Top Tier

Today I wanted to take a minute and give my personal assessment of the current top tier Republican Presidential Candidates. (These opinions are subject to changes/updates as time goes by.)

Rudy Giuliani: Here is a man that always looks back at what he did as mayor of New York City, and is always telling people to look at his record, so let's look at it. He is Pro-Choice, favoring Abortion on demand, and even fought hard against a ban on partial-birth abortions, a most barbaric "procedure" as well as a most despicable position. So, while he talks about trying to help people to have less abortions, his record tells us something quite different. He is also very pro gun control. You can read more about that in an earlier post titled "Which Way Rudy?" While he is fiscally Conservative, to an extent, it just isn't enough. I had said before that I would not vote for him in the Primary, but might consider it in the general election, but I have changed my mind. If Rudy does win the Republican Primary and becomes the nominee, I'm not voting GOP this time around.

Mitt Romney: I'm not even going to comment on his Religion. I'm not claiming it isn't important, there's just plenty of other stuff to focus on without it. The fact is that Romney is just another Liberal Republican, somewhere to the left of Rudy, who can't figure out where he actually stands on any issue. Actually, he doesn't seem to stand anywhere, he will just tell you whatever he thinks will get you to vote for him. This is called "pandering" and is not something you wish to see in a leader. I can't really tell you about his real stances, because the guy flip-flops so bad he makes John Kerry seem utterly stable. I would have to say, not even an option.

John McCain: I'm only commenting on McCain because the press won't let go, and hasn't admitted that he's done for yet. The guy has no chance at all. He was on shaky ground with mainstream Republicans over Campaign finance reform (which made the whole problem of only the rich being able to run for President even worse than it had been before) and then he went and sided with the open borders Democrats on immigration. He's not even a contender, which is good, since he's not an option either.

Fred Thompson: I kinda like Fred Thompson. He sounds good when he talks. He says the right things, and for the most part, has taken the correct stand on many issues over the long term. He is a member of the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) which, justifiably, makes a lot of, more informed, conservatives nervous, and will not help his chances at all. Fred's biggest problem right now stems from the fact that he has been running a lazy campaign. He looked like he might be nodding off a few times during the last debate, and so far, hasn't shown much energy. Fred could still pull this out, but he has to step it up a notch (or ten) and really show people that he's serious. He has to show us some energy, and he has to always show that he is prepared to answer tough questions on the spur of the moment. I would say that he is a potential option, but we need more from him. If he continues to be lazy, and not having ready answers when asked a question, he'll be nothing more than a footnote... if that.

Mike Huckabee: This guy is just kinda nibbling at the underside of being a top tier candidate, but he is gaining favor with some Christians and social conservatives, so he deserves mention here. Like Thompson, Huckabee holds good positions on a lot of issues, but has said some things that make grass roots GOPers kind of nervous. He's another potential option, but bears close watching to see if he really is for real or not.

I would love to get some comments on this, to see if you agree or disagree with my assessment, or just have something to add.