Your Dad vs. Your Mom.

[retromike22]

Congratulations, you've overdosed on LSD and have found yourself in a bizarre and complex political dream: Both of your parents have decided to run against each other in a U.S. Presidential election. Judging their political beliefs and personalities, how would the election turn out?

My example:

Dad (blue): Economically far left, socially left/moderate, isolationist.
Mom (red): Economically left, socially moderate/conservative, interventionalist.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Dad (blue): Economically right, socially right, no idea on foreign policy
Mom (green): Economically center, socially right, no idea on foreign policy

My mom's comments on New York and New Jersey flipped the states to my dad.

[Hatman 🍁]

Interesting idea:

Dad (R) - 419 - runs as a Liberal Republican
Mom (D) - 119 - runs a a moderate populist Democrat

[politicus]

Interesting idea:

Dad (R) - 419 - runs as a Liberal Republican
Mom (D) - 119 - runs a a moderate populist Democrat

Why would a moderate populist Dem do so badly? Sounds like a better fit for most of the South and Midwest than a liberal Republican.

[Hatman 🍁]

Interesting idea:

Dad (R) - 419 - runs as a Liberal Republican
Mom (D) - 119 - runs a a moderate populist Democrat

Why would a moderate populist Dem do so badly? Sounds like a better fit for most of the South and Midwest than a liberal Republican.

My parents, being Canadian, would be far too left leaning for the US electorate, so my father would be more electable as he is closest to American electorate ideologically. Perhaps I shouldn't have characterized my mother as "moderate" in this context.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Neither.  My Dad was a Democrat who would never vote for "that n".  Mom - flaming lib.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Dad/Dad.

[Mr. Smith]

Mom (R): 254 EV Centre-right socially, fiscal moderate, no idea foreign policy wise

Dad (D): 284 EV Atheistic left socially, fiscal centre-left, dovish foreign policy

Utah is the strongest for religious reasons, Idaho and Arizona are next for the same reasons.

The non-Mormonism gives Dad a widespread edge in all the liberal areas and states.

And the South narrowly votes against Dad, better a crazy cultish Christian brand than no religion after all according to Dixie logic.

The rest of the West that isn't Utah votes for Dad based on being more libertarian.

Dad wins by being less of a stick in the mud and being more humorous, but doesn't win as big because of some gaffes made on the trail.

[TJ in Oregon]

Chamber of Commerce type Republican who is an electrical supplies salesman to populist conservative old school rust belt public school teacher:

Dad (R) would crush Mom (D). Ideology aside my father would be far better in a political campaign. Nothing against Mom; I love her and all, but elected politics isn't her calling in life.

Also the actual Democrats would most not bother voting.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

My dad kind of varies - sometimes he acts like he's on the far left, other times he follows a more center-left ideology. My mom is more or less a liberal republican. I could see this going either way.

1) Dad loses his temper at the debates and freaks out at my mom. My mom follows a kinder-looking set of tactics and wins with ~300 EVs, as republicans turn out big to stop Dad.

2) Nothing significant happens in the campaign, but on election day, Mom suffers from depressed republican turnout, and Dad wins with ~290 EVs.

[Boston Bread]

For me mom vs. dad would be like Landrieau vs. Pryor; too similar to be on different tickets.

[politicus]

For me mom vs. dad would be like Landrieau vs. Pryor; too similar to be on different tickets.

Same for me. Fiscal policy and general cultural conservatism on most issues would place them as two moderate Republicans whose fairly progressive views on the environment and opposition to the death penalty would make them unelectable as Pubs almost anywhere. My dad would be far too absent minded to function in electoral politics anyway (though it would be quite fun to see him try ).

Both pro-life, which would make them unelectable as conservative Dems in most places. Mum also opposed to gay marriage, but pro civil unions. Sort of a no-go for a Dem. Possibly also too hawkish on defence (we are talking McCain level of hawkishness). Death penalty and environmentalism would sink her as a Southern Blue Dog. Not sure someone as fiscally conservative as her could work as a Democrat outside the South.

Maybe my mum could get elected as a Republican in New Hampshire or Maine. She is an efficient public speaker and has some charisma. Culturally I think New England is the only place she would fit in.

EDIT: Looking at this from a congressional angle, since none of them could do well in a presidential election.

[morgieb]

Too similar to do. If it did happen though, I expect my dad would win easily as mum's a fair bit more radical.

[ElectionsGuy]

My parents are way too similar. They're both Mike Lee style conservatives.

[Goldwater]

Mom - 270 EVs
Dad - 268

My dad's a bit more right-wing overall, but the biggest difference between them is gun control, which my mom supports and my dad opposes.

[DC Al Fine]

Mine would be more like a GOP primary:

Dad: Social conservative from a working class background.
Mom: Centrist and bourgeois. Would be the establishment candidate.

Dad's social conservatism would play well in the South, but he is definitely the bootstraps type, limiting his populist appeal. His anti-union stances cut out an opportunity for a populist strategy in the rust belt. He wins a few early primaries but Mom's money and establishment backing are overwhelming. Dad drops out after Super Tuesday.

[politicus]

Mine would be more like a GOP primary:

Dad: Social conservative from a working class background.
Mom: Centrist and bourgeois. Would be the establishment candidate.

Dad's social conservatism would play well in the South, but he is definitely the bootstraps type, limiting his populist appeal. His anti-union stances cut out an opportunity for a populist strategy in the rust belt. He wins a few early primaries but Mom's money and establishment backing are overwhelming. Dad drops out after Super Tuesday.

Why wouldn't your dad win Utah and Arkansas?

Disregarding the issue of ballot access (like all previous non-Americans) I tried mine with my dad running as a Democrat in a two way race. I would expect some third party candidate to do quite well in this scenario, but if we eliminate that there would be abysmal turnout in the South and West. Iowa being Dem is based on it being an anti-war/interventionist state.

Dad
Mom

[Mr. Morden]

My father is dead and my Mom's a Canadian, so they'd both have trouble with ballot access.

[TNF]

Dad: Hybrid of William Jennings Bryan and Alex Jones
Mom: Kentucky Democrat

[politicus]

Dad: Hybrid of William Jennings Bryan and Alex Jones

Scary combo. Hope he is a nice guy in person despite it.

[DC Al Fine]

Mine would be more like a GOP primary:

Dad: Social conservative from a working class background.
Mom: Centrist and bourgeois. Would be the establishment candidate.

Dad's social conservatism would play well in the South, but he is definitely the bootstraps type, limiting his populist appeal. His anti-union stances cut out an opportunity for a populist strategy in the rust belt. He wins a few early primaries but Mom's money and establishment backing are overwhelming. Dad drops out after Super Tuesday.

Why wouldn't your dad win Utah and Arkansas?

Late primaries. Dad drops out on Super Tuesday.

[Mr. Illini]

Mom - fiscally moderate, socially liberal, staunchly pro-science, close to DLC Dems but considers herself an independent

Dad - fiscally conservative, socially moderate, Scott Walker-type Republican

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

Chamber of Commerce type Republican who is an electrical supplies salesman to populist conservative old school rust belt public school teacher:

Dad (R) would crush Mom (D). Ideology aside my father would be far better in a political campaign. Nothing against Mom; I love her and all, but elected politics isn't her calling in life.

Also the actual Democrats would most not bother voting.

Basically this

[DFL]

Mom
A bleeding-heart social liberal and fiscal moderate with absolutely 0 foreign policy knowledge
Dad
A fiscally conservative-leaning social centrist/Libertarian with extensive charisma and policy knowledge

(Some of the stranger state flips are due to bizarre nuances that aren't worth getting into)

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Dad (R)- Pretty conservative as a whole with a few random issues (such as being anti-gun and anti-tort reform), sometimes lives in a world of "fake news" and wouldn't want to deal with some parts of a campaign.  Finds Trump entertaining.  Would do anything to convince Mike Krzyzewski to be his running mate.

Mom (D)- Left-wing, apart from being anti-union and anti-pot.  She is a "Women's March" type liberal who wore a safety pin after the election.

Stepdad (I)- One of those people who takes pride in how centrist he is.  Maybe slightly tilts to the right economically, and significantly leans to the left socially (apart from being mostly anti-SJW).  Says his dream president is Michael Bloomberg.

Dad/Mike Krzyzewski
Mom/Cecile Richards
Stepdad/Michael Bloomberg

Dad loses North Carolina due to making a hateful remark about North Carolina fans.  Plus, Mom grew up there and wins a close three-way race.  Utah goes to a McMullin-like candidacy that is only on the ballot in Utah.  Had he been on the ballot in other places, he likely takes Idaho and Wyoming too.  The House chooses my stepdad, who is supported by most Democrats and some Democratic-state Republicans.