Is select smart some kind of scam?

[yesthattom]

I mean... do they collect this information and sell it to campaigns?

2008 President Selector http://selectsmart.com/president/2008.html Rankings:

1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100 %)
2. Dennis Kucinich (79 %)
3. Barack Obama (77 %)
4. Alan Augustson (campaign suspended) (72 %)
5. Joseph Biden (72 %)
6. Hillary Clinton (70 %)
7. Christopher Dodd (68 %)
8. Wesley Clark (not running, endorsed Clinton) (67 %)
9. John Edwards (67 %)
10. Al Gore (not announced) (65 %)
11. Michael Bloomberg (says he will not run) (61 %)
12. Mike Gravel (58 %)
13. Bill Richardson (56 %)
14. Ron Paul (43 %)
15. Elaine Brown (42 %)
16. Kent McManigal (campaign suspended) (40 %)
17. Mike Huckabee (30 %)
18. Rudolph Giuliani (28 %)
19. John McCain (23 %)
20. Tommy Thompson (withdrawn, endorsed Giuliani) (22 %)
21. Alan Keyes (20 %)
22. Mitt Romney (16 %)
23. Tom Tancredo (14 %)
24. Chuck Hagel (not running) (13 %)
25. Fred Thompson (12 %)
26. Sam Brownback (withdrawn, endorsed McCain) (12 %)
27. Newt Gingrich (says he will not run) (10 %)
28. Duncan Hunter (10 %)
29. Jim Gilmore (withdrawn) (9 %)
30. Stephen Colbert (campaign ended) (2 %)

Comments

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

I had Kucinich and Obama as #1 and #2, too. Funny considering I think Kucinich is a kook and I sort of see Obama and Clinton as one entity (and that entity is called "Democratic candidates I can't muster a single ounce of interest in"). Now that I think about it, there really isn't a single candidate in the entire list I can muster a single ounce of interest in, so maybe singling out the front runners is unfair.

[mrfantasy.livejournal.com]

The flaw is that they're only matching your "issues" to the candidate's "issues", and not discussing the intangible qualities of leadership. Just because Kucinich and I agree on a lot of things doesn't mean I think he has the skills to actually make any of it happen.

A test based on actual leadership, governmental, and organizational skills would be a much more difficult one to create, both to get your opinions and to try and figure out how any of these candidates will do being actual president.

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

I don't tend to agree with Kucinich on issues in real life. I think the prioritization was broken somehow.

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

If they sell it, it wouldn't be for much. Sociology 101 tells us that self-selected (pull mode) poll data is not very good; professionally done random-call surveys (push mode) is much better data, and you can bet campaign managers know that.

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

i mean they would sell your name and how you felt on certain issues.

Eight years ago Bush mastered "microtargetting". You would get a flyer in the mail saying Bush is just like you, his #1 issue is gun control. You next door neighbor would get a flyer that said Bush is just like you, his #1 issue is stopping abortion.

Previously each state got a single flyer based on some "average opinion". That's like saying "half of our customers like hot tea, the other half like iced tea; so we'll sell them luke-warm tea." Microtargetting fixes that problem.

Tom

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I didn't like having to dodge through all those ads in order to get my results.

[seasings.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I got Augustson first. (Whozat?) Then Kucinich and Obama. I didn't think I liked Obama that much -- or that he was very close to Kucinich.