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Commentary: Testing Your Political Bias
We all have our biases. (My own bias is to believe that I am unbiased.) Here’s a post-election test to help you recognize your bias, in case you are uncertain how you should be labeled, politically.
After you answer five questions, add the numbers and divide by 5 to calculate your Political Bias Quotient (PBQ).
Did Charlie Baker’s election victory give him a mandate?
- Yes, he ran on a promise of “balance on Beacon Hill,” so he has a mandate to oppose the Democratic-controlled legislature.
- No, his margin of victory was too small.
- He only has a mandate on issues where he and Martha Coakley agreed – like pledging not to raise taxes or fees – since their combined vote was a huge majority.
- I doubt that he should go on a mandate since he’s a happily married hetero.
Was this election a victory for the GOP in Massachusetts?
- Yes, Charlie Baker won the crucial race and, as governor, he will be very powerful.
- No, other than Charlie Baker, Democrats handily won every hotly contested race.
- Both parties can claim whatever they want, but hopefully Evan Falchuk will create a viable, hair-raising United Independent Party so there’s more of a choice in the future.
- I don’t want to encourage either party, which is why I made a friend my Designated Voter.
Will Charlie Baker rebuild the Republican Party in this state?
- Yes, he will recruit GOP legislative candidates and help raise money for them.
- No, he won’t want to risk alienating the Democratic legislature, like former Gov. Mitt Romney did.
- Publicly, he will sound nonpartisan, but behind the scenes he’ll help his party.
- I didn’t know Charlie Baker was a Republican. Shouldn’t he have advertised that?
Will the governor-elect be a passionate leader, like when he told that fisherman story?
- Yes, he is as sensitive as he is tall.
- No, he will go back to not caring about fishermen, unless he’s at Legal Sea Foods.
- He will be just as emotional, but not until the gubernatorial debates in 2018.
- I only like to see politicians cry when they lose.
Should Scott Brown return to Massachusetts and run for office again?
- Yes, he is a devoted public servant, and we need new people in Massachusetts.
- No, we should only recycle bottles, not politicians.
- He should be allowed to return, but only to gamble in casinos, not in elections.
- He should buy an old Winnebago so he can claim to have a vacation home in any state that needs a Republican senate candidate.
If your average is 1, you’re Republican. If 2, you’re a Democrat. If 3, you’re independent. And if 4, you are the most prized voter of all – undecided.
Todd Domke is a Republican political analyst for WBUR.
