2008 Presidential Election: Who should be the Republican Nominee? v2

This is the updated list with the candidates who are going to be on the ballots during the primaries.

If you don't know anything about the candidates, please check out this site, which will give you information on all of them.

 

I'll throw a vote in for Mitt. I dunno, I kinda like the guy.

 

John McCain.

 

Looks like Rogue_Ten got his vote in

I'd prefer Romney or McCain, but Huckabee will get it.

 

*throws up, points at it*

HIM!

 

Huckabee? Really? I've got Giuliani or Thompson pegged.

That being said, Giuliani's my favorite. I'm generally a Democrat, and he's the most democrat-like of them all, as far as my (admittedly limited) knowledge goes. If he gets the R nom and someone I don't want is the D, I might even vote for him (and yay for having the power to vote in a year!).

 

Thompson has no shot right now. If I may make a bold prediction, Romney leads in Iowa and New Hampshire. If he sweeps those two, he will be hard to stop in the rest of the primaries. It will almost be a repeat of the Kerry momentum in 2004.

 

It's a possibility. The problem with the GOP right now is that the party essentially has two wings - a socially conservative faction (the religious right) and a fiscally conservative faction (Libertarianesque). Huckabee's representing the religious right and Ron Paul's representing the libertarian wing. Giuliani and Thompson (somewhat uncomfortably) split the middle - Guiliani being more of a moderate and Thompson generally more of a standard Republican. Because the GOP is so divided, it's a much more diverse field of candidates and a much more competitive race. As candidates filter out, their supporters end up drifting around - for example, if Romney support dwindles, Huckabee gains support. Huckabee's been getting a lot of attention lately, as his socially conservative base rallies around him. It helps that of all the candidates, he's the most likable personality-wise. So if Huckabee plays his cards right, he could continue to rise.

I would still put my money on Giuliani. However, he's uncomfortable with many conservatives, and they're just as uncomfortable with him. I wouldn't be surprised (though I would be disappointed) if he gets dislodged.

 

Shame; seems like he's have the easiest time bridging the gap between republican and democrat and maybe getting both parties to support him if he reaches office.

(Plus, I'm wary of having another conservative in office ). I actually think that if the Democrats didn't have such issues with Hillary (a lot of people don't like her for various reasons, some of which are legit and some of which aren't) and Barack (doesn't have, in the eyes of many -- myself included -- enough experience) I think the democrats could gain office easily, riding on the "everyone hates Bush" wave.

 

Hate isn't quite enough to win an election. The other side must present an attractive alternative. I don't really see that the middle-of-the-road person in the midwest will necessarily see Hillary as that attractive an option.

Consequently, whoever the Republican nominee is will have to distance themselves from Bush, serving as an attractive alternative to him. At this point, I'm not sure who that is. I can say, though, that I give an early edge to Romney because of his advantages in the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.

 

I don't entirely buy into the 'Barack is inexperienced' line of thinking. Right now, none of the Republican front-runners except McCain have any foreign policy experience. The fact that Obama has some Senate experience is more than enough for me, especially considering his position on the Foreign Relations Committee. At the moment, no politician in America shines as brilliantly as Barack.

 

I'd bet a million dollars plus all the change in my wallet that hate is exactly the reason so many democrats got congress seats last year.

 

McCain.

 

I'd vote for either Romney or Huckabee. (My vote went to Huckabee btw)

 

RUDY

 

Hmmm...despite Romney gaining ground, I think Giuliani will get the nom.

 

After watching the GOP debate last week, I saw three candidates that looked good (even though I very likely won't be voting for any of them): McCain, Giuliani, and Huckabee. The rest were awful.

Huckabee is very smooth and has a nice presence. I read some criticism of him that he governed more moderately than he is running. Even though Rudy looked uncomfortable, I though he looked much less so than Romney. I thought Romney totally bombed in that debate. McCain is probably the best GOP choice.

 

Rudy Giuliani

not sure I like any of them much but he's the one I'd vote for

 

I'm with Fred

 

Vote Huck!

 

I like John McCain the best.

 

And I would disagree with that. It wasn't hate, it was dissatisfaction and disillusionment. People were tired of the war, and they desperately wanted a change in direction. It wasn't hate for Republicans or President Bush, which seems to fuel so many on the left. The middle doesn't vote like that. They voted for change in direction, not hate.

 

I don't think that either can win alone - rather, it was a political alliance between the haters, the dissatisfied, and the disillusioned that won in 2006.

And if that political alliance isn't depressing, I don't know what is.

 

Ron Paul / Tom Tancredo.

Patriots.

 

I like Rudy a lot these days. I have decided that I will vote for him if he goes against Hillary. He's a moderate with a brain on his shoulders. I think he has some potential.

Huckabee is a decent man but his riding the religious right to the oval office will cause some problems when he reaches the main election if he gets the nomination. I really don't think the swing votes will be religious enough to vote for him that being said Huckabee is a political genius though because if you follow his career at all, he isn't much like the man being presented now.

I like Ron Paul too, too radical to get the nomination but he is honest and sincere in a group of candidates who wear their politician smiles