What's this Conservative Punk is all about...

I found some interesting on-line shtuff and took a few quizzes which seem to nail me correctly with about an 80% degree of accuracy.

The first is http://www.politichoice.com where I took a quiz to match my views up with the potential slate of 2008 Presidential Candidates. I was confused by this Mike Huckabee character whom I know little about, but was quite pleased with the second match of Fred Thompson. As much as I would like Thompson to run, I still have my concerns over his commitment and longevity will be, but I'm glad that he's running. I have a better connection with Fred because he's not a Political Hack, not just because of our shared views. Sure the guy's been in and out of Politics since the 1970's, but he didn't make a career out of it where his very livelihood was dependant on each election. He had a day job, and his career changed several times just like the average American. His straight talking demeanor is also a plus, and has not shown a "Holyier than thou" attitude like the other Candidates.

Here's how I scored against all the current candidates...

Candidate Score
Mike Huckabee 82.35 %
Fred Thompson 79.41 % <---
Mitt Romney 76.47 %
John McCain 75.74 %
Duncan Hunter 75.74 %
Tom Tancredo 73.53 %
Rudy Guiliani 70.59 %
Sam Brownback 66.91 %
Ron Paul 50.74 %
Joe Biden 48.53 %
Barack Obama 43.38 %
Hillary Clinton 41.91 %
Chris Dodd 40.44 %
Bill Richardson 36.76 %
John Edwards 34.56 %
Dennis Kucinich 25.74 %

The next site was that sponsered by the Libertarian Party and the Center for Human Study. I don't connect with them completely, but will admit that we share a common ground. They have this interesting breakdown of viewpoints based on the compass and the land map. To be a true Libertarian, I would have to be a Northwesterner, which in my opinion is too Anarchist for my blood. They have too much of that "Free Will, Open Love, and Pro-Drug" tone. I do believe in a degree of Order and Drug Control, so fundamentally I am a Northerner which is to the Right of Libertarian and to the Left of Mainstream Conservative. This only reinforces my use of Conservative Punk to describe my views.

To try it out, go to: http://www.politopia.com/interactive_map.htm

Their example of a Northerner...
Harold, a stereotypical Northerner
"Free markets!" Hi, I'm Harold. I'm an executive at a major firm. I work hard to provide a good home for my family, and I resent the amount of money that is taken from my paycheck in the form of taxes. The quickest way to send this economy into the dumpster is to increase taxes and regulations. Just allow the forces of competition to work, and everyone-the rich and the poor-will be better off.

Now, I have to take issue with one aspect of this Northern perception... Moderation, everything in Moderation - Diet, Exercise, Booze, Taxes, Regulations, and Competition. If the Free-Market were left unchecked without Moderate Regulation, we'd wind up with Monopolies and no competition. Thus, the Rich and Poor would not be better off. Over-Regulation is the Free-Market killer and leads to Socialism and Communism. That said, I guess I'm in my own Land, somewhere between a Northerner and a Mainstream Conservative in the Northeast of Politopia.

I'm just a Open-Minded Conservative Punk.