Republicans: Who would you choose today?

[Delta]

I am curious about this as we are about 8 months out from the first primary in NH.

(I included Fred Thompson even though he isn't official. He's everything but. And I left out Jim Gilmore. I had no idea he was even running until the last debate.)

[thedoorchick]

I'm still thinking it all over, and am a long way from a real decision. But at this point, I like Huckabee the best, but I don't think he has a realistic chance. Next to him, probably Thompson.

[Delta]

I'm still thinking it all over, and am a long way from a real decision. But at this point, I like Huckabee the best, but I don't think he has a realistic chance. Next to him, probably Thompson.
Huckabee has done really well in the debates. He's really good. And do you mean Tommy or Fred? ;)

[thedoorchick]

Whoops. Fred Thompson. It's late. :o

Huckabee's problem seems to be fundraising, at the moment. That's mainly the reason I think he won't go far, though if $$ weren't a factor, I could see him having a lot of appeal.

[artist]

Delta,

I'm obviously not going to vote in this poll, but can you guess who out of the Republican candidates I personally would like the best? :)

[LyLMyssChaos]

Uggh, I am dreading voting this time around. I'm having a VERY difficult time on who to vote for. :confused:

According to OnTheIssues.org (http://www.speakout.com/VoteMatch/senate2006.asp?quiz=2008)
I match up with Duncan Hunter.

[WisWis]

If I had to decide today, probably Giuliani. I'm not that excited about any of the candidate though, which is depressing!

[Delta]

Can you Giuliani-ites please explain his appeal? I just do not get it.

Does it bother you that his own kids won't talk to him? That sends up major red flags to me.

[cr8zyforaf]

This is going to be a very tough election. My front runner at this point is Huckabee but I will need to become more educated on all of the candidates before making a decision.

[1MegMeg]

If I had to vote right now, I would vote for Ron Paul. Unfortunately, I don't think he'll be receiving the Rebublican bid for candidacy.

[jenahdawn]

Not voting in this (or the other) poll, but as a Wisconsinite, I want to thank you for NOT voting for Tommy "The Terminator" Thompson!

[bookworm]

Can you Giuliani-ites please explain his appeal? I just do not get it.

Does it bother you that his own kids won't talk to him? That sends up major red flags to me.

The trains will run on time?

I don't know...I think he's probably a big jerk, but he's pragmatic and has some actual accomplishments. And politically he has that record of fiscally responsible, strong-on-defense, get-out-of-my-personal-business that many people find appealing (including me, but the fascist tendencies will probably push this "unaffiliated" voter to the Dems again).

I do have to add that from a personal integrity standpoint, I think Romney is the worst. As the governor of Massachusetts, he went down south and mocked the state to endear himself to conservatives. If he was going to do that (which is fine), he needed to resign.

[LeighW]

I like Huckabee too.

ITA with bookworm on Giuliani's appeal.

[philnikki]

I took that quiz, LMC and I also match up with Duncan Hunter. I am reserving my opinion until it gets closer to the primary though...too much can happen between now and then.

Did you guys hear the Gingrich was going to announce his candidacy in September? Thoughts?

[PinkMartini]

Did you guys hear the Gingrich was going to announce his candidacy in September? Thoughts?

DH heard that and is super excited.. He loves Newt.

And I think I heard on the news this morning that Fred is going to file paperwork tomorrow so that he can join in.

As for me, if I absolutely HAD to choose today I'd vote for Romney. But I'd rather wait until the primary, as philnikki said too much can happen between now and then.

[ysolde]

Rudy, I guess. He is fiscally conservative, pro-choice, and pro-gay rights. I am for any candidate who stays out of my wallet, out of my bedroom, and out of my doctor's office. To me, that's what the GOP is all about.

[Delta]

The trains will run on time?

I don't know...I think he's probably a big jerk, but he's pragmatic and has some actual accomplishments. And politically he has that record of fiscally responsible, strong-on-defense, get-out-of-my-personal-business that many people find appealing (including me, but the fascist tendencies will probably push this "unaffiliated" voter to the Dems again).
I find those qualities appealing too, actually. He just strikes me as unstable or something. I think he was a good mayor for NYC and seemed to be an effective prosecutor, but as for whether he'd be a good leader of the free world...I just don't feel comfortable with that at all. I wonder how he'd deal with Democrats in Congress. Or in diplomacy. He seems to be a my-way-or-the-highway type of person, even moreso than GWB. And with his stance on social issues, I'm baffled as to how he is leading in the Republican polls. I guess his support is coming from all of the fiscal conservatives with social libertarian-leanings as well as those who like his strong stance on national security. (All of which sound good to me too, but I just can't bring myself to trust the guy not to come unhinged or something.)

Here are my first-come-to-mind thoughts about all the candidates:

Brownback - converted Catholic (like me) who cares about poverty
Giuliani - kinda crazy but effective
Huckabee - nice, sensible guy with no gravitas whatsoever
Hunter - wants a fence on the border
McCain - my personal pick at the moment but he's old. VP pick would be very important if he were the nominee.
Paul - libertarian that the rest of the field needs to listen to
Romney - slick proto-candidate; vetoed ban on formula bags in MA hospitals - boo!
Tancredo - immigration guy
F. Thompson - my pick if he gets in. Please stop the Reagan comparisons though.
T. Thompson - HHS guy
Gingrich - one man think tank, better as consigliere, not candidate
Hagel - should run as a Dem

[heather1029]

I just took that quiz on Ontheissues.org and I ended up with:

Romney 60%
Huckabee 58%
Tancredo 48%
Brownback 45%

I'm not sure how I feel now. Before I took this quiz, I voted for Brownback in the poll. But now, I'm wondering if Brownback is a good match for me...

I wish abortion and immigration were not big issues right now. I'm just sort of against lots of laws, taxes, rules, blah! Let's stick to the bigger issues of 1. how to spend our tax dollars wisely and 2. how to find alternative fuel/energy.

[msnicolea]

ysolde--I love your description of what the GOP should stand for!

[LyLMyssChaos]

Rudy, I guess. He is fiscally conservative, pro-choice, and pro-gay rights. I am for any candidate who stays out of my wallet, out of my bedroom, and out of my doctor's office. To me, that's what the GOP is all about.

I wish lots of people would stay out of my doctor's office. :p

Darn pencil pushers playing doctor. grrrrr

[ysolde]

I wish lots of people would stay out of my doctor's office. :p

Darn pencil pushers playing doctor. grrrrr

I am having one of those days, too. I sympathize. :(

[princesse]

I'm so glad to see some fellow Republicans here. That's all!

[savannahgrl]

I'm so glad to see some fellow Republicans here. That's all!

Me too!

ETA: I'm a long ways off from making a decision, but I'm going to go take that quiz now. Thanks for that link.

[ysolde]

I'm so glad to see some fellow Republicans here. That's all!


I suddenly heard Miranda Priestly's voice in my head! Loving it! :D

[Delta]

If some of the more conservative candidates don't withdraw before the primaries, then Giuliani will be the nominee. Unless Fred Thompson can win over some of both.

[bookworm]

Well, if Giuliani is the nominee, I think the Rs will win again. I don't know that the Rockefeller Rs will continue to get in bed with the religious right. Of course, I didn't think they would in '04 either.... but if the D is less of a nudge than Kerry, that might help.

[Delta]

Well, if Giuliani is the nominee, I think the Rs will win again. I agree.

Although my husband, who is one of the most devout Catholics I know, has already said he will sit out the General Election if Rudy is the nominee.

[LyLMyssChaos]

Uggh, if Rudy gets the nod, I may have to sit this one out as well.

[thedoorchick]

I don't particularly like Giuliani, but I'd hold my nose and vote for him.

[karlatta]

Interesting. The poll matched me up with Romney. I'm always afraid to show my support for him because part of it feels like it might be perceived as "he's Mormon and I'm Mormon so of course I'll vote for him." I guess maybe I really do agree with some of his policies.

[sea74]

Uggh, if Rudy gets the nod, I may have to sit this one out as well.
Yeah, me too :(

[bookworm]

Question for those of you who would sit out if Rudy is the candidate--is it because he's pro-choice and pro-gay rights? Or are there other reasons?

For those who are also against the death penalty (as many Catholics are...not sure if it's a big issue in other religions), does a candidate who supports the death penalty cause the same issue as one who is pro-choice? (ETA: I believe Rudy fits both categories, so it may not be an issue in this case! But in general, I'm curious.)

[thedoorchick]

I would not necessarily sit it out if Giuliani was the candidate, but his stances on abortion and gay rights do not sit well with me.

[sea74]

Question for those of you who would sit out if Rudy is the candidate--is it because he's pro-choice and pro-gay rights? Or are there other reasons?
It's primarily because he's pro-choice. I just can't do it.

[LyLMyssChaos]

For me it does have a little to do with him being pro-choice, as well as quite a few of his other stances. but it's mostly because I am not confident in his abilities as a leader. I don't think he's quite ready for the office of President. It's one thing to be a mayor, it's completely different to be Commander-in-Chief. I can't see him in that capacity.

[thedoorchick]

I should add that abortion is not an issue I vote on. While I don't like Giuliani's stance, it's really not a factor in whether I vote for him. I decided quite a while ago that I really had to be pragmatic about this particular issue. There is no way the legality of abortion will change in my lifetime or any other. Therefore, voting for or against a candidate based on his/her stance is really a waste of a vote, other issues notwithstanding.

While I have an opinion on the issue, I don't vote based on it. Personally, I see little to no point in doing so.

My husband, who is more blunt than I, sums it up as, "Is abortion still legal? Yes. Will that change based on [insert candidate here]'s viewpoint? No."

[Scooter]

DH & I find Ron Paul very interesting. It's true he used to be a Libertarian and probably has no chance at all in this election, but from everything I've heard him say, he is a very classic conservative. Wants to shrink the government, encourage people to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps instead of "relying" on social programs, not go spend-crazy on wars, etc etc.

It's kind of refreshing (even as someone who believes differently) to hear someone who seems like a pretty likable guy actually returning to this classic conservative position. Compared to Bush, who obviously differs from that standpoint and has confused a lot of the issues--and I don't mean that as a slam, just as a commonly understood thing if you look at conservative theories.

[Delta]

Ron Paul is very inspiring.

Did anyone watch the debate tonight on CNN? Of the parts I watched, Rudy was the best. Sigh.

[LyLMyssChaos]

I watched the CNN debate, and after what I saw from Ron Paul, I could NOT vote for him.

I'm seeing myself leaning more and more toward Romney, but I'm not sold yet.

[Aimee]

DH & I find Ron Paul very interesting. It's true he used to be a Libertarian and probably has no chance at all in this election, but from everything I've heard him say, he is a very classic conservative. Wants to shrink the government, encourage people to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps instead of "relying" on social programs, not go spend-crazy on wars, etc etc.

It's kind of refreshing (even as someone who believes differently) to hear someone who seems like a pretty likable guy actually returning to this classic conservative position. Compared to Bush, who obviously differs from that standpoint and has confused a lot of the issues--and I don't mean that as a slam, just as a commonly understood thing if you look at conservative theories.

I'm interested in Ron Paul, too. I noticed someone put up a banner with his name along the roadside and I checked him out, and was impressed with his stance on things. Though I am Catholic, I don't consider myself part of the fundamentalist religious right. I'm a small-government, fiscally conservative, Federalist kind of R, not a "let's have a theocracy" type of R.

I really like that he couches his pro-life status not on a moral basis, but on a legal basis. I've read the Constitution, read Roe v. Wade, and, in my opinion, the court was dead wrong from a legal standpoint. I think that the issue of abortion is a states rights issue, not a Federal issue, and I'm happy to see that there are others who share that viewpoint.

All that said, dude has a snowball's chance. But it's always nice to see something a little different from the same old, same old.

[sea74]

I also find Ron Paul to be very interesting.

I decided quite a while ago that I really had to be pragmatic about this particular issue. There is no way the legality of abortion will change in my lifetime or any other. Therefore, voting for or against a candidate based on his/her stance is really a waste of a vote, other issues notwithstanding.

While I have an opinion on the issue, I don't vote based on it. Personally, I see little to no point in doing so.

My husband, who is more blunt than I, sums it up as, "Is abortion still legal? Yes. Will that change based on [insert candidate here]'s viewpoint? No."
I totally get where you're coming from. However, for me as a Christian I know I've got to stand by what I believe in even if it doesn't get me anywhere. And I do feel that as in all my decisions in life, I'll be accountable for them later. But I do get what you're saying.

[ysolde]

I really like that he couches his pro-life status not on a moral basis, but on a legal basis. I've read the Constitution, read Roe v. Wade, and, in my opinion, the court was dead wrong from a legal standpoint. I think that the issue of abortion is a states rights issue, not a Federal issue, and I'm happy to see that there are others who share that viewpoint.



OMG, I am not crazy -- there are other people who believe this. YAAAYYY!!!!! While I don't think abortion should be illegal, I think it is a states' rights issue (although I do understand the argument that it would be poor women who would have less access to legal abortion if it were illegal in some states, and that they would be the ones doing the dying).

So nice to meet a fellow Federalist.

[thedoorchick]

I totally get where you're coming from. However, for me as a Christian I know I've got to stand by what I believe in even if it doesn't get me anywhere. And I do feel that as in all my decisions in life, I'll be accountable for them later. But I do get what you're saying.
No, I see what you are saying as well. And I do agree that you have to stand by what you believe. I guess what I am trying to say is, this isn't the only issue on which I have beliefs that I feel I need to stand by.

In other words, if candidate A is pro-choice, and candidate B is pro-life but goes against something else I hold as a core value (on which candidate A agrees with my viewpoint), I'm going with A.

[sxsw_dad]

I would vote hands down for Ron Paul. Have any of you seen the debates? Last night on CNN Giuliani said he wants to train the millitary on how to nation build!

Check it out on YouTube from the debate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgr3gDS3Dhc

I would also highly recommend watching this video from the CNN debate too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_BjK1QqDOo

[sxsw_dad]

Question for those of you who would sit out if Rudy is the candidate--is it because he's pro-choice and pro-gay rights? Or are there other reasons?
For me he's pro preemptive war and nation building. 100's of billions of dollars are going out of our country to defeat a country like Iran who has little to no navy, little to no air force. Is Iran a real threat? They don't even have a nuclear bomb. Heck the USSR had what like 40,000 or 50,000 of them and we beat them without a shot fired. So how can a preemptive nuclear strike be a good thing against Iran or any country compared to us?

I like what Ron Paul says, "we have a lot of goodness in this country and we should promote it but never through the barrel of a gun."

[Rositabean]

I took the Ontheissues.org quiz and was matched up with Bill Richardson. I have been a republican (young republican club) since high school so what is up with that? I must be so disgusted with my party that it is affecting me subconciously. My next closest match is Romney but I would never vote for him.

[Delta]

Is there any way a mod can close this poll?

[sxsw_dad]

Ack the poll... Rudy Giuliani is just scary.. VERY scary for this country.

[sxsw_dad]

Sorry to dig this thread back up but I just found this on uTube. It's a broadcast of MSNBC about Giuliani that's pretty scary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HdfI2tdtt0