Good news: it’s a big improvement over how most people seem to make their choices.

Last few elections, I actually took my son, now 12, into the voting booth. He pushes down the levers.

Last November though, we had a disagreement. Eliot Spitzer was running for governor of New York. I was okay with him, but because he was guaranteed victory I wanted to throw a third-party candidate a vote.

But my son insisted on Spitzer and I let him have his way. I’m creating a monster. (Which is what he thinks Bush is, incidentally.)

First Chris Dodd, second Bill Richardson and third John Edwards.

“Golly, seems like everyone’s running for President, Andy!”

“I know, Barn. Us poor dumb voters just got to do the best we can, I reckon.”

I’ll grant you that the “game” may provoke a potential voter to explore beyond these issues. As a conversational tool, it may be useful.

But, as I view it from my ivory tower, I can hear those consultants snickering. That’s because the media may not be able to tell us what to think, but it can play a significant role in what we think about.

On that score, USAToday gets a “D” from me.

Are the issues in the poll the issues the candidates want to frame the election by, or are they issues that pollsters (or even the media) are using to frame the election?

As you say, the poll, by its very nature, is limited and thus only partially relevant. When I took it, Some questions had four possible answers that didn’t reflect my exact views, but I had to pick the “best available” answer. Not ideal, but better than nothing, I guess.

Is it fair to criticize USA Today for creating the poll instead of doing in-depth reporting? That’s a false choice since the paper has been doing a fair job of covering the campaign; the poll was created as a sidebar piece. I saw it more as the paper’s creating something in addition to rather than instead of in-depth reporting.

The more tools you make available, the more likely it is that someone will find something of use to them as they try to educate themselves about the election.

I think the poll has value because it allows a voter to compare his/her views with a candidate’s actual views (rather than a media image or a preconceived perception). That is at least a starting point. Many people I know who’ve done the poll have been surprised at the results (i.e., “I didn’t know he thought the same way I do)—and I think that’s been good.

And regardless of the match-ups, some people will still vote or not vote for a candidate, whether they match up or not, because of reasons beyond the poll’s scope. Hillary, for instance, garners strong emotional reactions from voters for reasons the poll couldn’t even begin to explore.

So, the poll may be “light,” but I don’t think it’s worthless. For many of the students we serve, it might be just the perfect place to begining their own political educations.