The Current Candidates
The Republican field of candidates are down to four at this point: Paul, Huckabee, Romney, and McCain.
If you take Paul off that list I honestly don’t know who I should support.
Huckabee is good on the gun thing, but the reason that the gun thing works for me as a litmus test is because most of the time that indicates the candidate is all for personal choice and individual liberty. Huckabee is a populist, not a conservative. The only reason he takes any conservative views is because he thinks that’s what the people and and that is what will get him elected. Being right on the issue of guns is a side effect of that position, not a natural extension of his philosophy. I don’t like that.
McCain isn’t much better but I do get the feeling from him that he’s genuine in what he advocates for. He’s not just making shit up to get elected. Kudos for that, or at least making me think you’re genuine, but that won’t win my vote. If it did then I might as well vote for Obama. They look about equal in my eyes.
Romney has the successful businessman thing going for him, but I don’t think that translates perfectly into government. I’d feel much better about getting behind him if he were advocating for strong civil liberties and lower taxes, but he’s not doing that. All he’s doing is trying to make himself look better at economics than McCain.
Paul, I think, will end up running as a 3rd party. He’s been saving his money for this unless he’s created a massive ad campaign that’ll be launched before Super Tuesday. I don’t think he has. I have mixed feelings on this, but in the end I think it’s needed. McCain and Romney are basically Democrat-lite candidates trying to sucker in Republicans. A 3rd party run by Paul would give the Republican party some pretty clear numbers on just how many of their ilk are tried of rampant spending and shitting on civil liberties.