Handicapping the field

I did a mental exercise of ranking the GOP candidates 1 through whatever we’re up to today with a quick after blurb.

Walker:  Tough strong leader.  Doesn’t really care about what the MSM think about him.  He will do what is right.  Won three elections in purple WI.  Smashed teacher’s union in WI and signed bill limiting abortion to 20 weeks.  He flopped on immigration but has since flipped to the correct position.  No college sheepskin – Mr. Everydayman.  Successful governor which is a big plus.

Cruz:  Totally without fear of the Dopes, the Rats and the MSM.  When he and his supporters got called “wacko birds” by John McCain - who always reserves his toughest criticism for fellow Republicans – Cruz did not respond by giving out McCain’s personal cell phone number or questioning McCain’s war record.  Ivy league debate champ who would destroy the pig in a pantsuit in a national debate – even one where “I’ve eaten too much Candy” Crowley inserted her rather rotund self into the debate.  Too bad he’s a senator.  Has the advantage of being a mino.

Fiorina:  Bashes the Shrilldabeast at every opportunity like Bears’ fans bash their hapless QB Jay Cutler.  Very measured, very professional, other than disagreeing with Trump’s tone on immigration, I’ve not heard one thing from her that I disagree with.  A big plus is that she is a non-Caligula, D.C. insider.  Has the advantage of being a member of the majority that is seen as a mino.

Carson:  Honest non-pol who speaks the truth plainly.  Sort of a Donald Trump without the money and bombast.  An amazing story of hope and great accomplishment - sort of the anti-Empty Suit who has a story of flimflam and whining about things that NEVER happened to him in his sheltered affirmative action pass through life.  Carson is the most likable guy in the field.

Jindal: Also a very likeable guy with a great personal story.   He’s a successful governor who communicates well.  Also a visible mino.

Rubio:  Slid out of Lex’s top tier for three reasons: 1) Gang of eight immigration 2) Voted to give TES fast track trade authority 3) Tells us we have to accept the SCOTUS ruling on homosexual marriage, uh, no we don’t.  I’ll accept homosexual marriage when the left accepts the 2^nd Amendment. Has a great life’s story.  Articulates conservatism well and may be the best in the field on foreign policy.  Too bad he’s a senator.

Paul:  Libertarian conservative.  Will cave on all manner of social issues.  Best announced tax policy – flat at 14.5%.  Paul can go on campus and into mino communities without being booed.  He’s perhaps the only Republican candidate that can pull that off.  Would definitely expand the GOP base in a general election.  Too bad he’s a senator.

Perry:  Has spent way too much time whining about and name calling of Trump.  Too bad for Perry, Trump is right about immigration and the VA.  When you are as low in the polls as Perry you have to do something to break out.  Hint to Perry and the others: don’t try to break out by attacking Trump.  You will lose.  Perry’s a retread from the last cycle with nothing new to add.

Santorum:  Nice guy.  Strong conservative in a field with a lot of strong conservatives.  Another failed retread from the last cycle.  No reason for him to be in the race this time around.

Christie:  Straight shooter.  Said he’d enforce federal law on sanctuary cities and states that legalized marijuana.  Flopped on immigration and common core, but has since flipped to the correct side.  Disappointing convention speech for Romney.  Perfectly acceptable candidate.

   

Kasich:  A nice guy, successful governor from an important state.  Why do I get the feeling he’s running for VP?

Bush:  Wrong on immigration.  Wrong on common core.  Kind of a squish on everything else.  He’s the establishment candidate, so he’s immediately suspect.  But I’ve voted for him three times when I lived in FL, so how bad can he be?

Pataki:  Why is this guy in the race?  His platform, like Perry’s, appears to be, Donald Trump is destroying the Republican Party.  No.  The Republican Party is destroying the Republican Party.  It really doesn’t need any help.  The GOP is loaded top to bottom with weak Caligula, D.C. go along to get along insiders who wouldn’t tell the truth if you water boarded the bastards (Boehner, McConnell et al) for a week.  The exceptions can be counted before running out of digits on both hands – Cruz and Sessions are a couple of the exceptions.

Huckabee:  Puleeez.

Graham:  Clever TV ad of him destroying his cell phone after Trump announced Graham's personal cell phone number on TV.  Other than that, Graham has “crossed the aisle” so often it’s hard to tell which side the aisle he belongs on.

No I didn’t forget Trump.  How could anyone forget the Donald?  Obviously he’s in a category all his own.  I’ll cover him tomorrow.