Who will I support? – the intangibles and final decision

“It’s time to clean house. Clean out the privileges and perks. Clean out the arrogance and the big egos. Clean out the scandals, the corner-cutting and the foot-dragging. What kind of job do you think they’ve done during all those years they’ve been running the Congress?… Now, just imagine what they would do if they controlled the executive branch, too!… But now we have arrived, as we always do, at the moment of truth—the serious business of selecting a president. Now is the time for choosing.” – Ronald Reagan

As I did my research on this subject, I found that the ten major GOP candidates didn’t just speak to my pet issues – in fact, none spoke to all of them and the best ones only spoke to 8 of my 12. But they do have their own set of items they hold dear and many of these are worth looking into as I make a decision.

So I decided to do this part where a candidate stance on a particular issue could gain them an extra point (or, by the same token, have a point deducted.) Because the totals turned out quite close, this takes on additional importance.

I also found out in researching Duncan Hunter that my original read on his view of free trade and job creation was completely off the mark. I interpreted his brief statement as being anti-free trade but after I found this video I realized he wanted to completely renegotiate our trade pacts to make them more beneficial to our interests, plus as an added bonus give tax breaks to manufacturers. So, instead of being docked one point I’m going to give him 9 points, which places him in second with 78 points.

I’ll go through each GOP candidate in turn, one final time.

Sam Brownback:

Add points for: being for marriage being between one man and one woman, support of Israel, judicial philosophy, government noninterference in religious beliefs, being pro-life.

Subtract points for: supporting intrusive broadcasting laws, “New Homestead Act”, farm subsidies and biofuels.

Net change: add 2 points.

Rudy Giuliani:

Add points for: judicial philosophy.

Subtract points for: moderately pro-choice, for domestic partnerships.

Net change: subtract 1 point.

Mike Huckabee:

Add points for: government noninterference in religious beliefs, support of Israel.

Subtract points for: farm subsidies and biofuels, support of a Constitutional marriage amendment.

Net change: none.

Duncan Hunter:

Add points for: government noninterference in religious beliefs, judicial philosophy, condemning “hate crime” legislation, defunding the National Endowment of the Arts, belief in “peace through strength”, support of Israel, rejection of treaties that subjugate our sovereignty, philosophy on “handouts”.

Subtract points for: support of a Constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion, support of a Constitutional marriage amendment, support of federal involvement in parental rights, supporting intrusive broadcasting laws.

Net change: add four points. 

John McCain:

Add points for: none.

Subtract points for: calling for action on global warming.

Net change: subtract one point.

Ron Paul:

Add points for: being pro-life, stance on personal privacy, health freedom.

Subtract points for: none.

Net change: add three points.

Mitt Romney:

Add points for: being pro-life.

Subtract points for: support of a Constitutional marriage amendment, investment in rightfully private-sector research.

Net change: subtract one point.

Tom Tancredo:

Add points for: being pro-life, judicial philosophy, stance on political correctness.

Subtract points for: farm subsidies, support of a Constitutional marriage amendment.

Net change: add one point.

Fred Thompson:

Add points for: none.

Subtract points for: none.

Net change: none.

Tommy Thompson:

Add points for: being pro-life, judicial philosophy, being for marriage being between one man and one woman.

Subtract points for: none.

Net change: add three points.

Here’s the final standings. Drum roll please…

  1. Duncan Hunter, 82 points
  2. Rudy Giuliani, 79 points
  3. Mike Huckabee, 76 points
  4. Mitt Romney, 45 points
  5. Tom Tancredo, 41.5 points
  6. Fred Thompson, 37 points
  7. Ron Paul, 34.5 points
  8. Tommy Thompson, 24.5 points
  9. Sam Brownback, 20.5 points
  10. John McCain, 18 points

So at this time I endorse Rep. Duncan Hunter to be your next President of the United States, based on the careful study I’ve done of the issues I feel affect our nation.

I also strongly recommend for your consideration Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.

These three candidates have set themselves apart from the field and proven themselves worthy of the task of leading our nation.

I must say though that the jury is certainly out on Fred Thompson based on his strong showing on a few issues and as his campaign evolves he may move into this upper tier. Also possibly meriting consideration should he join the race is Newt Gingrich. I do have a few reservations about Newt; having read Winning the Future I’m concerned that he wants to expand federal power more than I’d like. But I have admired his futuristic thinking and that would be an asset for anyone seeking to be our next leader.

This has been a ton of writing and hours spent in front of my computer. But one purpose of monoblogue is to inform the voters, and I feel having taken the time to do the reading on issues where I laid out arguments to buttress my point of view as being correct, logical, and good for our nation both in the present and future, it’s led me to the candidates that I feel would do the best job in leading our nation.

I must caution that all of this goes to naught if we do not elect a Congress that’s supportive of the philosophies that guide my top choices. If Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi continue to be the leaders in Congress, at best we can hope for gridlock and paralysis; at worst, if I’ve miscalculated the leadership qualities of my top three, our nation would slide further into a morass of additional federal interference in our lives and pocketbooks.

Later this year, I’m going to do this same exercise with our Congressional candidates. Although I’ve already come out on record as supporting Andy Harris for the Congressional seat held by Wayne Gilchrest, by doing the twelve steps again it will illustrate the differences even between Gilchrest and the two leading Democrats for the seat. I’m thinking this will be done later in the fall.

So for now, I’m taking a break from my 50 year plan and its effects as an online subject. But I’m going to slowly look into the print version and begin some of the research I think is necessary to continue to build up my arguments. There will still be plenty of political news to go around and now it’s fairly apparent what my viewpoint on it will be.

I appreciate your continued readership and patience as I slowly dragged out this subject. But I think all of us should at some point do a similar amount of research on those people who would deign to lead us, whether locally, statewide, or on the highest federal levels.

Also, since I’m referring back to this post for later ones, here are the twelve previous parts as I dealt with (in ascending order):

  1. eminent domain/property rights;
  2. Second Amendment;
  3. election reform;
  4. trade and job creation;
  5. education;
  6. veterans affairs;
  7. energy independence;
  8. entitlements;
  9. taxation;
  10. role of government;
  11. border security and immigration, and;
  12. the Long War.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

11 thoughts on “Who will I support? – the intangibles and final decision”

  1. Be careful on the twelve point exercise in the Congressional race. You may end up being disappointed with the outcome kind of like you probably were when you found out that Guiliani was going to top your list.

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