Who has the best working class credentials? Who has the most in common with the average American?

[XemaSab]

Candidate A: Parents are both foreign born. Father was a bank executive in another country, and the candidate was raised abroad until age 13, when he/she was sent to the US to attend prep school.

Candidate B: Dad was a US Senator. He/she is the 5th of 6 children and went to a Catholic prep school. Was in the peace corps in the Dominican Republic.

Candidate C: Father worked in a factory, first as a floor worker, eventually as a supervisor. Mother worked for the postal service. Was the first person in the family to go to college. Child died in a car accident.

Candidate D: Eldest of the seven children. Father was a truck driver. While growing up his family moved 21 times and when they couldn't find a place to live they were occasionally forced to live out of their car.

Candidate E: Father started a successful business manufacturing drapery fabric. Went to public schools growing up. After completing his/her BA, spent a summer washing dishes in McKinley National Park and cleaning fish in a cannery in Valdez. He/she was fired from the cannery for complaining about unhealthy working conditions. Volunteered providing free legal services for the poor, and won a grant to research working conditions among migrant laborers.

Candidate F: Father was a Senator, mother was a lawyer. During summer vacations he/she worked on the family farm. Went to a swanky prep school. Volunteered for Vietnam. Worked as a reporter exposing corruption in government.

Candidate G: Born to immigrant parents. Father was a painting contractor. Went to Catholic schools growing up. Put himself/herself through school driving a taxi. Has dyslexia.

Candidate H: Parents divorced when he/she was 2, and dad moved out of the country. At age 6, mother remarried and the family moved to Jakarta. Moved back to the US to live with grandparents from the age of 10 until after graduating prep school. After finishing school, he/she lead voter registration efforts in poor neighborhoods.

Candidate I: Father was a car salesman. Attended Catholic prep school. Spouse and child died in a car accident; other two children were seriously injured.

[digitalbuddha]

1. Voted C

This candidate seems the closest to a normal American. E would be second.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. DUers are knowledgable... this will end up the same as if the names were provided

[XemaSab]

4. I'm not so sure...

I learned some things making the poll. :)

[blm]

3. Most working class guys I grew up with ended up in Vietnam

.

[SteppingRazor]

5. Very little of this would have any bearing on whether I voted for someone.

I'd need to know more about where all these candidates stand on the issues.

[XemaSab]

8. I tend to agree.

The two candidates I like the best are not exactly from the most humble circumstances. :)

I'm amused, however, by the um... results... so far. :P

[Beaverhausen]

6. Ok- which one is that with dyslexia?

I didn't know any of them had it. Can you PM me?

[XemaSab]

9. Sure!

:)

[Blue-Jay]

7. Who cares about any of that?

Without a verifiable record of voting and sponsored legislation, nothing included in the OP means anything.

[XemaSab]

11. I find interest in where people come from.

Some of the candidates have grown up with wealth and privilege, and some have had to work hard.

(I personally would be hesitant to elect someone who had never known what it was like to be poor. See "George HW Bush" and "George W Bush" for further information on why this is unwise. :crazy: )

[incapsulated]

12. In that case...

You may be interested in a very poor farm boy named... Richard Nixon.

:D

[XemaSab]

17. Nixon was underrated

:hide:

[incapsulated]

20. lol

I'd take Nixon over Bush any damn day. :D

[Basileus Basileon]

41. Hell yes he was.

In between his continuing of a horrible war and his unprecedented abuses of power, he found time to push some progressive legislation and engage in some feats of international diplomacy.

[asdjrocky]

10. This means something to me....

My choice is C

[brazos121200]

13. Voted for candidate E. OK, who are these people?

I bet I just voted for Mike Gravel.

[Beaverhausen]

14. Hee Hee. I thought it was him too

but it's not. I got a PM telling me who that is. I am shocked!

[gateley]

24. I think you're mistaken, but we'll see. nt

[Basileus Basileon]

40. Nah.

She appreciates your vote, I'm sure.

[RebelSansCause]

15. am i a political junkie

because i know who these people are. if yes, should that make me a sad or happy panda?

[XemaSab]

18. mmmm

a happy panda. :)

[incapsulated]

21. You are past being a mere junkie if you do.

You may be a dealer, lol.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. How come one candidate's parents are "foreign born"

while another candidate was born to "immigrant parents"? Is there a difference?

[XemaSab]

19. One person's father was an American born and raised abroad, and he raised his child abroad too

So yes, there is a difference. :)

[brazos121200]

22. I still think E has the best credentials.

Just sayin'.

[gateley]

23. You've included info on previous non-public service jobs the candidates have

held for only SOME of the candidates. Candidate "I" for example, has NO additional info other than father's occupation, school attended and a personal tragedy. Candidate "A" doesn't even have that much.

We've learned how others have worked their way through school, or the summer jobs they held, etc., -- stuff that helps us get more of an impression on their qualification to be considered "working class".

[XemaSab]

25. In general, if someone went into politics or law right out of school

or I couldn't find any information, that was omitted.

All these bios are obviously scant. :(

[gateley]

27. Okay - you're forgiven and I love you again.

:hi:

[XemaSab]

28. Awww....

:pals:

[gateley]

26. I voted for Kucinich :-)

[XemaSab]

29. You know,

I did too. :)

[NYC]

30. So did I,

but I wanted to let you know that I think this is a very interesting poll. Thank you. :hi:

[Gemini Cat]

52. What a coincidence.

So did I. :)

[skipos]

31. Who is who? nt

[mrigirl]

32. Biden is the only one running who isn't a millionaire and really IS from the middle class

He's a normal guy from a normal family. His net worth is only 750,000 and his wife is a schoolteacher. He's the most down to earth middle class candidate we have.

[XemaSab]

33. I think most of them came from the working or middle class...

More than one would think. :P

[mrigirl]

34. But Biden currently right NOW is not a millionaire- everyone else IS

Biden right now represents the middle class (upper of course, but still) His new worth is pretty paltry compared to most who run for Pres and he and his wife are pretty humble people. I feel like I have more in common w/ thier family then any other's running.

[Cameron27]

35. I don't think Kucinich is either.

[mrigirl]

36. You might be right- I forgot about him.

[Fawkes]

37. Two questions

I voted for Candidate C in response to both your questions.

[XemaSab]

39. Well you can officially consider your vote cancelled out

mom. :eyes:

[Fawkes]

48. Oh yeah?

Daughter, just because my vote was different than yours doesn't mean it wasn't counted.

[XemaSab]

53. Whose poll is it?

Who controls the machines?

Yeah, I thought so...

[ileus]

38. The one that's not in politics has the most in common with the common person.

The rest only pretend to get votes.

[calteacherguy]

42. I think Obama's diverse, worldy experiences are of greater benefit. nt

[XemaSab]

44. That's a different poll

:P

The "Who is the biggest filthy rich corporate tool?" is a different poll too. :P

[IndianaGreen]

43. Father was a civil servant. Mother a homemaker. Worked as an artist. Decorated veteran.

Candidate's name: Adolf Hitler.

[XemaSab]

45. Created the Volkswagon....

:P

[Basileus Basileon]

46. Grew up a poor farmer. Worked as a part-time librarian to put himself through school.

Decorated veteran. Turned down an scholarship to study in France, since he was too poor to make the trip. Spent years fighting for the rights of farmers before entering politics.




Candidate's name: Mao Zedong.

[Basileus Basileon]

47. Son of a governor. Father paid for him to attend a posh British university. Had mediocre grades.

Mostly hung out with wealthy, exclusive fraternities. Barely passed his bar exam. Worked as a trial lawyer.









Candidate's name? Mohandas Gandhi.

[sojourner]

49. Can I vote for more than one? C, D, E, G and I all strike me as having the creds for "working class"

And as potential to be in touch with the average American.

C is obviously Edwards. Not sure about anyone else except maybe G who I'm guessing is Gov. Richardson.

[JI7]

50. what are their position on the ISSUES ?

fucking NIxon and Reagan had very tough lives growing up unlike FDR.

[Paulie]

51. Candidate D is also the only card carrying union member

If that isn't worth some working class cred nothing is. :)

[Fawkes]

54. Candidate D

:)

[tomg]

55. The one who has the best credentials is

the one who has consistently worked for and with and voted in the interests of the middle class, working class, the unemployed, and the poor in America. Since I know who the various figures are (admittedly one by process of elimination)I would say that they all bring some pretty decent credentials to the table, most of them have a few flaws.

[NoPasaran]

56. Unless the Democrats nominate someone who was raised by wolves

I'm sitting this one out or voting Ghibelline!

[ruggerson]

57. Jodie Foster for President!

n/t