The Republican Horse Race
 

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Rasmussen Daily National Poll, December 1st

24% :: Rudy Giuliani
15% :: Mike Huckabee
14% :: Fred Thompson
13% :: John McCain
10% :: Mitt Romney
5% :: Ron Paul

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Rudy Giuliani has been an advocate of gun control and for federal funding of abortions. His campaign's main message is to continue the war on terror, and the war on drugs, at home and abroad. He's pro-immigration and linked to the NAFTA superhighway.

Mike Huckabee wants the government to do a lot, paying for illegal immigrants' tuition, a federal ban on smoking, and supports all sorts of entitlements. He is very pro-life and pro-drug war and ran up taxes enormously as Governor of Arkansas. Huckabaee lacks donations, but is rising fast and has run his campaign very well.

Fred Thompson's support of McCain-Feingold is questioned by 1st amendment rights advocates, but he is a strong supporter of 2nd amendment rights. Thompson best represents the views of the Republican party as a whole, and has moved his position on immigration to where the party is since he left the Senate.

McCain supported the immigration reform bill that some have labeled amnesty, helped author the campaign finance reform bill that Thompson's support of is his biggest flaw as the Republican candidate. McCain has also supported gun control and been on the wrong side of the religious right. His campaign is bankrupt and there is no chance McCain wins the nomination with these issues.

Romney ran a pro-choice campaign in Massachusetts, but claims by the time he was in office he wasn't keeping those promises anymore. Romney wants to clean up the ocean for its children, and he's taken an anti-1st amendment stance to help do it in television and video games. In Massachusetts he said that gun laws helped keep us safe, but his current position is unclear, as is everything with Mitt Romney.

Paul seeks to pull out of Iraq, but is by far the most fiscally conservative candidate in the race. In addition to cutbacks in foreign policy, he seeks to eliminate as many government bureaucracies as Congress would allow. His pro-life, anti-immigration stances should appeal to the Republican base, though his seek to end the war on drugs will not. Thankfully for him, drugs are not on the mind of voters this election season.

It looks to me like Thompson ought to be the uniting candidate in the Republican field, but his campaign has lost a lot of luster. He best represents the views of the party, but should he fail, Paul is the only candidate in position to represent them on domestic issues. His pro-peace position will be a stumbling block for some of the party, but Giuliani's shaky personal history and pro-choice position and Huckabee's pro-welfare positions, along with their pro-immigration positions may prove to be stumbling blocks just as large when trying to consolidate the GOP base.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

Which one wants to kill the most brown people = republican candidate.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

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Which one wants to kill the most brown people = republican candidate.

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Now THAT'S an intelligent response...

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

I like Giuliani but I'd be surprised if he gets the nomination because I don't think the 'base' will accept his positions on guns, abortion, gay rights and whatever else they'd think was too liberal once things get serious. Romney's a waffler and the rest are after-thoughts. Starting to look like Huckabee right about now.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

I don't know if it will have any impact, but the Manchester Union Leader is going to endorse McCain.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

Wow, I didn't realize that Romney had lost so much ground.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

I still think it will be Romney and Huckabee as the ticket, but if Huckabee wins Iowa, all bets are off.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

Is that an accurate poll? I don't think Romney is anything but 1st/2nd/3rd.

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

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Is that an accurate poll? I don't think Romney is anything but 1st/2nd/3rd.

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It seems to be "accurate" as far as those being Rasmussen numbers. However I've always found Rasmussen to be off.


Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

Trouble on Mitt Romney's Campaign Trail

Re: The Republican Horse Race
 

From the Cook Political Report site:

"Charlie Cook today gives Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney each a 45 percent chance of winning the GOP nomination, Hillary Clinton an 85 percent chance of winning the Democratic nomination, and Democrats a 60 percent chance of capturing the White House."