regarding the importance of the climate energency, which is perhaps the most important issue facing the nation and the world. the question regarding expanding the supreme court, like the issue of abolishing the electoral college, is a red herring as both actions would require a constitutional amendment and those candidates who advance or suppert these measures are either terribly uninformed or just pandering to the terribly uninformed. also the survey should have had a question about the candidate who is most tuned in to the need to win votes in the swing states as it appears that this election will again be decided in the electoral college.
i agree with science prof except i think bloomberg is the most likely to succeed where it's important.
I'm sorry that this quiz concentrated so much on factors like age and made pretty broad choices on policies. I would have like to make choices based on things besides Medicare for All. For example, stances on the environment. More detailed distinctions between the policies of the various candidates, including health care, would have made this a much more interesting and helpful survey for people still trying to make up their minds.
4
Most of my answers to your questions fall into “it depends” or maybe territory rather than yes or no. But I’m in the “Vote blue no matter who” camp.
3
In my estimation, you ask questions that i would prefer to answer “i don’t care” to .... such as whether the candidate is diverse or an old white guy ... i don’t care - i want one that is competent, capable and non-corrupt, and most importantly, able to unseat the current occupant of the White House. I am a republican and i am tired of the Democratic Party performing self-emulation every four years. Put up a candidate that can win hearts and minds and they will win. It’ll force the republicans to do the same, and ultimately the people and the country and the world win.
1
Not a single question about climate change.
3
I am very disappointed that your paper decided to endorse Klobuchar and omitted coverage of the year long AP investigation released this week, on her seemingly wrongful conviction of a 16 year old innocent black teen in Minneapolis, in 2002. The story continues to be told in MN, and yet we see nothing on the national news. This is extremely troubling and very sad for the young man sentenced to life in prison for a crime, it seems , he did not commit. However, this case is used in Klobuchar's litany that she is "tough on crime". Even the murdered child's stepfather thinks this young man is innocent. https://apnews.com/115076e2bd194cfa7560cb4642ab8038
2
Where is Michael Bennet? Why isn’t he included in this quiz?
2
Is there a reason Tulsi and 3 others are missing from the infographic?
4
Where is Mike Bloomberg???? He’s a really good choice.
I think this test is REALLY FLAWED. It said that I preferred Warren and Sanders, which is absolutely NOT TRUE. It ignored the most important issue for me, the probability that the candidate will beat Trump, Bloomberg is ahead here according to RealClearPolitics. It ignored that, while I think getting to single payer health care "eventually" is a good idea, the likelihood of "unintended consequences" if the system is changed quickly rules out both Warren and Sanders for me.
1
The biggest problems with your survey:
1. It doesn't account for the relative weighting of different answers. One issue may matter a great deal more than others
2. It ignores a number of significant issues.
1
Anyone notice the Hanging Chads on the click ballots?
5
I think you should come up with more difficult questions that require some compromise from the reader/voter.
1
The Washington Post had a similar test and I think it was better. It covered issues as opposed to you asking about gender/orientation, age and billions. The results were different too, so I think your non-issue questions skew the results.
1
@Andy i made a similar comment that hasn't been approved. however, in my case the results were the same for 1st & 2nd choice. 3rd choice was different.
Like most quizzes, it is an imperfect one, creating an image that does not reflect accurately the mind of the respondents. I could not give a yes or no answer to many of the questions, but there was no other choice. As a result, Bernie Sander, whom i despise, showed up as first on my list. While Bernie Sanders’ world, just like this quizz, is either black or white, reality is made up of many shades with which we must live.
1
I was a little surprised that Pete came out on top and Joe was in about 5th place. I expected that Amy and Joe would be near the top of my choices. It must have been my response about being over 70 that made a difference. I am not a Bernie supporter so not surprised to see him in last place.
The questions were simplistic and not worded in an effective way.
Would have been helpful to know why I disagree with someone. In some cases very obvious in others, not so much.
By the way, if I want someone to win just for a historic moment on race, religion or gender, I should not be allowed to vote.
1
Interesting that I was aligned with Bloomberg, but I'm voting for Yang. However, I think there's more questions that could've been asked. No climate change questions, no criminal justice reform questions (this is where I hate Bloomberg), etc. And I think there should be open private AND public health insurance for all.
I don't care for how this quiz is done. There seems to be more questions differentiating candidates on identity rather than on policy proposals. Obviously, Andrew Yang wants a nominee to make history on race cause he is Asian and wants to be nominee. But it is a stretch to say that Andrew would factor that into his top choice.
I feel that the nominee should be the person who understands the changing dynamics of the country, appeals to a broad bipartisan electorate, has good ideas and a realistic plan to put them into action.
And that person is Andrew Yang
I matched with Warren which is great since I volunteer for her campaign. With that said anyone will do. I am tired of hearing the Democrats have a bad choice of candidates. These are all decent choices. Whomever wins the Democratic nomination I will back. I hope enough Independents want a sane President to occupy the most powerful position in the world. It really comes down to them.
1
The questions don't really work. E.g., do I want someone who who would be a ground breaker in terms of gender, ethnic identity, sexual orientation? Sure, but not with a whole lot of weight, and certainly not to the exclusion of other policy preference. But if I just change that one answer between yes or no and leave the other answers to shade toward "progressive", I toggle between Warren and Sanders.
They are my two favorites, but it's not a coin-flip and there are real differences in outlook that factor into how I'm working toward a decision. Also, as Jew Sanders IS a ground-breaker in terms of ethnic identity. So on this factor, it's a tie, and the match shouldn't change.
Also, if I toggle yes and no for the billionaire question, I get either Sanders/Warren for "no" and Steyer for yes. So, my real view is that I don't object to people being billionaires. I object to people exploiting their wealth to outspend opponents in campaigns. But even that is not why I don't like Steyer. He is off the table for me because he is a pure dilettante with no public sector experience and no idea how to run a government. I would never vote for him in the primary, not matter how much I agree with him on policy matters because I think he is much less qualified.
Speaking of "qualified" there's not question about experience, which is clearly an important factor in Biden's and Bloomberg's appeal (Warren and Sanders, too).
1
If there had been a question on climate change which is THE question to ask, I expect I would have been closer to Sanders and further from Biden and Buttigieg. Why was that not asked?
This is a poorly written survey and is not helpful in aiding the public to understand the nuances of this election cycle or the candidates from which they can select.
3
Spot on! I'm a late Bloomer-berger!
Ridiculous! The last question about age should have knocked Sanders to at least 5th place for me. Each time I took the quiz, he came out on top.
And, of course, showing ties in alphabetical order placed Warren below the person I'd least likely support: Biden. But then, Warren is also in her 70s, as is Sanders......... aw, nuts!
My political ideals align with Sanders & Warren but my voting will be based on reality & getting rid of Trump, so I would vote for Biden or Klobuchar over these candidates.
470
@science prof
Sincere question -- why would you believe this? If we *just* consider electoral chances Klobuchar polls in single digits and Biden a) has almost no support among young people and b) his support amongst elderly voters is slowly eroding.
83
@science prof. Regarding "reality", can you see Trump vs Biden and Joe coming out on top? Imagine the cringeworthy debates, the namecalling....seen Joe get angry at a SUPPORTER who dares question a policy detail? This will be Hillary vs Trump redux! Young people will stay home, urbanites ditto. Sanders - with no interference from DNC, a big if! - will get a bigger turnout PLUS maybe 10-15% of Obama to Trump voters.
60
@science prof The idea that centrism means electable is old and at odds with whats been happening in the last few elections
98
Missed the biggest question!
"Is it vitally important that the Democratic nominee be able to beat Trump?"
3
Just shows you how much value to place in yes or no quizes. I got matched with the one candidate I would be least likely to vote for. (Not telling who). That's why I generally avoid these types of quizes and surveys in general. Nice try.
Not a great quiz. I get why it paints in such broad strokes, but my views actually put me somewhere between Warren and Biden, not really just Biden.
If these questions are an indication of how some poll results are reported, then no wonder Trump won the election with all poll results indicating Clinton would win. These questions were not nuanced and no grey areas are allowed for.
Where is the question about the most important issue of our time, Climate Change?
The questions in this survey are too binary, and don't allow for nuanced positions. I believe in universal health coverage, but I don't believe in eliminating private insurance. How do I indicate that in response to, "Do you want to replace the private health care system with a universal, government-run health insurance system?"
Stopped partway through answering because of the way the questions were phrased. My longterm goals were not necessarily my short range strategies to achieve those goals and that made it impossible to answer the questions with any accuracy as to who I most closely might match as a candidate. I think that this should be rewritten to better reflect short term objective vs. long term goal realities. It was simply not nuanced enough a set of questions to accurately conclude which candidate is actually a 'best' match.
In the WaPo quiz, my top and bottom candidates were the reverse of the results of this quiz, yet my ideals and policy choices haven’t changed overnight.
Greater transparency in how these results are derived would make these sorts of quizzes valuable instead of mere diversions.
1
@shnnn
I had the same results!
@shnnn I also had the same results on both quizzes, with the exception that Patrick came in second and pushed my four way tie to third in the WaPo quiz. Bennet and Gabbard, the other two additions, were near the bottom.
There is no age question in the WaPo quiz, yet both Biden and Sanders were also near the bottom in both. That reassures me we that disagree on issues and that my answer here, based mainly on my own age of 71, was not the deciding factor.
What about 3 answers - yes, no and maybe - because some of these questions - like do I want a groundbreaking candidate - are a strong maybe. It would be nice but not absolutely necessary. I feel like that’s more accurate and doesn’t reduce everyone’s answers to either/or because even though I realize elections are ultimately a yes/no vote, primaries with so many candidates are surely more nuanced than that.
1
Result says I favor Biden. I do not. I feel strongly that the president should be someone younger than 70's OR 80's.
I personally like Amy, good experience, good humor, not extreme. Also like Pete and Andy---young and vigorous and able to learn, be flexible without giving away the farm.
I may agree with Warren on a couple of things more but I prefer Sanders, which tells me it's more than just issues...it's also about the candidate themselves.
The survey is not sufficiently nuanced, and does not take into consideration the relative importance of various issues or categories about which you inquire, whether the respondent cares about prospects for winning in November (and how the responded evaluates the various candidates on that scale) and how the respondent believes various issues relate to the prospect of winning in November.
Still, an interesting exercise.
2
@Paul Alan Levy Completely agree... was thinking the same thing.... some of those questions are not simple "Yes" or "No" questions. I got Biden as a result, however I favor Amy Klobuchar... but if it comes down to Biden, Sanders, Warren, I'm going with Biden...
Now with that said... the Dems could nominate a Ham Sandwich and it would get my vote... I can't imagine a scenario where I would vote for 45...
The problem with this survey is that while I can answer the questions yes or no, each question has a radically different importance for me which cannot be reflected when each question is given equal weight.
4
One size does not fit all. Character traits matter. Reliability, persistence, authenticity, clear-headed insights, respect for the voters' points of view. Gabbard, then Yang, are my top picks. Bloomberg and Klobuchar over Steyer and Warren. Policy agreement is a slippery benchmark -- at least, among politicians.
This copycat of the Post quiz is less nuanced, and that's not saying much. Consider the medicare for all question: What about allowing private insurance alongside free national coverage? To actually help voters, it would be nice if these candidate quizzes allowed you to rank amongst 3 or 4 answers to the questions to really determine best fit.
2
I align with Biden, but prefer Bloomberg, either way we must all support who ever gets nominated.
1
Why were only ~2-3 Q on platforms and policy?
Why is there no mention of the climate crisis, housing crisis, need for pushing back on Trump internment camps/border policy/ICE, or the much larger spate of critical, concrete issues that require concerted effort and organizing? (Not to mention education funding, reparations, labor protections, etc. etc.).
I hate to say it, but this sort of quiz - like much of the fluff asked at the debates - presumes Americans haven't done any policy research, don't care, and aren't really expected to engage. Needless to say, it is infuriating when the press - the 4th estate! - strips any sense of reader/citizen/constituent agency from their game-ification of electoral politics.
1
The binary approach of this quiz is just wrong. Most of the answers I would prefer — and I think most of the public and most of the candidates — fall between the extremes offered. And the result? Well, my preferred candidate (Warren) came second in my result; top was Sanders, which is not absurd; but third was Steyer, which IS absurd, to me. And no, taking the test again (as suggested!) is a terrible idea; it's an invitation to cheat. The Times should rethink this.
5
That was fun. Thanks. Every question my answer was either "yes, but--" or "no, but--" which was frustrating but predictable. I think you'd need about a thousand questions and follow-ups to reach a definitive choice. I'll work for and vote for whoever ends up as the nominee. The stakes are too bloody high to give that orange comb-over another four years.
3
I’m 81. I see myself & friends failing. I don’t want someone well over 70 to be President! I want someone who can be there for at least 2 terms or won’t die of heart failure in the first term.
I also reject Mayor Pete. He’s smart & well spoken but he doesn’t have the experience.
I like Amy. She’s smart, experienced and has a very good record in the senate for getting things done
1
Terrible graphics. Really poorly conceived.
2
@Oriel you mean you didn't like the hanging chad? personally, i found it funny despite the association to 2000.
This is a really poor effort guys. Too few questions, most badly framed and no way to rank importance of anything. Similar to the WSJ's lame quiz, but somehow even worse. There are many, many better resources out there for people struggling to land on their top candidate. If you're not going to go to the effort to do this for real, why not point people to one of those? Here is what a useful survey of this type looks like:
https://www.isidewith.com/elections/2020-presidential-quiz
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@Sam
What a great survey! Thanks for the link.
1
@Sam agreed. that quiz is much more nuanced than either the NYT or WaPo's quizzes. my former #1 on the other two has fallen to #5, my #2 to #1, and my #3 on WaPo to #2. a dark horse on both the others rose to #3.
No questions on climate change?!
I'm in California so the likelihood of Trump carrying our state is about as remote as the Senate actually removing him from office. I need to help elect someone who will appeal to purple Colorado or Ohio.
Warren and Sanders are closer to my actual views but when I want a candidate those states will vote for I think only Klobuchar fits the bill.
Even though the answers I gave indicated I agreed with Bernie more, I'm not going to vote for him. He's too much of a loose cannon. If Trump has taught me anything it is that we must have a strong, stable and experienced hand on the till. Neophytes need not apply. We have one in the White House and we may never get him out. Biden is the only logical choice in my mind.
I wish I could have had a don't care or N/A for each item as a standard because there were a few questions that I would have liked to answer that way.
1
I think if Biden gets the nomination, he wins the election- because he is more unifying than divisive, he may win over some disgruntled Republicans, attract some Independents that voted the other way last time, and finally there are many folks out there that would beat a path to the polls to defeat Sanders or Warren, but might just stay home rather than cast a vote for Trump vs. Biden. Democrats turnout should be good regardless of who is nominated- the unifying theme being to beat Trump- but the turnout will still be less than either of Obama's.
Of course this test forced a Yes/No response and it is fascinating to realize my own candidate choice is NOT based on policy, but much more on debates and interviews. BELIEF in candidate's ability to get things done and to unite America is important to me. Repairing our international relations is high on my criteria list as is Senate experience. I believe all our candidates will work on climate issues, healthcare and taxation on the rich.
My ticket preferences would be Warren and Booker. There must be a woman on the ticket. If it becomes Biden, then it must be Amy or Warren.
I will vote a straight Democrat ticket regardless. And I thought the test was very thought provoking.
1
My results were no surprise--nine out of ten for Sanders. Here is the crux of the matter, the illogic about which Sanders keeps expressing frustration: "...lion of the liberal left and a champion of the working class, pushing for agenda items that have now become standard in the Democratic Party..." Even within that sentence itself, the contradiction is evident: "working class" (read--a majority of the citizenry) but "champion" only "in the Democratic Party." Sanders' point: Something cannot remain "liberal left" if a majority of the citizenry see his "agenda items" as championing it. A majority is the norm, not leftist!
No question on the climate crisis? This is the defining question of our age, yet is ignored here is favor of the age of the president, their race/gender, and getting money from wealthy donors. Tell me how that is more important than saving the planet!
1
Theory and Philosophy are wonderful, but practical reality is far more important. The only person who can attract enough votes from Independents, moderate Republicans, disenfranchised Democrats, and disinterested Millennials to beat Trump in key (i.e populous) swing states like Ohio, PA, FL, VA and Michigan (and perhaps even claim GA or AZ) is Michael Bloomberg. And his view of improving health care instead of replacing it with Medicare for All is critical to that. Much as the hierarchy of the Democratic party pushed Sanders and James Webb out of the way (for all the wrong reasons) for Hillary in 2016, they need to unite quickly for the right reason -- beating Trump -- behind Mr. Bloomberg now. The other candidates make some great arguments on individual issues, but they have no chance against what will be, post failed impeachment, a wildly energized Trump base taking advantage of the flawed Electoral College process. Biden in particular needs to see that he's become too entangled in the impeachment process (even if it isn't his fault) to win, Bernie needs to admit he's too old and too radical, and both need to step aside for the good of the party and the country and support Mr. Bloomberg. Although for more general reasons, Warren, Pete B, Amy K and Steyer all need to step aside as well. Under Bloomberg, Amy K would make a great VP and Warren a great Secretary of State. Let them serve there and aspire to the Oval office down the road after Trump is just a bad memory.
You are reading my mind!
Turning America toward the VA hospital plan which is really what the Sanders/ Warren plan is, a single payer system that looks horrific to me. The largest single payer system in America has wallowed in the pit of despair for years. Waste fraud and abuse that provided poor care for years for Veterans who need lots of medical services.
Had Sanders not just thrown heaps of cash at the VA instead of righting all its wrongs. I may believe that an octogenarian who 's only other accomplishment is renaming the 05828 post office pop 338. can effect real change but the only thing Bernie will be changing in the next four years is his adult diapers. The VA is still a mess we are far from the best at providing state of the art single payer medical treatment to our Veterans. If this test bed is a failure imagine what kind of clustertruck will become of America's medical system under their regime.
It's like the brain trust from Vermont replacing the light bulb at the DMV that signaled an open computer operator, they instead replaced the bulb with a greeter and a computer operator to tell you when the next available computer operator was available.
I was matched with 3 candidates. Perhaps asking only 10 yes/no questions isn't sufficient. Are there other issues where the candidates differ? Is there any daylight between them on the following issues?
- abortion
- gun control
- climate change
- federal minimum wage (how much should it be raised?)
To many of the questions can't properly be answered with just the binary yes-no answer. There's also the "How strongly do you feel about it?" aspect.
1
This quiz is skewed against Sanders. The question are phrased in a way to push you to choose anyone other than Sanders.
This seems rather light on issues and heavy on other factors. Not the best way to pick a presidential candidate.
I see a problem with your survey: You are asking me about ideals. The next president will be faced with realities. Too few people with too much money, too many people without a home or a job or healthcare. Too many people who are afraid to go to work and their children to school because of backward thinking about immigrants. Number one for the next president will be helping ALL of us feel safe.
746
@Rivercity I had the same reaction--I hope the ideals I expressed in the survey come to pass in my lifetime, but I am leaning toward Klobuchar in the hope that we can elect a moderate who is not Biden who will turn our ship of state around and point us in the right direction as we heal and prepare for even more "revolutionary" restructuring in the years to come.
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@Rivercity And that means we must vote trump out!
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@Rivercity How do you deal with reality without ideals? There's got to be a starting point, something to orient you in decision making. Someone with no ideals comes really close to describing Trump.
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This quiz said I would choose Biden.
But actually I think Biden is a terrible candidate.
Yes, I appreciate the fact that he is willing to work with Republicans. Yes, I prefer moving slow on health care. Yes, I oppose a wealth tax, which would get stuck on arguments of its constitutionality.
But what I dislike about Biden is his constant changing of position. For example, he was willing to go along with Republicans on laws that went "tough on crime."
The result is a per capita incarceration rate that is 14 times that of Japan!
And then there is the issue of Hunter Biden. I find it appalling that Democrats don't see Hunter Biden's accepting a job with a Ukrainian energy firm as near the line of corruption.
Make no mistake. If Biden is the Democratic candidate, Hunter Biden's job will be front and center in the coming campaign.
For these reasons, I support Bloomberg for president at this time. The support is only provisional. I am interested in hearing more about his positions.
The other six candidates in the list have marched too far to the left.
Sanders is the only candidate who has a chance of beating Trump. Rallying the working class to turn out and vote similar to Obama's election numbers in 2008 is the only way to beat the rigged electoral college system.
End super pacs.
End billion dollar lobbying.
Eliminate the electoral college.
The age question is poorly worded. It should be, is a candidate who will turn 80 during the first term too old to be president?
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In a multi-objective decision making scheme, you have to answer three questions; 1. How important is the criterion? 2. What do you prefer? and 3. Which candidate does relatively better on each criterion. This test implicitly provides #3, but it combines #1 and #2. For example, I might prefer single payer, but believe it's a moot point considering Obamacare is barely hanging on. It's been noted that climate change is very important to some and missing from the test altogether. What is important to us is can count more than our slight or moderate preference on a subject. Lastly, experts say after you see the results, take the test again. After all it's your decision. I found one candidate that did much better than I would've thought. Maybe worth another look if my fave does't make it in the top 2 or 3.
I wouldn't say the questions are loaded but they do immediately bring specific candidates to mind as you read them, and that leads plenty of space for unconscious bias. Regardless the answers I provided did return my preferred candidate so there is some gravitas to this.
I'm not sure a hard Yes or No is very good on your bipartisan health because I guarantee most Americans have very down-the-middle and "gray area" responses.
You left off the ten most important questions:
1. Who is most likely to defeat Donald Trump
2. Who is most likely to defeat Donald Trump....
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It’s called a “quick quiz” for a reason: it’s a quick quiz, not the be-all, end-all. That said, I came out with Pete #1 and Amy #2 which is exactly who I’ve been supporting. I’d like to see Pete as the nominee with Amy as his running mate...or vice-versa.
1
Funny because I like Amy, Andrew, and Bernie above all. And I think Joe would be a problem. Maybe because what I want is not based so much on policy but more on trust, likability and plain speaking. And someone that will win.
My answers to the quiz had me end up with only one choice
that I would vote for. And that was Bernie.
Bernie as president would be a dream come true. And Amy and Andrew would also be great for winning, and promoting a beautiful vision of our future. Let's see what happens in Iowa and New Hampshire. That will determine the path forward. Changing one billionaire that thinks he can save us with another would be the worse thing that could happen to our democracy.
These questions funnelled me towards Biden - who I would happily support, but is not my first choice. I felt like this was a weird frame for choosing a candidate. Not really focused on the issues and ideology that are driving my preference (Warren). I prefer Senator Warren, but not for the critieria here.
Several of the questions aren't simple Yes/No types, but instead I could easily respond "that issue isn't important to me." Thus the survey isn't really valid because it allows for no gray area and disregards other important factors.
1
I tracked most closely with Elizabeth Warren. I wish, however, that some of the questions were not presented as simple yes/no options. My choice may have been different in that case.
I was matched to Warren. I would have liked to match answers on gun control and climate change also. Those are two areas I see as important to me. Universal healthcare and free higher education should be available to all. There are smart individuals in every socioeconomic state and allowing all to contribute only strengthens our country!
Unsubtle questions. For instance, while I want universal health coverage, I do not want to ban additional private insurance. Not a quiz option.
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This article's premise is dangerously shallow and the specific questions are frighteningly bad. The implication that one can or should correlate how one votes to 10 yes/no questions is an insult to voters. No questions on national security, nothing about experience or ability to get something done as opposed to expressing political fantasies. Instead, useless questions like whether Trump's election was anomaly. How can the newpaper that published those helpful in-depth interviews with the candidates also publish this potentially harmful garbage?
Interesting 'quiz.' It almost got my choice right. Guess I wasn't clear on my candidate's view of billion dollar fortunes and Supreme Court justices. I thought, based on media branding her a 'radical,' that I'd chosen her positions on those things, but she's more moderate than that! Good. Fine with me. Happy to be mistaken. The candidate choice that the quiz indicated for me is definitely NOT my choice. Win with Warren!!!
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Well my test results are Pete with Amy then Andrew and that’s how I’m leaning. Listening to Pete calms me and I like Amy too. I understand how the Iowa voters feel about getting their vote correct to beat Trump, our Democracy depends on it.
1
Surveys like this are as polarizing within the subset of Democratic supporters as current American political rhetoric is within the country. By asking only black and white, yes or no questions, the New York Times becomes part of the problem. Truth is where the subtlety lies. It isn’t easy. It isn’t clean or simple. Add a little room for nuance, please, and your survey might yield some actual insight.
“Is someone in their 70s too old to be president?” My answer was YES, then the NYT’s top for me is Joe Biden. What??
There was no “As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, it was ok to bully Anita Hill and treat Clarence Thomas with kid gloves, this paving the way to a lifetime appointment for one of the most reprehensible Supreme Court candidates at least until Brett Kavanaugh came along.”
I don’t recall answering yes to THAT question, which would explain being matched up with Joe Biden.
I really don’t like these “pollster questions” because they allow no room for nuance. That said, I support Warren because I think she’ll make an effort to work across the aisle but will limit that effort if there is no reciprocity. I also think she knows the machinery of government better than most and knows which buttons to push and levers to pull to get necessary reform of the financial system without breaking it. I like Bernie, but expect that he would have a hard time working with others and would not get as much done as he’d like to.
I'm matched with Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren. Those are two candidates I could vote for. I'm leaning towards Steyer now for the primary , he has a clean record and hasn't harmed my people thru legislation, policy or law as others have. I also like Elizabeth Warren the brainchild of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which has helped millions of Americans. I am very comfortable voting for either.
According to this poll, I agree with Biden, Sanders, Steyer and Warren. However, I am voting for Andrew Yang because I want the $1,000 mothly Freedom Dividend he is supporting. I think it would boost the economy and help Americans get out of credit card and student loan debt.
The way some of the questions are written make them difficult to answer as yes or no. They are quite skewed and not representative of my thinking. Frankly, I found them somewhat biased.
The candidates who came up are not necessarily the candidates who will get my vote. As a Democrat, I will decide who has the best chance to beat Donald Trump. I will vote for any of those running if I think he or she has the best chance of winning. This is the first election in my 73 years where there was one criterion that trumped (pun intended) all others.
@VKG Serious question: how do you know who will have the best chance to beat Trump? Do you think your skills as a political pundit are more valuable than your opinions as a voting citizen?
The primary is the one time we get to vote from our hearts. It’s valuable that we do so because this is the only way the party knows where we actually are in terms of our priorities and stance on the issues. As for second-guessing the behavior of everyone else: leave that for the party bosses. (Spoiler alert: the nomination process is not perfectly democratic. They even admitted this in a court of law.)
Come November we’ll have to vote for whoever the DNC gives us. Don’t blow your one chance to tell them what you really think the party should stand for.
Got Bloomberg which is interesting. Otherwise it seemed fairly in line with my preferences. I do think some of the questions could not be simple yes or no. For example the Medicare for All one. I have no fealty whatsoever to our terrible private insurance system yet I do worry Medicare for All takes away too much choice. No simple answer on that one.
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Missing Question:
Which factors are more important to you: the candidate's platform, policy, solutions to emergent problems or his race and age?
Any quiz like this needs to weight answers by importance to the voter. A lot of the questions weren't even relevant to anything really. Should work with Republicans? If there were any rational Republicans left, that question might be interesting, but as Republicans won't work with any Democratic president is somewhat moot.
The Quiz hit my choices exactly. 2020 is an election the Democrats must win... so, as far as I'm concerned, you cannot bother flirting with "idealistic" candidates. Proven competence plus the ability to beat Trump is all that matters.
A Biden-Klobuchar ticket is acceptable to the vast majority of Dems. However, a great deal of money will be required to beat Trump and his staunch, wealthy interest groups who couldn't care less about fossil fuels, clean water/air and Climate Change. This is where Bloomberg comes in. A Bloomberg-Klobuchar ticket may be the best choice to beat Trump and his allies.
This quiz is a farce compared to the Washington Post's. It was imperfect, but it at least provided some nuance. This is a blunt instrument at best.
I don't care who the Democratic nominee is, I really don't. My vote in 2020 is strictly anti-Trump. Can't wait for November.
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Why do I think this is rigged to not display just Sanders? The questions are poorly worded. Do I think Trump's an anomaly? Not in the sense that neocapitalism made him inevitable, but I do think he is unlike any prior president.
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@Alex I also felt it was a curious toy compared to the Washington Post Dem candidate match tool that asked 20 deep issue drill down questions. When I completed it--bingo--my candidates for 1,2,3 were spot on. This one was a joke.
I took a NYTimes quiz a few weeks ago on what candidate I align with. It gave me the same top 2 candidates, but a completely different ranking of the lower 6.
I think the presidency should NOT be about one person but a bunch of the most brilliant minds, like the founding fathers of the United States (what about mothers???) to make heavy weight decision concerning gun control, climate change and putting an end to homelessness and poverty.
Is someone in their 70's too old to be president?
Wrong question! Should someone who would be older than their life expectancy be president, is the correct question!
Male USA life expectancy is 76.2
Female USA life expectancy is 81.1
Elizabeth Warren is just 70, is mentally and is mentally sharp and sprinting around. She would be 71-78 through two terms. Well within her life expectancy. I am fine with this.
Joe Biden is 77, not sharp, often blundering and insulting people the party needs. He would be 78-85 for two terms. In other words he would be STARTING the presidency past his age of life expectancy. I have a problem with this. I want a TWO TERM president.
Sanders is 78, also past his life expectancy, and just had a heart attack. He would be 83-86 in his second term!!! If you want a two term president you need to consider this!
As usual, the only person asked about age in the debate, was Warren.
I want the candidate who is realistic about what we’re facing in the Republican party. This isn’t a blip. It’s the strategy going forward. All of these political lackeys are going to try to be “Trump lite” next election because that brand is going to sell to the Republican base. And they’re going to act victimized and cause their base to fear good change in this country. This is our one chance to root out corruption and that’s why I’ll be caucusing for Elizabeth Warren.
I wish there were more policy positions on this quiz.
I think the presidency should be about one person but a bunch of the most brilliant minds, like the founding fathers of the United States (what about mothers???) to make heavy weight decision concerning gun control, climate change and putting an end to homelessness and poverty.
What about climate change - by far the biggest issue facing humankind, and the most important issue on my mind. The candidate you said is the best match for me is the one who is weakest on climate change.
1
There should have been a third optional answer, "not important".
I specifically avoid politics on Facebook to avoid trash surveys like this. This is absolute garbage, but completely in keeping with the media’s coverage in general. One of the questions is completely worded wrong to the point of disinformation. Replacing private insurance is different than replacing the “health care system”. Purposely confusing the two is a specific admitted propaganda strategy of the health insurance companies themselves. The other questions are little better. Please take it down and rewrite this, or scrap it all together.
How could there not be a question about climate change?
Not a syllable about climate crisis??
What an incredibly flawed set of questions. The lack of a "Not important" for each choice, plus the very narrow "hot button only" nature of the questions makes a an exercise in idiocy.
Where's John Delaney?
Love the hanging chads!
I continue to be surprised by our diversity of opinion. Not sure why. : ) Some things I think are critical are of less importance to another person, and so on. But I would never agree that our reality is relative. We may experience our world from different perspectives, but we do share the same world. Working passed the differences in pursuit of true social progress will be the legacy of a great and future leader. That may not become visible except in hindsight.
Like all such quizzes, this one forces yes/no answers to issues that can be more nuanced. For example, if I would like to see government run Universal Health Care at some point, but not necessarily tomorrow, I am forced to decide between those who do or don't support it - period.
I think this quiz is a great idea. How accurate it is I don't know. But there should be a "I don't care option" for each question since there are some questions in which I didn't feel strongly one way or the other, so I more or less picked a choice at random.
All of the results that I picked made ALL of the candidates too right wing,which goes to show that NO candidate is perfect AND all of them have to work with a Congress that can be much more Progressive.
It is the Congress that will shape the President and can move them to the left. Many people forget that, which is why down ballot choices (especially in off year elections) are crucially important.
Please remember that.
1
The problem with a quiz like this is that the answers are yes or no. Most of my views were between the yes or no answer. For example, on health care I believe we should eventually have a one payer system, but I also believe the country is not ready for that yet. I just want to defeat Donald Trump and then go on to make America much better for everyone.
Not bad, it came up with my favorite (Warren) and sort of surprised me with Bloomberg and Steyer in the top 4.
I feel several of the questions are too black-and-white, a number of the issues involved aren't 100% yes-or-no, so I actually felt a bit uncomfortable checking one of those two limited options.
Poorly designed test! Can you put a little effort into it?
2
I got Biden. But the age question should be "Is someone in their 80s too old to be President", not 70s.
Biden is 77 now, which means he would be 80 by the middle of his 2nd term. While I have enormous respect for octogenarians who are in good health, the odds are just too high for major health problems or death once you hit 80. Especially for men.
Ok, so I align with Biden according to this questionnaire. Which is fine, because he may be my 2nd choice when I caucus in a few days. I say “may” because I have changed my mind several times already. My only certainty at this point, will be to caucus for Pete, initially. My expectations for him becoming the nominee, are not too high, at this point in time. He is truly a diamond in the rough. He has the makings for being a stellar commander in chief. I would very much like to see him in the administration for our next democratic president. Allow him to hone his political chops, and then I can see him as being one of our greatest presidents.
I hate to be overly critical. But, as a news organization, I assume you expect this quiz to be taken somewhat seriously and guide your readers. The poll suggested I should vote for Bloomberg, who is maybe the last Dem candidate I'd consider voting for. Your poll highlights a concerning trend in the Democratic party in general: there is no nuance. I don't despise billion dollar fortunes, but they should be taxed. I think federal dollars for free tuition should be concentrated on American students who most need the financial assistance to even educational access and opportunity gaps. I think healthcare needs to be more affordable, more comprehensive, and universally accessible; but in this election, our candidates need to be more politically realistic about what a Republican-controlled Senate (guarantee it) will pass. I'm afraid hard-line, inflexible positions will result in no real legislation getting passed. But do I think Bernie or Liz have the most courage and greatest vision for America's future? Yes. So where does that leave me? I don't know, but not with Bloomberg.
1
Senator Warren was the winner in my quiz; however, I will gladly vote for whichever Democrat becomes the party's candidate. I will not get into a snit if my personal favorite isn't chosen and I will not write in my own choice or vote for some other party's candidate in spite. In other words, I WILL NOT VOTE AGAINST MY INTERESTS AND AMERICA by splitting the Democratic vote.
1
This widget is really awful. Where’s the “I don’t care” option? I don’t care if the candidate is historic in their race/gender/orientation. I don’t have strong feelings about them taking big money from donors.
I do have strong feelings in favor of Medicare for all as an ultimate goal but I also have strong feelings that it should be implemented very carefully. I‘d happily settle for a public option this cycle.
There’s no nuance in this thing. I already know my ideals are most closely aligned with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. That doesn’t automatically make them the best candidates when you also consider electability, winning back the purple senate seats, and actually implementing a more progressive agenda.
1
Such fun!! I matched with Biden, but would never vote for him. Rather, Mayor Pete is my #1.
Regardless, sorry to say: none of them can beat Trump.
1
Environment and a Nationwide mind reset. Bernie for me
I just want someone who is most likely to beat Trump. I fear for our democracy if we have four more years.
What skewed questions. "Do you want x" is not the same as "would you accept x" mean two different things. And wanting "x" doesn't have to mean everyone else has to have "x" also. I want a candidate who represents my values, and those values include equality. Fixing healthcare and infrastructure and education and addressing climate change (!) doesn't have to mean one size fits all. Do I want someone besides a straight, white, christian male just for the sake of making history? No, but it would be fine with me to have one. Do I want affordable healthcare and education? Yes, but that doesn't have to mean total elimination of private insurance or free tuition. What weirdly worded questions, nytimes.
Biden was my result and he's who I planned on endorsing as the Democratic nominee in the primary from the beginning.
It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is NEVER TRUMP.
While it is true that this obstructionist Senate will likely be where big progressive policies from the Sanders or Warren platform will go to die, those who think that Mitch McConnell and other Republicans will work with a Biden, Klobuchar, or Buttigieg are similarly kidding themselves.
If little will actually be achieved either way, I would rather stand by a candidate who is looking for radical change than one looking to work within systems that have historically disenfranchised so many Americans and who just wants to go back to the civility.
1
I did this and got two candidates I would never vote for. The yes no answers are silly. They should have you rank them.
The quiz is lacking a key, and very important part of selecting a candidate, foreign policy. Given the challenges worldwide that are paramount to America's future, why would the Times not include and questions regarding foreign policy?
The DNC and news media seem to be working hard to make sure the primary system is muddled, as we hear "gotcha" questions and "What do you think about what so-and-so said about you" questions. Where are the serious debates on the issues, where candidates can lay out their reasoning for their positions? So far, it has been a "display case" consisting of a stage full of candidates, and we are made to feel like we may only choose the lesser evil. This is not an intelligent process. Put the debates back into the hands of the League of Women Voters, so we can have useful debates and make useful judgements.
1
"Do you want a nominee who would make history based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion?"
This would be fine, but it is NOT a YES/NO answer for me.... and where I STOPPED answering this questionnaire.
2
I changed one answer - do you want the candidate to break new ground in gender, sexual orientation, or religion - and didn't get Bernie this time.
He's a Jew. That's new ground according to your own definition. He's also secular. More new ground.
Plus your description of him continues the trope that somehow it was bad that he ran against Hillary. That he divided the party. Yes, democracy can be a troublesome thing especially when people you don't much approve of get votes and attract loyal supporters it seems.
Examine your reasoning. It's flawed.
Bernie Sanders was my final choice. He is in for All Americans, and that is why we need. NYT comments that Europe has a socialism that's linked to communist. We in the US have a socialism that's linked to the WEALTHY only; this means that most benefits of this booming economy go to the rich, instead of all of us.
2017 tax cuts, 2008 banks bailouts, 2019-2020 REPO (another form of banks bailouts by the Federal Reserve), are all social programs benefiting the rich (corporations,...). Why aren't we bailing out citizens instead? Because this is the Capitalism Socialism that the rich are afraid of to be annihilated. It will; soon.
Bernie is for universal healthcare. Our healthcare cost is a disaster; millions can't afford it - most of our income goes to hospitals and insurances, other bankrupt and die because of the costs. We must make radical changes in this country!
Bernie is not pro abortion as many indicate. He is for FREEDOM OF CHOICE! We, men, can't dictate women what to do with their bodies! They have to make their own decisions. It's between them and GOD!
Universities make business on the back of students that have $1.6Trillion in debt. This is just crazy. The debt must be cancelled!
Bernie is the only candidate to care for us! Donald Trump disappointed me; I pay more taxes after 2017 tax cuts (rich pay less). I still don't have the best healthcare (as Trump bragged about). He is a liar!
Bernie, with us, The People, will bring needed radical changes!
I don't have a dog in this fight (although who gets elected as POTUS is of huge significance to every nation in the world); but I just wanted to say that I admire the wit of whoever thought of using hanging chads to register votes!
These are very leading questions... There should be a "do not care" option.
"Unhappy with your results? Feel free to take this quiz again."
Please make this feature available in the event that I am unhappy with the results of the November election.
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@AB Excellent ! Me too.
Stopped at question 5. Sex, race, etc. Don't care wasn't a choice.. wouldn't let me move on.
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The hanging chads again!
It's no wonder my result was a shock.
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Your read my mind. Bernie Sanders 2020!
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What were Tulsi Gabbard's responses and how did I match up with hers?
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Guess what? I the candidate I align with (Warren) is the candidate I support. No surprise. However I do believe Trump's election was an anomaly which is likely to repeat because voting systems are not secure. I believe the last election was manipulated. Unless all venues move to paper ballots which are hand-counted and monitored, it will happen again.
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@Convince Me Totally agree. We apparently get hacked every day in all kinds of ways. Credit cards, bank accounts, email accounts, passwords and so much more. During the W Bush era the company that sold most of the voting machines was owned by the Ohio Chair of his campaign. This was barely a blip on the radar. Russians, etc. Even the U.S. mail being stolen from numerous mailboxes in my community during the season where tax documents are being mailed. Let's face it the average voter is no match for these forces. Though there will be arguments that a paper system is too inconvenient, too difficult to implement, so is preserving our democracy. This is much bigger than we think and we never hear much about it.
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@Convince Me Not to mention the electoral college.
@Contingnent These are two different types of problems. One is technological and thus I think more easily solved. I'd definitely start with that one first. It's in the hands of people at the local level to change that. The hard part is educating and mobilizing them to do so. And of course going after abuses in any system.
I'm not against the electoral college change but that's a different more complex process.
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