Select2008 Blog - Comparing and tracking the 2008 presidential candidates

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are furiously campaigning to rally voters for the Super Tuesday vote. They will spend an record $19 million in ads over the next few days to sway voters in the 22 States that hold a primary this Tuesday.

With just a few days ahead and a surge in votes on Select2008 over the last few days, Obama appears to be leading over Clinton on the issues, 49% to 45%. A closer look reveals that Obama’s positions and proposals lead on the key issues of defense, economy, government reform, healthcare, and international affairs. Clinton leads on homeland security and education.

Popularity: 64% [?]

Today’s hottest questions mix domestic and international affairs and demonstrate that voters consider the candidacies’ multiple facets to make up their minds:

- Raise taxes to achieve universal healthcare

- Maintain a residual U.S. force in Iraq to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations, to keep Iraq’s neighbors in check, and to train Iraqi forces

- Support education vouchers for private schools

- Support restrictions to the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms under the Second Amendment

- Rule out using force with Iran

Popularity: 42% [?]

Select2008.com’s activity has accelerated ahead of the South Carolina’s primaries as a vast number of users turn to our site for help to choose their favorite candidate for the 2008 primaries. The website’s live polling statistics are now starting to yield some interesting facts. The audience’s geographic distribution is still concentrated on the West Coast (California and Washington states), New York, New England, and the Chicago area. Therefore, Select2008’s insights on candidates’ popularity and most divisive issues will be most relevant for the February 5 Super Tuesday.

On the Democratic side, John Edwards and Barack Obama are head-to-head and ahead of Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama has a commanding lead on Economic and International Affairs, while Hillary Clinton edges ahead on Energy and Environment and Education. John Edwards is ahead on Defense (including the war in Iraq) and Healthcare.

On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani is slightly ahead of John McCain. Rudy Giuliani seems to be #2 on most issues and therefore comes out ahead of all other candidates overall. Rudy Giuliani also leads in Energy and Environment. John McCain is strong on Homeland Security and in a dead heat on Economy with Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. Rudy Giualini and Mitt Romney are head to head on Government Reform (including tax cuts). Mike Huckabee leads on Education.

Popularity: 66% [?]

Ahead of the 2008 South Carolina primaries, today’s top five hottest questions highlight voters’ concerns with traditional social issues (such as gun control), the war in Iraq and on terrorism, and socio-economic concerns related to the government’s involvement in healthcare and education matters.

The top five hottest questions are:

- Congress should authorize any preemptive attack in the war on terrorism

- Create a tax credit to cover for the educational expenses of parents who decide to home school their children

- Maintain a residual U.S. force in Iraq to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations, to keep Iraq‘s neighbors in check, and to train Iraqi forces

- Allow States to devise their own path to universal healthcare

- Support restrictions to the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms under the Second Amendment

Looking at the top 50 hottest questions, the most disputed issues in this 2008 primaries season currently regard:

- Universal healthcare

- War on terrorism

- Taxes

- Second Amendment rights

- Immigration reform

Popularity: 32% [?]

The upcoming primaries are causing a stir on Select2008! As of today, the top five hottest questions are:

- Create second-chance schools for high school dropouts

- Maintain the current policy towards North Korea

- Oppose photo ID requirements to vote, because they disproportionately disenfranchise the poor, disabled and minority voters

- Allow States to devise their own path to universal healthcare

- Raise the tax rate on dividend and capital gains to fund tax benefits for the working class

The What’s Hot section on the Select2008 website tracks and updates in real time the most disputed questions within the Select2008 community. Select2008 identifies the hottest questions as the questions that are the most divisive within the community (the maximum being a 50/50 split) and that have gathered the largest number of votes. These questions provide an insightful look into the most debated issues among voters.

Popularity: 14% [?]