This poll is based on a blog entry on Anomalous Data (local mirror). The intent of this informal poll is to compare the candidates on their issues, and not on their character. This poll is not scientific in any way. I did my best to keep it as unbiased as possible, but it's hard when I'm only using verbiage from their official sites. All statements are totally random, and thus you may see the same statement twice. All statements are copied directly from the offical McCain and Obama websites. Yes I know some of the questions are vague, but so are the candidates, nothing I can do about that.

On the topic of 'War'

Believes it is strategically and morally essential for the United States to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred.
Will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq

On the topic of 'Marriage'

Supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples equal legal rights and privileges as married couples.
Believes the institution of marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It is only this definition that sufficiently recognizes the vital and unique role played by mothers and fathers in the raising of children, and the role of the family in shaping, stabilizing, and strengthening communities and our nation.

On the topic of 'National Security'

Preventing terrorism begins abroad, where the majority of those who would harm us are planning, training and raising resources. Working with our allies, [this] Administration will find and disrupt terrorist organizations and their financing and ensure that weapons of mass destruction do not fall into terrorists hands.
Will crack down on nuclear proliferation by strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that countries like North Korea and Iran that break the rules will automatically face strong international sanctions.

On the topic of 'Economy'

Believes that globalization is an opportunity for American workers today and in the future. Ninety-five percent of the world's customers lie outside our borders, and we need to be at the table when the rules for access to those markets are written.
Will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes.

On the topic of 'Energy'

Eliminate Our Current Imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 Years
Believes In Promoting And Expanding The Use Of Our Domestic Supplies Of Natural Gas. When people are hurting, and struggling to afford gasoline, food, and other necessities, common sense requires that we draw upon America's own vast reserves of oil and natural gas.

On the topic of 'Abortion'

Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.
A consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.

On the topic of 'Environment'

Proposes A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Encouraging The Development Of Low-Cost Compliance Options. A climate cap-and-trade mechanism would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell rights to emit, similar to the successful acid rain trading program of the early 1990s.
Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

On the topic of 'Health Care'

An important part of his plan is to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people's needs, lower prices, and portability. Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines.
Establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.

On the topic of 'Education'

Will quadruple Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding and improve quality for both.
Institutions report on hundreds of factors to the U.S. government every year, but the government does nothing with the information. Making this information available to families in a clear and concise manner will help more students make more informed choices about higher education.