Often a question is asked regarding Presidential Candidates in various surveys as a guage of popularity: Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?
How dumb. First of all, what if you don’t drink beer? What if the candidate doesn’t drink beer? The main point of the question is, “Which candidate do you think is a better person that you can relate to?”
Thinking about this, it seems there are some better tests than beer drinking:
These tests would measure your views of a candidate’s trustworthiness, service-attitude, and courage and would be more important than merely having a beer.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Not that you asked, but here are my responses considering the folks pictured at left:
1. Any, but Huck’s probably my first choice. Not only do I trust him, but he’d probably tell her some great stories that would stick with her a while.
2. This one is my favorite of your questions. I’ll to with T Paw, Jindal, Palin.
3. None of the above.
4. Jeb, Mitt, and Sanford.
I’m not sure I’m any closer to picking my candidate, but I’m all for replacing the “beer test” with the “used car salesman test”.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:33 am
1. Any of the major candidates
2. Most of them, but especially Mrs. Palin
3. Silly question, but I guess Mr. Pawlenty, Mr. Huckabee and Mrs. Palin to name a few.
4. Mr. Tompson, Mrs. Palin, She shoots Moose, Mr. McCain, he survived Viet Nam, Mr. Romney, he seems like a no non-sense guy.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:46 am
I also don’t think the question is appropriate. As an LDS who wouldn’t drink a drop of alcohol if offered a million bucks, and as one supporting Romney, who wouldn’t drink at all, I kinda resent the question, but understand people just assume that nearly everybody drinks a beer.
As far as your questions, I think the only one we really need to ask ourselves is “Which person would I rather have as the leader of our nation and who would be the best person as the most powerful man/woman in the world”.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:48 am
1. Palin or Huckabee
2. Jindal
3. Seriously? We’re talking about politicians here. The Brass Ring and all of that….
4. Palin. She’s easily the best shooter of the bunch.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:49 am
ILguy, that’s the question people SHOULD ask themselves, but not the one they WILL ask themselves.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:51 am
With respect, I’m not sure how apt any of these questions are. Focusing on this type of stuff, instead of finding the candidate who can best solve our nation’s challenges, is nothing more than a diversion, and one that will lead us right back to where we are now, with the same problems.
I don’t want a babysitter or a car salesman or window washer to be president. I hire those people to do a specific task. It seems that we should treat the presidency the same way.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I am not a drinker myself, (I have survived two accients, one where the guy who hit me was high and the other where the guy who hit me was drunk) but even if I were, I do not think the best drinker should be President. Illinoisguy makes a fair point that the best leader should be President. However, being a Partisan, I do want a President which I can agree with most of their policy positions.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:10 am
First of all, people do vote on the beer issue and I’m somewhat tweaking that proposition here. (When they outlaw humor, only outlaws will laugh.) So, please don’t take this horribly seriously. I’m merely making the point that this is far more relevant than the beer question.
Secondly, I think that as the job of the presidency is about service, it’s about honesty, trustworthiness, and courage. The issue of a servant’s attitude in my mind is the reason behind question 3. I don’t think politics is ideally about the brass ring, but it’s about serving others.
We have far too many politicians for whom the brass ring is what it’s all about.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Of course Ohio, I agree. When I say they are ‘best leader’, to me that implies that they are best at leading the nation and world in the paths I agree with. I should have made that more clear perhaps.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Babysit – Jindal (Brains)
Used Car – Romney, as I would enjoy the argument
Washing my car – Mark Sanford (would be the most economical
Armed gang – Sarah Palin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdFVdt0fxlU
November 17th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Great youtube video. That is one reason we admire her. Only a fool would mess with America led by President Palin.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:56 am
My questions in no particular order:
1. Which candidate has the strength of character necessary, and an unquestioned commitment to the highest moral and ethical standards in his public and personal life?
2. Which candidate would you most like to see dealing with international problems on the horizon?
3. Which candidate do you believe has the best qualifications for dealing with an economy in turmoil?
4. Which candidate has demonstrated an intellectual understanding of the most important issues, and has a coherent policy to move forward on those issues?
5. Which candidate has a commitment to an an ability to articulate traditional conservative principles and has demonstrated it with an actual record?
The questions I would not ask:
1. Which person do I relate to?
2. Which person shares my religious faith?
3. Which person is just an average Joe like me?
November 17th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Adam, this post seems to be designed to move the conversation away from actual qualifications, to the Joe Sixpack ideology which helps both of your favorites — Palin and Huck.
BTW – Did you see the dirt Huck dished in his new book? Shocker, he goes after Romney. He also has this little tidbit, proving that he really did believe he had a RIGHT FROM GOD to get every religious leader’s endorsment:
Huckabee speaks to Hagee by phone before the McCain endorsement, while the former Arkansas governor is preparing for a spot on Saturday Night Live. “I asked if he had prayed about this and believed this was what the Lord wanted him to do,” Huckabee writes of his conversation with Hagee. “I didn’t get a straight answer.”
I think it’s now obvious that Huckabee has even less a shot at the 2012 nomination than he did in 2008. I think he’s going to milk Huck’s Army for all it’s worth, but I think he knows the score.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am
You pose good questions Martha M, but I give Mrs. Palin high marks on at least a few of your question.
1. Most of our leading candidates have strong ethic.
2. None of our candidates are close to perfect on International Affairs; Mrs. Palin may not be quite as up on some issues as the other candidates, but she is on the right side of the issues. Furthermore, what country in their right mind will go against a Moose Hunter.
3. Yes, your candidate is good on most economic issues, but so is Mrs. Palin; low taxes and Energy Independence.
4. This is a matter of opinion, but I think Mrs. Palin is in the running even if she does not quite lead the pack on this question.
5. Mr. Palin may or may not be able to articulate Conservatism, but apart from maybe Mr. Jindal (who is even younger than Mrs. Palin) nobody is more Conservative than Mrs. Palin. To be sure, the other candidates are Right of Center and are for the most part acceptable, but none are better than Mrs. Palin.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
OHIO, thanks for the response.
I think Palin fails the ethics qualification. Numerous red flags.
She fails the international test. Killing a moose doesn’t qualify, but does show she’s tough! More revealing is the way she was snookered in the fake “Sarkozy” phone prank.
I also think Palin doesn’t even come close in economics to virtually every other candidate, she falls short by a huge margin. Drill baby drill isn’t enough.
She’s not as conservative as everyone assumes, and cetainly not as conservative as many who are potentially running. She’s pro-amnesty, pro more gov regulation of Wall Street, for controlling CEO pay, she’s a big walk-across-the-aisle gal, just like John. Why do you think he chose her? She’s a maverick, just like him! Yes, she’s pro-life. But that’s not enough, either. Like Huck, it doesn’t cover her other shortfalls with conservatism. I don’t see Palin as a conservative ideologue, she does what works for her – basically a blank slate.
Her lack of articulation and coherent answers will probably be the most insurmountable problem she must overcome. I don’t think she can, personally.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I realize that she was fooled by the Sarkozy phone prank, others might have been fooled too. I realize that killing Moose does not mean one is a foreign policy expert, but I really think half the battle is too half a tough guy (in this case, a tough Gal.) As for ethics, I hope I would have had her courage in so-called trooper-gate. I admire her for protecting her nephew. Drill Baby drill is not enough, but it is a great start and her Energy policies go beyond drill baby drill. Yes she is somewhat Pro-Amnesty if you will, but this one policy does not make her a Liberal. First, What is so Conservative about keeping out part of our potential labor pool. Yes, it is true that in the end, Mrs. Palin failed to bring Hispanics on board, I fear that we are finished if we do not get a few more Hispanics to vote for us.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
OHIO – she didn’t protect her nephew. The night Wooten tazered him, Palin’s sister did nothing, Bristol was even there, and Sarah, Todd and her father knew within hours. They did nothing – no call to police, family services or anything.
She wasn’t trying to protect anyone, but even if she was, the way she went about it was unethical — using the power of her office to get even with someone who had already been investigated and reprimanded long before she was even elected.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I would not use any of these tests. When considering presidential candidates, I am essentially considering who to hire to lead the country (and perhaps the free world). I am not hiring a baby sitter, or buying a used car, or having the car washed, or hiring a bodyguard—or, hiring a Cleric.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
1. Romney
2. Huckabee
3. Pawlenty
4. Palin
November 17th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
1. Which candidate would you trust more to babysit young children or to look after your teenage daughter? A: Mitt
2. Which candidate would you trust more to sell you a used car? A: Mitt
3. Which candidate could you most easily imagine washing your car? A: Palin
4. Which candidate would you rather be trapped in a building with if you were surrounded by an armed gang of criminals and you each had a shotgun? A: Palin
November 17th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
1 Huckabee, Palin, Jindal, Pence,
2 Huckabee, Pence
3 Huckabee, Pence
4 Huckabee, Palin, Fred, Sanford, Dick Cheney (JK)
November 17th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
[...] Candidate would you rather have a beer with?” To come up with questions that suggested some character traits such as trustworthiness, honesty, and courage. It was a light post and most people have fun with, [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
[...] Candidate would you rather have a beer with?” To come up with questions that suggested some character traits such as trustworthiness, honesty, and courage. It was a light post and most people have fun with, [...]
November 18th, 2008 at 12:09 am
1. Which candidate would you trust more to babysit young children or to look after your teenage daughter?
2. Which candidate would you trust more to sell you a used car?
3. Which candidate could you most easily imagine washing your car?
4. Which candidate would you rather be trapped in a building with if you were surrounded by an armed gang of criminals and you each had a shotgun?
1. Not Palin. Her kids get pregnant. Not Huckabee. His kids kill dogs. Probably Romney.
2. Romney. Who could sell a used car like Romney?
3. Uh. God, none. Please, get your hands off of my car. My car. Not theirs. Mine.
4. Palin, no doubt about it!