The difference is that you can't benchmark Ron Paul, George Bush, Barack Obama, and John McCain. (You can look at voting records.)

If comparing languages was all about benchmarking, wouldn't we all be just using assembler?

Well, there are function points/LOC. I guess you don't want to go only on voting records either. But they are important. Unquantifiables are important too.

Ha! It's true! Except instead of an army of social news up-voters, it's mostly just the one guy and his blog.

What's Common Lisp?

I'm thinking either Barry Goldwater or Eugene McCarthy, kind of a toss-up.

Let's think about it:

* Was huge in the 80s

* Had a big downturn in the 90s

* Everyone speaks fondly of it today but doesn't really want to go that way?

It's gotta be Reagan.

Ralph Nader.

Now that's just cold.

I thought that was Forth.