GOP Poll Part II, now updated with actual candidates

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I'm Independent, so I can't vote in Primaries. But If I did, I would so vote for Bachmann. She's adorably insane enough for me to both rofl at her and to sabotage her campaign. Unlike Palin, whose outgoing personality (comes off as a leader, talks big, intimidating, etc) probably served to offset her nuttiness with people, but dear old Michelle is a lot like Christine O'Donnell (yeah, you guys remember her?), she just comes off as a stupid yet cute little girl who we can all just laugh at, pat on the head, and politely ignore.

That is, if Romney doesn't cry her off the stage during the first big debate.

 

[Cutlass]

T-Paw has one of the worst federal tax plans I've ever seen post-war.

Ever.

What's his plan? Even worse than the Fairytale Tax?



I think Romney, Pawlenty, or Huntsman would have the best chance of winning the nomination and the election. I don't know that they would win, but they seem to have the best chance to me.

 

[illram]

Romney. I don't see any of the others lasting. They all have too many issues and/or too much propensity for some sort of massive flap or embarrassment.

 

[Moss]

The best GOP candidate in terms of actual ability to govern and be a statesman is probably Huntsman (and the person I hope wins the GOP primary although I think he has a tough challenge ahead of him).

The best GOP candidate in terms of the politics of GOP primaries combined with the general election is probably Perry. While I don't think he'd do as well in the General as Hunstman, I think he has a much easier chance in the primaries being more conservative (Perry could do well in Iowa, win SC and possibly even NH although I think NH will go to Huntsman or Romney). What helps him in the General compared to the other really conservative members is that Perry isn't generally considered excessively extreme, or at least, while he says things that annoy liberals incessantly, his record as governor isn't as radical as some of his statements and I think he can measure his tone in the general election.

Romney is the front-runner now (according to the media at least) but if he has any chance he's going to have to overcome his personal appeal issues.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Sure, but does that matter to most of the voters he will attract? Not at all.
"He says he will cut taxes and cut unneeded services, like the post office which since Nixon hasn't recieved Federal funds to operate, but by God, cutting the Post Office will help our budget be balence!"

It may not receive federal funding anymore, but it still gets a lot of special treatment it does not deserve. The Postal Service still has the authority to regulate all of its private competitors. There is no real free market for what the post office does. It is illegal for private companies to deliver letters not marked as extremely urgent, or to charge less than 50% more than the Post Office charges. Lysander Spooner's American Letter Mail Company showed that the free market can provide this service better.

 

[IglooDame]

Gary Johnson: I didn't know anything about Johnson until looking him up just now. Wherever I wrote "amadeus votes Libertarian," add "or writes in Gary Johnson." Result: amadeus votes GOP/writes in Gary Johnson.

Yay, another Gary Johnson convert!

The best GOP candidate in terms of actual ability to govern and be a statesman is probably Huntsman (and the person I hope wins the GOP primary although I think he has a tough challenge ahead of him).

The best GOP candidate in terms of the politics of GOP primaries combined with the general election is probably Perry. While I don't think he'd do as well in the General as Hunstman, I think he has a much easier chance in the primaries being more conservative (Perry could do well in Iowa, win SC and possibly even NH although I think NH will go to Huntsman or Romney). What helps him in the General compared to the other really conservative members is that Perry isn't generally considered excessively extreme, or at least, while he says things that annoy liberals incessantly, his record as governor isn't as radical as some of his statements and I think he can measure his tone in the general election.

Romney is the front-runner now (according to the media at least) but if he has any chance he's going to have to overcome his personal appeal issues.

Huntsman has a LOT of ground to make up in NH, which has started paying attention to the primary contest lately (Monday's debate was a kickoff of sorts). I'd be very surprised at this point if anyone besides Romney takes first place in this state. McCain won it in 2008 (with 37% to Romney's 32%) but McCain had long been a sort of local hero here, Huntsman definitely does not have that draw.

 

[Zelig]

I'm Independent, so I can't vote in Primaries. But If I did, I would so vote for Bachmann. She's adorably insane enough for me to both rofl at her and to sabotage her campaign. Unlike Palin, whose outgoing personality (comes off as a leader, talks big, intimidating, etc) probably served to offset her nuttiness with people, but dear old Michelle is a lot like Christine O'Donnell (yeah, you guys remember her?), she just comes off as a stupid yet cute little girl who we can all just laugh at, pat on the head, and politely ignore.

That is, if Romney doesn't cry her off the stage during the first big debate.

Independent isn't a party, for what reason can't you register to vote in the primaries?

 

[jtb1127]

Independent isn't a party, for what reason can't you register to vote in the primaries?

Too bad it isn't. The country would be better off if it weren't controlled by only two political parties. George Washington warned us of this but we didn't listen.

 

[LucyDuke]

No no no no no. The whole point is that it isn't a party.

 

[Save_Ferris]

Too bad it isn't. The country would be better off if it weren't controlled by only two political parties. George Washington warned us of this but we didn't listen.

I'd like to see a third party with good core ideas. But if you want to do something, feel free to start up the Whig party again whenever you like.

 

[timtofly]

Dammit! I'm at work, so I wasn't about to google the guy to make sure I spelled it right...

I am not sure why or how it works or if it will for every one: Google will complete and or give you a proper spelling and you do not have to hit enter, just put the cursor at the end and start working your way backwards.

 

[shadowplay]

I chose Pawlenty because out of the GOP candidates, I think he has the most chance of winning the centrist vote in a presidential election.

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

I want Bachmann.

I want Gary Johnson for the nomination and the presidency. We need someone who will end the insane War on Drugs and leave the social issues at home.

I'll pass on Flip Romney. He has no core principles. He gets the nomination and I vote Libertarian.

Neaux on Rick Perry. Look where the last Texas governor got us. Perry=I vote Libertarian

Sanatorium is the worst of the lot. A little background on him...he was elected to the House in 1990. His biggest issues were the midnight pay raise and the fact that the incumbent, Doug Walgren, lived in Washington full time. He promised the entire campaign that he wouldn't accept the pay raise. As soon as the election results came in, he said he was taking the pay raise after all because he didn't realize how expensive it was to....LIVE IN WASHINGTON. In 2006. a few months before the Pennsylvania voters kicked him to the curb, he was involved in a scandal. He sent his kids to a cyber-charter school that cost tens of thousands of dollars a year, and he sent the bill to the Penn Hills, PA school district using his 'official' address. Which was a vacant house, nobody lived there even part time. There weren't even curtains in the windows. So he would get me to vote Libertarian.

 

[The_Tyrant]

so he would get me to vote Libertarian.

Hope you enjoy wasting your vote.

 

[Dumanios]

I find it a bit amusing that the consensus is that Downtown is the best candidate.

 

[LucyDuke]

Well he really is.

 

[Cutlass]

I find it a bit amusing that the consensus is that Downtown is the best candidate.

This shouldn't actually surprise anyone.

 

[emzie]

I want Bachmann.

I want Gary Johnson for the nomination and the presidency. We need someone who will end the insane War on Drugs and leave the social issues at home.

I'll pass on Flip Romney. He has no core principles. He gets the nomination and I vote Libertarian.

Neaux on Rick Perry. Look where the last Texas governor got us. Perry=I vote Libertarian

Sanatorium is the worst of the lot. A little background on him...he was elected to the House in 1990. His biggest issues were the midnight pay raise and the fact that the incumbent, Doug Walgren, lived in Washington full time. He promised the entire campaign that he wouldn't accept the pay raise. As soon as the election results came in, he said he was taking the pay raise after all because he didn't realize how expensive it was to....LIVE IN WASHINGTON. In 2006. a few months before the Pennsylvania voters kicked him to the curb, he was involved in a scandal. He sent his kids to a cyber-charter school that cost tens of thousands of dollars a year, and he sent the bill to the Penn Hills, PA school district using his 'official' address. Which was a vacant house, nobody lived there even part time. There weren't even curtains in the windows. So he would get me to vote Libertarian.

The Bachmann line made me LOL. But she's nuts so no.

I could live with Huntsman. Gary Johnson seems like he'd never work in Washington, but I dig his style.

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

Hope you enjoy wasting your vote.

I guess I could cast an "unwasted" vote for a loser like Santorum or Romney

 

[timtofly]

This shouldn't actually surprise anyone.

Unless this is their first OT Poll?