I feel sorry for those folks who cannot decide which presidential candidate to vote for when the time comes to pull that lever, poke that chad or touch that screen.  Thanks to the infinite wisdom of USAToday â€” which has done my thinking for me â€” I now know which candidate righteously deserves my vote. 

USAToday‘s Web site now sports the “Candidate match game.”  All you have to do is answer 11 multiple-choice questions â€” three on the Iraq war, two on immigration, two on health care, one on same-sex marriage and one each on tax reform, global warming and candidate experience.  And presto: Your presidential choice is revealed. 

I’m all set now.  Drum roll, please.  Wait for it, wait for it … I shall vote for …



… Dennis Kucinich?  Eek! 

Frankly, I’m as shocked as you.  According to the game’s results, my back-up choices are Bill Richardson followed by John Edwards.  But, because people tend to weight issues differently, USAToday has provided a “slider” bar that allows you to weight or unweight your answers.  If I unweight the same-sex marriage and experience questions, Rep. Kucinich remains my choice but Gov. Richardson drops out, replaced by Sen. Obama

But it’s a survey.  Each question has limited responses.  You select the one that best suits your thinking â€” even if it’s not quite on the mark.  And there may be issues that USAToday does not ask in this game that may been of keen interest to you â€” the size of the federal deficit, the practice of hiding earmarks, increasing (or decreasing) federal spending, unfunded mandates on the states, the sorry state of the federal government’s willingness or ability to regulate enormously large industries, anti-terrorism measures in ports and harbors, inspection of food and food ingredient imports (especially from China), federal and state support for measures that will fundamentally change how this country educates its children … it’s a lengthy list. 

USAToday only asked questions about those issues that the candidates wish to use to frame this election.  There’s a world of questions I’d like to ask the candidates that they probably don’t want to answer.  Those are the questions USAToday (and The Washington Post and The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times and network news and CNN and every newspaper and local TV news station in a primary or caucus state) ought to be asking.  But they’re not. 

It’s sad that USAToday devoted resources to a game instead of the rigorous reporting the electorate needs to deflect the messaging strategies of these candidates’ high-priced consultants. 

Meanwhile, I’m sending a check to Rep. Kucinich!