Arkansas Blog

Independent gubernatorial candidate Rod Bryan also responded to this survey. All candidates should probably respond - sure, some questions are loaded, but shouldn't a politician know how to manuever through it?

When I receive a copy of the voter survey, I pretty much rule out any candidate (whether R, D or I) that did not respond since their choice told me they were making a cowardly or lemming decision. A non-response indicates you have something to hide, or (if you are a D) you are submissively toeing the party line in trying to discredit the survey. As I recall, some candidates tried to cover themselves by saying the questions were partisan or biased - but never specifically explained why the survey was so biased that they couldn't answer it.

I don't know how the FC drafts their questions, but I would ask them to solicit input from the objectors on how to craft the queries to maximize the responses from all candidates.

And if you are a candidate, I would ask you to offer specific, even unsolicited) constructive comments to FC that would encourage responses from all candidates. And if you are offering suggestions, do it publicly so FC has to respond. Your public response and their public response will help us all!

The guide is very helpful to me. If you as a candidate don't respond, you probably lost my vote. Of course, that's only one vote, but if anyone else thinks like me (!), it may be two, or ten, or . . .

Where is the moderate / progressive version of the guide, pray tell?

The guide is put together with a clear agenda to elect Republicans, and if the Dems don't play then somehow they're the bad guys.

My interest in this survey is on par with my interest in knowing about a little patch of flakey skin I seem to have on my butt. Try as I might, I can't contort enough to see it. But back to the Fam survey, I wouldn't think of registering with such a group just to take a look at the drivel they have on their site.

I would normally agree with Don that any politician that is dodging question has something to hide. But Jim Holt avoiding a NAMBLA survey wouldn't trouble me a bit. And a Democrat shunning this snake handler's survey seems like a smart move to me. Anyone other than one of the Elect that messes with anything with Family in its name is asking to be hung with their own rope.

There are plenty of news organizations asking questions. If you're really interested in a candidate of either party, you don't have to Google very hard to find out. I don't think less of anyone from any party avoiding those they know are their enemy. I avoid my wife when I know she's in one of her moods. It's not so cowardly as it is intelligence at work.

The next 8 weeks will be hell. I have my hard hat on and I've slapped the dogs around enough to keep them mad at all times, so stay back from my fence. If we make it to December, I'll be surprised. Until December THINK as hard as you can, they'll be plenty of time to FEEL in December.

Roland: If you want a moderate/progressive version of the guide, then please encourage a moderate or progressive organization to assemble one. Better yet - how about a voter guide published by a liberal organization?

DBI: Again, I don't see any specific criticism of the guide except it is put out by a conservative organization.

There may be other information sources or surveys, but I have not seen one that potentially packs so much information into a usable format.

If the issues are in fact the "hot button" issues, then what's the problem? If these are major issues, shouldn't this Guide be considered counterproductive for the FC? After all, they are voluntarily providing this to anyone that wants it - and the responders are the ones putting their views on the record - so the lefties should be grabbing every copy they can find and then wave the Guide like a flag yelling "Looky here! Looky here! Look at what all these kooks are saying!"

Instead, the lefty leadership cowers and appears to call for a boycott.

If the lefty leadership has a problem with this Guide, I would hope they would specifically call on FC publicly or privately with suggestions about how to improve it. And if the FC is adamant and doesn't try to make any accommodations, then you have a reason to gripe.

Until then, whine on, my friend.

You don't need to sign up to view the survey results. On the main page, select option 3 to view the whole Voter's Guide, then select which race you want to look at. Selecting the Governor's race, for example, will show all three candidates running for office. Below any of the three photos, click the "Compare Surveys" button. This will bring up a side-by-side survey response of just the candidates for that particular race. IMHO, a much better format than the straight list of all respondents.

Few Democrats have responded so far (Independent Rod Bryan has). I can't blame them, though. Just look at what associating with this and other hate groups did to Wooldridge.

Thanks vernal, I'll try that, but not so close to lunch time, ya know.

Don, your idea of hot button topics is probably a whole lot different than mine. Mine are pretty easy...do you support the war in Iraq...do you believe in the separation of church and state....do you believe adults should have freedom of choice in all legal matters....do you believe in equal rights for every living person on earth, even if they aren't white or American or even if they're a man wearing a dress? Do you favor NSA data mining of Americans....do you support the CIA's continued right to kidnap and torture? Those are my big button questions.

I don't care if someone goes to church. I don't care about personal matters that should be kept inside your own house. I don't want to see or answer outer space questions about how I FEEL...ask me what I think.

Anyone even near the center of the political spectrum today is stepping into quick sand by answering this survey. The answers will be held up for the snakehandlers to ridicule. Why bother? I recommend Holt and Asa skip any interviews with Playboy too.

Roland = Don Keyhotay

Your idea of hot button topics is probably a whole lot different than mine . . . Anyone even near the center of the political spectrum today is stepping into quick sand by answering this survey. - Posted by: Deathbyinches
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Several of your topics looked like good "hot buttons" that ought to be on there and answered. Have you sent your comments (in a tactful manner) to them?

One of my points was for critics to call them (FC) on the carpet - if the critics made some effort to make it a "fair" survey (from their perspective) and (FC) refused to try, then you have grounds to proclaim they (FC) are just pushing their own agenda and not trying to educate the voter.

Until then, you perpetuate the problem that the sides don't talk and noone tries to meet in the middle. We continue going down a divided highway with no merging lane in sight.

Personally, I think FC would invite a discussion on how to make it more palatable to responders. If they refused to try, I would join the critics.

But, its too easy to stay part of the problem and not part of the solution - Being part of the solution takes time and effort - its obviously more fun to criticize and attack than it is to work on building bridges.

Oh yes - Tax Payer - I don't live in Roland. I'm a city boy.

Roland = Don Keyhotay

I'll take that as a compliment - thanks, but no, I'm not Don Keyhotay. I'm a liberal, and right now an angry liberal.

Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came.

"You can't vote your way out of a two party fascist state

Can't kiss your own elbow either.

Yeh, I looked at their web site. Just couldn't do the registration bit... felt sure, if they had my email address, my inbox would quickly fill up with A$a propaganda, Pelley love letters to Jim Holt, and other forms of hate mail.

In my opinion, if they want to appear to be fair then THEY KNOW how to do it. It's easy, and others should not have to force the issue.

It's obvious when the questions are not biased. You can find how to word things and what issues each group cares about very easily.

It's a cop-out to say that someone has to ask them to make it non-biased before being able to say they are biased. If they wanted to make it unbiased, they WOULD.