Test 1 of the mycandidatescorecard.org experiment is finished. Thanks to those who tested the system and provided feedback. Super helpful. Test 2 will begin in the late winter/early spring of 2023. Test 2 will focus on elections in the City of Mount Vernon, NY- 1 mayor and 2 out of 5 City Council seats. We might also configure things to track the Board of Trustee seats at the Mount Vernon City School District, but maybe not.
In the meantime, the website is configured to elect the “official cookie” of mycandidatescorecard.org.
To reduce bias, the entire election process is being overseen by the International Board of Sugary Baked Goods (IBSBG). The IBSBG is the perfect organization to oversee this election because it has no known history of cookie bias or cookie cronyism. In fact, since the organization was just now conjured in my head, it has no known history of anything. So, it is completely safe to assume the IBSBG is a fair and neutral governing body. You can trust the IBSBG!
Initially, more than a baker’s dozen cookie varieties sought this inaugural title. The Oreo and the Kit Kat were denied entry to the balloting process due to their commercial status. Three cookies were too obscure (repulsive?) to be taken seriously- the “Harbor Dredge” Cookie, the “Left over Lunch Meat” Cookie, and the “Bandage Surprise” Cookie. One, the “Hard-Boiled Egg” Cookie was just that: a hard-boiled egg. The IBSBG asked that the application for the hard-boiled egg “cookie” be withdrawn and, reluctantly, it was.
One cookie, the Pizzelle, petitioned for exemption from the balloting process by claiming status as the world’s oldest cookie. The IBSBG denied the petition. The Sugar Cookie, Ginger Snap, and Butter Cookie, all contended valiantly but ultimately failed to make it onto the final ballot.
The 3 Cookies that made it through the rigorous balloting process are as follows:
- Chocolate Chip
- Oatmeal Raisin, and
- Snickerdoodle
The Cookie Candidates with be rated across 4 attributes using a 5-point system, 5 being “most favorable”:
- Texture– How favorably do you view the crispiness, crunchiness, crumbliness, and/or chewiness of the candidate?
- Flavor– How favorably do you view how this candidate tastes?
- Dunkability– How favorably do you view the flavor and texture of this candidate after the candidate has been dunked in milk, coffee, or tea?
- a la mode– How favorable do you view this candidate when it is served with a scoop of ice cream?
Now, right out of the gate, to avoid any confusion, there are no actual cookies being handed out for tasting. That would never work. Judging actual cookies? Preposterous. No, you dear rater, will imagine each Cookie Candidate’s perfect self- the Kantian Cookie Ideal– and rate cookie attributes according to that ideal.