Unsure on Which Candidate to Support? Introducing Isidewith.com

I happen to spend more time thinking and writing about politics than the average American, so maybe a web tool which matches up candidate positions with one's answers to nuanced (ie not just yes/no) survey questions is more titillating to me than it would be to most. However, I think that just about anyone who reads this post will find the fantastic candidate picker tool at www.isidewith.com both useful and interesting. I also think that any American who plans to vote should at least take a few minutes to benefit from its value.

In addition to seeing which candidate mirrors one's positions most closely based on both position and relative importance of topic, there is also a wealth of information on who the masses in the states and from various entry websites matched up with most closely. There are also comparisons of the candidates themselves, as well as a blog outlining candidate differences on various hot buttons. There is even an interview with Jimmy McMillon, aka the founder of the Rent is Too Damn High Party. It doesn't get much more Friday Funday than that, at least not on Blawgconomics...

Changing gears slightly, though I have not done anything close to an exhaustive or scientific data mining of the wealth of information available on the site, it was striking how many people seem to line up with also-rans Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, representing the Libertarians and the Greens, respectively. Maybe this provides support for our oft-stated proposition that more inclusion of parties in the political process would benefit America? Maybe that is too much of a logical leap, but it is food for thought nonetheless.

While I don't often shill for other sites (or apparently even my own if my lack of income from this endeavour is any indication) I do think that isidewith.com is something readers might want to consider donating to, if for no other reason than allowing the creators of the site to push forward with promised legislator-related resources. In any case, readers should visit the site. It should prove to be an interesting, informative and even patriotic way to spend some time on a Friday, even if your employer might not see it that way...