After using a previous equation to pair parenting styles with a parenting method book, I thought it might be fun to use a similar format to pair political ideas with a candidate.

The following equation is as non-partisan as I could possibly make it, and does more to measure and define your personal opinion than to choose candidates in the abstract. The crux, of course, is nailing down politicians' beliefs enough to accurately chart their numbers (though letting your bias, beliefs and opinions peek through this equation is as telling as the eventual result, itself).

First, order the following traits or political issues according to how central they are to the candidate’s message, or at least how important you think they should be in their central message ; 1 through 7 with 1 being most important and 7 least.

___ II = Iraq
___ EI = Economy
___ DI = Education
___ CI = Character
___ SI = Smarts
___ MI = Immigration
___ GI = Globalization

Then you have to score yourself on a -10 to 10 scale.

I = Your score on the following scale:
-10= Bring the troops home
10= Stay the course

E = Your score on the following scale:
-10=Tax and spend;
10= Trickle down

D = Your score on the following scale:
-10=Support public education;
10=Parents should choose the best schools for their children

C = Your score on the following scale:
-10=Candidates’ private lives should be private;
10= Candidates should model family values

A = Your score on the following scale:
-10=Brains make the candidate;
10=The candidate is but a faceplate

M = Your score on the following scale:
-10=Bring us your huddled masses;
10=Protect our borders

G = Your score on the following scale:
-10=Buy local;
10=Free trade

Put them all in the table below. Whichever V_ote is highest is who should get your vote.

As always, let me know how it works out.