Select2008 Blog - Comparing and tracking the 2008 presidential candidates

Illegal Immigration and waterboarding top voters’ agenda on Homeland Security for the 2008 primaries. The following top-five-issue sample is based on over 250,000 votes over the last week:

- Support a legalization plan for illegal immigrants – 47% agree and 46% disagree

- Commit to build the already approved 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border – 45% agree and 46% disagree

- Stop granting U.S. citizenship to babies born in the U.S. from illegal immigrants – 49% agree and 43% disagree

- Support the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, like waterboarding, in the war on terrorism – 44% agree and 43% disagree

- Cut highway funds for States that issue driving licenses to undocumented immigrants - 45% agree and 43% disagree

Popularity: 35% [?]

Select2008 collected over 250,000 votes on issues this week, not only ahead of the Super-Tuesday primaries, but also afterwards as people tried to digest the results and pull outs of the race.

The top five hottest and most selective issues for voters are the following:

- Support a legalization plan for illegal immigrants – 47% agree vs. 47% disagree

- Raise taxes to achieve universal healthcare – 45% agree vs. 48% disagree

- Commit to build the already approved 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border - 45% agree vs. 46% disagree

- The U.S. Constitution should define marriage as the union between a man and a woman – 47% agree vs. 49% disagree

- Children should be taught about intelligent design and creationists theories, along with education – 44% agree vs. 49% disagree

Popularity: 25% [?]

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: 43% [?]

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% [?]