What is the best site to find info on the candidates

[nadine_mn]

Admittedly I do not know enough about the candidates and I am looking for some unbiased info on where the candidates stand - clearly each of their sites will be biased, and many here have their favs. I am not interested in who is most winnable at this point - just flat out who reflects my beliefs the closest.

Any suggestion

[rinsd]

1. A couple of suggestions

Project vote smart has a ton of info

http://www.vote-smart.org/

On the Issues does simple synopsis of candidate positions

http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

[sandnsea]

2. Their own policies in their own words

I can't imagine why anybody wouldn't start there. Next their voting record, and then what they have not chosen to support is as instructive as what they've voted for. Only then should you consider reading what someone else has to say about them.

[billyoc]

3. Well, this one.

:hi:

[slipslidingaway]

4. The sites linked are good starts, but the more the better. Also

I would encourage you to look beyond just the vote record, especially if a particular vote does not reflect what you think about a candidate.

A recent example would be that Kucinich initially voted for the S-CHIP bill. When they first voted on the bill it included legal immigrant children, but those children were omitted in the Senate version. So when it came back to the House he voted against the bill to call attention to that fact, Bush had already said he would veto the bill anyway. But some still try and say that he does not care about children, the fact is that he cares about all children, even those some are trying to leave behind.

In addition to their votes look at what they have said or not said on an issue, the privatization of Iraq Oil comes to mind as does the constant talk of Iran over the past couple of years. The administration and media were waging a campaign against the people to come around to the idea that Iran is the number one threat to the world, most of the candidates let them do this by remaining silent :(

Again if a particular vote does not seem right to you, dig a little deeper. It takes time, good luck!


Also I was surprised to see the AFL-CIO site on the candidates be so biased and I believe they do a disservice to their members. Here is the my post on their candidates page.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1777600

snip>>

I came across this page when looking back on the votes for the China Trade bill in 2000. What is interesting is how the page includes information on the China Trade bill for certain candidates and excludes vote information for other candidates. I would assume this page is compiled for the benefit of their members so why would they be selective on the voting records of the candidates? Does anyone else find this strange?

No mention of the votes that the Dem candidates cast for this bill.

YES

Biden
Dodd
Edwards

NO

Kucinich


Republican YES votes are mentioned

Brownback
McCain
Thompson

Republican NO votes are NOT mentioned

Hunter
Paul
Tancredo

[slipslidingaway]

5. Just one other note, sometimes you'll find a candidate speaks

one way to an audience in the US and then they address an audience in another country which has a markedly different tone. Then you have to ask the real person to stand up, so to speak :)