Do You Share the Same Political Views as the Candidate You Support? Using ISideWith.com

Many people watch a presidential debate on television, only to find that the debate did not address all of the issues that they wanted to hear. Although valuable in showing how candidates behave under pressure, live debates simply do not have enough time to cover everything.

Image by Theresa Thompson.
*The author of this article is in no way affiliated  
with or financially supported by ISideWth.com.
He simply enjoyed the experience and hoped to
share this resource with others. 

So, where can you go to discover a wide-ranging, comparable list of the presidential candidates’ political views? Here is one suggestion that I have found to be especially helpful:

ISideWith.com was created in 2012 with the intention of helping people rank presidential candidates by their views. This website allows you to take an extensive survey on a broad variety of popular issues such as “Should children of illegal immigrants be granted citizenship,” “Should police officers be required to wear body cameras,” and “Do you support the legalization of same sex marriage?” Then, the website tallies your responses and shows you exactly where the candidates stand on each issue.

ISideWith.com Advantages

• The directness of the questions allows you to keep emotions and other common media distractions to a minimum. 
• “SOURCE” links will redirect you to original sources, so you can double check the survey if you would like.
• You can create a free account and save your results for later. 
• In the footer of each page, the site claims to be unaffiliated with any political party, candidate, or interest group.
• If you would like, you can also share and compare your results with friends and family. 

The website is now internationally available in the United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, and India. Are you one of the 39 million people who have already used ISideWith.com to help them choose a candidate? If not, I advise you to check it out today.

You can access the site at: https://www.isidewith.com

But first, here are:

Image by Dru Bloomfield.

Some Tips to Keep in Mind

1. According to ISideWith’sFAQ page, the more questions you answer, the more accurate your results will be. Make sure to select, “Other stances” at the bottom of each question if you would like to view more specific options. To help the website find the right candidate, you can also mark how important each question is to you.

2. After you receive your results, take a few minutes to compare your answers with each of the candidates’ views. In particular, look through the “Issues we do not side on” section at the bottom. Are any of these items more or less important to you? If so, you will definitely want to take this into consideration when choosing a candidate.

3. I have noticed that the website will occasionally say that you do not agree on something because you selected, “Yes” to an issue, but the candidate said, “No, only under a certain unique circumstance.” In these situations, you may find that you do not differ as significantly with a candidate as you might have thought. If the website could not determine a candidate’s position on any of the particular questions, this will also be automatically listed under the “Issues we do not side on” category too.

4. It is interesting to see where the millions of previous survey takers stand on each issue. However, you will want to take in this information with a grain of salt; although a large sample, it may or may not reflect the nation’s population as a whole.

5. Candidates’ political stances are extremely important and sometimes overlooked in our highly opinionated media and society. However, keep in mind that ISideWith surveys do not account for other factors that you should consider such as candidates’ personalities, intelligence, honesty, communication skills, experience, history, etc. The best way to learn about these things is to get out there and talk with other people (try to play nicely!), watch the related television debates, and read articles online. Most importantly, remember to try several sources, including those that you don’t think you will agree with.

Image by Nicole Klauss.

6. ISideWith does update if candidates’ viewpoints change. Be sure to check back right before you place your final vote to make sure that you are still share the same political perspectives with the presidential candidate you are supporting.

Website creators Taylor Peck and Nick Boutelier encourage you to share ISideWith.com with your friends so the website can educate more voters. What other specific advice do you have for using ISideWith.com? Leave your ideas in the comments below.

Related Article

“Twelve Ways You Are Being Manipulated by the News and on Social Media”

* The author of this article is in no way affiliated with or financially supported by ISideWith.com. He simply enjoyed the experience and hoped to share this resource with others. 

Praise for Extended Stay

The following consists of select reviews at Amazon.com, Goodreads.com, and other sources. Extended Stay is currently available in print and eBook formats at Amazon.com.

"What caused the death moratorium? . . . This novel will make readers think about their lives, privileges, and surroundings."

--Jennifer Xue, bookreviewclub.com

"Hints of the end [are] strewn throughout, yet it still comes as a surprise . . . You will walk away from this novel feeling a little more grateful for ordinary life."

--Margaret Diehl, three-time author of a New York Times Most Notable Book

"It is difficult to comprehend the amount of research that went into this work. My family and I once lived in Chattanooga, so all the locations cited made the book really come alive."

--William Merritt

"Engaging. Even at the most brutal parts, I couldn't stop reading."

--Palmetto Review

"A very ambitious novel, one requiring tremendous amounts of research and fine tuning. It impressed me with its scope and in terms of writing quality. The novel is quite good. This is an author to pay attention to--the basic writing skills and commitment to his story suggest he has a very bright future ahead of him."
--Nathan Beauchamp, coauthor of the Universe Eventual trilogy

"An enjoyable book that held my attention to the end, and an ending that I didn't see coming but that was well deserved. It was the premise that drew me in and a desire to see how this played out was driven by the realistic style of writing. The characters are uncannily real, and the storyline is one that is engaging."

--Dennis Waller, Amazon.com Top 500 Reviewer

"Bradley Cannon is a skilled writer with a knack for pacing and detail. His style was so good that I was surprised after reading his novel to find that it was his first book, particularly when things shift partway through and I got a sense of how well thought out the prelude was."

--Rob Turnbull, author of Thinning the Herd

"This book is an easy read. The ending is foreshadowed without giving away the plot twist. Worth the read, worth the emotional journey. There were several characters who I felt deeply about by the end of the book. Excellent use of third person limited viewpoint."
--Melanie Francisco

Twelve Ways You Are Being Manipulated by the News and on Social Media

Image by Graham Walton.

Do you accept false information in the news and on social media? The answer is yes! We all do, whether we like to believe so or not. 

Twelve Signs of 
Biased Information 
to Consider

1. Obvious Cuts or Omissions—You should always check to see why the creator of a video or article chose to leave something out. I will be the first to admit that this is the sign of bias that I find the easiest to miss. But if we work together to not share and point out misleading information when we see it, we can surely better support the integrity and well-being of our country as a whole. Tweet this.

Image by Amy West

2. Omission of Differing Perspectives—If an article or video leaves out the other party’s perspective, always see what that other side is saying. Yes, even if you don’t think you will agree with them. Maybe you’ll be right. Maybe you’ll be wrong. But at least you’ll be informed and capable of forming a stronger statement for your arguments in the future. Tweet this.

3. Unknown Author Identity—Make sure to learn a little about the author of any article before you believe or share it. Simply viewing a few other posts or doing a quick Google search might give you a better idea about who someone is and what they believe in. It might also spare you the embarrassment of sharing an article that you agree with, only to find out later that you supported some radical or unrelated organization or individual that might damage your credibility or mislead others. Tweet this.

4. Extremely Short Posts—Complicated issues can rarely be accurately summed up in a snappy one liner with a single photograph or meme. When someone shares a post like this, they might receive praise from those who already agree about the issue being referenced. However, keep in mind that the post might also make it 10 times easier for those who do not agree to rebuke the incomplete claim. 

Even worse, those same people might also become irritated by the perceived “weaknesses” of the post and take a public stance on the issue. This could make it much more difficult for anyone to change their minds on that particular issue later. Tweet this.

5. Uses of Statistics—Statistics are a constant source of deception and misunderstanding. Not only should you check the original source of all statistics, but you should also double check with other original sources that cover similar subject matter to see if they reached the same conclusion too. For example, I always want to eat at Chili’s! So of course, I know that I’ll be more likely to get you to go to Chili’s with me if I suggest, “Would you like to eat at Chili’s?” than if I left it up to chance by just asking, “Where would you like to eat?” 

Image by Mike Mozart.

The same sort of basic suggestibility can occur in surveys too, both when questions are asked and when someone interprets the results. For example, do you think more survey participants might say they are in favor of gay rights if the person who asks them the question is wearing a rainbow colored shirt? Alternately, would fewer participants say that they are against gay rights if the survey is given in a church? 

These examples may seem a little silly, but basic manipulations of data like this occur all the time. As another example, please consider this survey question: “Where do you stand on abortion? (a) pro-life, (b) pro-life except in cases of rape, (c) pro-choice so long as it is early in the pregnancy, (d) pro-choice.” Using the results of this question, would it really be ethical for a researcher to write the headline, “Survey says small percent of voters are pro-life” and simply ignore the fact that many others were also pro-life except in the situation of rape? On the other hand, would it be fair for the researcher to write, “Survey says small percentage of voters are pro-choice” and ignore the other voters who were also pro-choice so long as it is early into the pregnancy? 

This could really be a standalone topic, but I hope that these examples get you pointed in the right direction. People tend to gravitate toward statistics because they provide such quick, concrete answers. However, these "answers" are not always true. Tweet this.

6. Someone Seems Outright Evil—

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Political issues are complex. Any time an individual or entity is portrayed like a diabolical mastermind in a comic book, take a step back and pay particular attention. Again, you may not agree with someone’s perspective, but it is unlikely that the person is seeking to destroy the world as it may originally seem to be the case. Then again, maybe there are evil masterminds out there, in which case you should probably learn everything about them anyway! Tweet this.

7. Others Already Liked It—Just because others have already liked a post or article does not necessarily mean that the post is impartial or accurate. Tweet this.

8. It Just Happened—

Image by Cory Barnes.

The sooner an article comes out after an event, the more likely it is that someone might have made a reporting mistake. Journalists are human, after all. You will also want to pay close attention quick-release posts because they may explode on social media and continue to spread around long after additional supporting or opposing evidence has emerged. Tweet this.

9. Emotion—If something really gets you excited or upset, remember to take 24 hours before you make up you mind or post anything about that particular topic. This will help prevent you from saying something you might regret later and might also help you form a stronger argument. Try to consider what emotions your posts will cause others to feel too. There is such a thing as "too angry" or "too scared!" Tweet this.

10. Sarcasm—Yes, you may "get" a joke, but if you share it on social media, are others sure to "get" it too? Try to avoid further confusion due to simple miscommunication. You might be surprised by how often this happens. Tweet this.

11. Forced Opinions—It is a journalist's job to tell you what happened as plainly and completely as possible. It is usually not a journalist’s job to tell you how to feel about everything via inserted opinions. This generally holds true for independent amateur journalists and all other individuals on social media too. For example, verbs of attribution in written articles should almost always be straightforward such as "said," "stated," or "explained," instead of "snarled," "scoffed," or "lied." The latter of these example verbs all clearly force the writer's opinion on the readers. Readers are not fools; they should always be allowed to reach an opinion on their own. Tweet this.

12. Pictures and Videos—

Image by Gage Skidmore.

 Words are not the only way to manipulate someone. For example, be cautious if a photo shows the person in question pounding a fist or looks generally so ill-timed and revolting that any mug shot would have been better! You can likely assume that the attached article carries a certain agenda with it. Likewise, watch out for videos that pair certain candidates with frightening “black and white” graphics or sinister music. Tweet this.

Final Thoughts: Maybe you have not been paying attention to these signs of biased information, or maybe you have even been posting articles that share some of the signs above (this can be really tough to admit, even just to yourself). 

No worries either way!

Today, right this minute, is a perfect time to turn a new leaf to better fulfill your role as a representative of your local community, your political perspective, and your country.

Politicians should only rarely

Image by Zach Dischner.

change their political viewpoints (and only then with good reason); this is how we know that they will stand by their word if elected to office. However, individuals such as you and I should always challenge ourselves to view both sides of every argument and feel comfortable changing our views from time to time because issues do change and new evidence does come along.

I hope you found this article to be enlightening! Please share with a friend and post any additional ways to watch out for biased information in the comments section below. :)

Extended Stay: A Behind-the-Scenes Look From Origin to Final Release

Today is the official launch date for my fictional Extended Stay novel! In this post, I would like to share my thoughts about the origin of this story and speak briefly about today's release, which I have been looking forward to for more than five long years.

The Origin of Extended Stay

My grandfather died at the end of my junior year in high school. Of course, I already knew that life doesn't have to treat everyone fairly, but I had never actually experienced just how mercilessly cruel this world can be until I looked into his unrecognizing eyes a few days before he passed. After his funeral, I distinctly remember someone saying that “funeral homes will never go out of business, because people always die.” 

This quote stuck with me for over a year as I repeatedly kept trying to rationalize my grandfather’s death, which I now recognize to have been an impossible task. The real reason why such an honorable and kind man could be forced to endure such a long and difficult death with Alzheimer’s is simply beyond all understanding. Among the other questions that I dwelt on, I wondered “shouldn't good people receive the happy ending they deserve?” and “Don’t our actions and beliefs play some part in determining our futures?”

I had already written one other novel before this—a terrible story that will never see the light of day—so the idea of somehow turning these questions into a novel occurred to me again and again. But what kind of a story could ever begin to express the great mystery about why people have to die?

When I least expected it, all of my ideas came crashing together into the shape of Extended Stay! I ran out of the shower when this happened, dripping water all over the house as I collected pencils and blank printer paper from my mother’s office. Pages were soon spread all across the kitchen counter as I scribbled down ideas. Luckily, no one else was home, so I remained butt naked the whole time. I was so afraid that I would lose my train of thought, and yet I have never forgotten that moment to this day.

Within 30 minutes, I had written down plot lines for over half of Extended Stay's chapters, which would be about a large group of people discovering, one by one, that they simply could not die no matter how much they deserved or wanted to. It was immediately apparent to me that these characters would begin to lose a sense of direction in their lives without the threat and eventuality of death to keep them focused and in line. They would break laws and do whatever they felt like regardless of how dangerous or immoral their actions became. Thus, Extended Stay would ultimately show why death is a necessary part of human existence through the examination of a fictional world where death could not happen at all.

What Extended Stay Means to Me 

Today, the accomplishment of having Extended Stay available to the public makes me feel exactly like I did when I was standing in the kitchen with all those ideas swirling in front of me. A little sadness still creeps in, especially in regard to the topic that people have to die and that death is not always a gentle experience. However, I also feel a deep sense of joy at the possibility that our knowledge of death actually makes us better people in the end. Don't people often accomplish more in their short lives than they might ever attempt if there was no reason to hurry and get started? Somehow, this awareness of a genuine reason for the existence of death feels almost as electrifying as having discovered a potion to postpone death itself, if only for a few minutes.

However, if you have not yet read the book, I do not mean for you to expect Extended Stay to be some overly dense philosophical tome about life. It is actually filled with probably 40 different near-death experiences to keep your interest, many of them gruesome or ridiculous. And why shouldn’t it? Isn't life often gruesome or ridiculous? For this reason, as the characters’ plot lines become increasingly outrageous, I sincerely hope that you will enjoy my roller coaster of a book. I certainly had fun writing it!

Looking back, the writing and publishing of Extended Stay has involved more time and projects than I ever expected.  Just a few of these projects include the construction of my personal website, numerous social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, YouTube, Pinterest, and LinkedIn), cover art designs, video trailer filming, and seven complete drafts of the novel before it was finally ready for production. Although challenging, each of these tasks have been well worth it in the end.

The Big Release

To begin the big release day, I took a trip to Bradley Central High School to give a few copies to Coach Earl Rowan who was the source of inspiration for the main protagonist in the novel. Without this one truly positive influence in the story, Extended Stay would likely have never come together in the way that it does now. I cannot express how satisfying it was to shake his hand and see that he still speaks and waves his arms about just like I remember him doing all those years ago.

As anyone might expect, I am admittedly sentimental today, and yet it has always been easy for me to become passionate about Extended Stay. In many ways, the novel has become a part of me, especially in the way that I see the world. I never once considered giving up during my journey. The thought of allowing this novel the opportunity to influence other people in the way that it impacted me has been a driving force from beginning to end.

What inspired me to write my first novel, Extended Stay. https://t.co/Ap8CgvROST What inspires your writing?#amwriting

— Bradley Cannon (@BradleyJCannon) July 25, 2016

Thank you to everyone for all of your support. You cannot imagine how much I appreciate each and every one of you!

You are now invited to purchase the print or eBook version of Extended Stay at amazon.com. Then, after you read the novel, please take a few minutes to write a brief review on amazon.com and/or goodreads.com. Feedback is greatly appreciated to promote the novel online and also to help me write and publish whichever novel comes next. Rest assured, I have already finished drafts of several (eight!) other projects along the way—there will be another novel!

Sincerely,

Bradley Cannon