RINO CHART - Issues and Ratings Update

1/23/08 | dwar

[DWar]

“If Fred Thompson or Duncan Hunter don't "make it" and it becomes necessary to vote while holding my nose and puking, I tried to devise a rational way to determine which RINO (Republican In Name Only) would make me the least ill.”

I began another thread with this statement. The following is a promised update to that thread posted on 1/15/08.
That thread is found HERE

In it I posted a chart that included:

• The issues important to most conservatives,
  
• Rating the issues by the most important to the less important and
  
• Rating the candidates on each issue from 0 to 10 (with 10 being the most conservative).

I’ve had a good deal of FReeper input that I’ve taken under advisement. After further research I’ve updated the list of issues, candidates’ ratings and reorganized the data a couple of different ways for perspective. You may find the evaluative basis for the matrix in the chart on the prior thread. I’ll not repost it here.

My biases are:

• I prefer the most conservative candidate and president I can get.
  
• The Republican will be the more conservative in the general election so I will vote Republican regardless of who it is.
  
• There are too many critical issues for me to walk away because I can’t get everything I want.
  
• I believe conservatism is better advanced by staying involved in the process even when my candidate is less conservative than I’d like.

Conservative= 10
Conservative tendencies= 8
Moderate or Unreliable=5
Liberal tendencies= 2
Liberal= 0
.
.
Issue by Category	Giuliani	Huck	Hunter	McCain	Romney	Thompson
SECURITY & DEFENSE
- Illegal Immigration	2	5	10	2	8	10
- War in Iraq	10	10	10	10	10	10
- War on Terror	10	5	10	5	10	10
- Iran	10	5	10	10	10	10
- Border Fence	10	5	10	5	10	10
- ANWAR Drilling	5	10	10	0	10	10
- US Sovereignty (LOST)	5	10	10	5	5	8
- Military Strength	10	10	10	10	10	10
- Guantanamo	10	0	10	0	10	10
- Waterboarding	10	0	10	0	10	10
- Energy Indy	8	8	10	5	10	10
.
SECURITY & DEFENSE TOTALS	90	68	110	52	103	108
.
.
FISCAL ISSUES
- Business/infl/rec	10	5	10	5	10	10
- Lower Taxes	10	2	10	2	10	10
- Spending Cuts	8	5	10	10	8	10
- Healthcare- gov run	10	5	10	8	8	10
- Soc Sec	10	10	10	10	10	8
- Internet Neutrality	10	0	10	10	10	10
- Internet Tax	10	0	10	10	10	10
- Kyoto Treaty	10	8	10	0	10	10
- Global Warming	0	0	10	0	10	8
- Tax Reform	10	10	10	8	10	8
- Tort Reform	10	8	10	5	10	5
.
FISCAL ISSUES TOTALS	98	53	110	68	106	99
.
.
VALUES ISSUES
- SCOTUS appts	8	8	10	2	8	10
- Guns & 2nd Amend	0	10	10	2	5	10
- Pro-Life	0	10	10	5	5	8
- Gay Rights	0	10	10	5	8	8
- CFR & 1st Amend	0	0	10	0	10	0
- Crime	10	5	10	10	10	10
- Education	5	5	5	5	5	5
- Death Penalty	10	10	10	10	10	10
- School Vouchers	10	10	10	10	10	10
- Federalism	5	8	10	5	8	10
- Affirmative Action	5	8	10	5	8	2
- Property Rights	10	10	10	10	10	10
.
VALUES ISSUES TOTALS	63	92	115	69	97	93
.
.
.	Giuliani	Huck	Hunter	McCain	Romney	Thompson
.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
- Stability of Personality	8	8	10	5	10	10
- Electablity	8	5	2	10	8	5
- Consistency	8	5	10	8	5	10
- Leadership	10	5	5	8	10	5
.
PERSONAL QUALITIES TOTAL	34	23	27	31	33	30

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Conservative= 10
Conservative tendencies= 8
Moderate or Unreliable=5
Liberal tendencies= 2
Liberal= 0
.
PERSONAL ISSUES	Giuliani	Huck	Hunter	McCain	Romney	Thompson
1- Stability of Personality	8	8	10	5	10	10
2- Electablity	8	5	2	10	8	5
3- Consistency	8	5	10	8	5	10
4- Leadership	10	5	5	8	10	5
PERSONAL ISSUES TOTAL	34	23	27	31	33	30
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
POLITICAL ISSUES	.	.	.	.	.	.
BY PRIORITY	.	.	.	.	.	.
1- Illegal Immigration	2	5	10	2	8	10
2- War in Iraq	10	10	10	10	10	10
3- War on Terror	10	5	10	5	10	10
4- SCOTUS appts	8	8	10	2	8	10
5- Guns & 2nd Amend	0	10	10	2	5	10
6- Business/infl/rec	10	5	10	5	10	10
7- Lower Taxes	10	2	10	2	10	10
8- Iran	10	5	10	10	10	10
9- Pro-Life	0	10	10	5	5	8
10- Spending Cuts	8	5	10	10	8	10
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Top 10 Total	68	65	100	53	84	98
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
11- Healthcare- gov run	10	5	10	8	8	10
12- Soc Sec	10	10	10	10	10	8
13- Border Fence	10	5	10	5	10	10
14- Internet Neutrality	10	0	10	10	10	10
15- Internet Tax	10	0	10	10	10	10
16- Kyoto Treaty	10	8	10	0	10	10
17- Global Warming	0	0	10	0	10	8
18- Energy Indy	8	8	10	5	10	10
19- ANWAR Drilling	5	10	10	0	10	10
20- US Sovereignty (LOST)	5	10	10	5	5	8
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Top 20 Total	146	121	200	106	177	192
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
23- Military Strength	10	10	10	10	10	10
24- Guantanamo	10	0	10	0	10	10
25- Waterboarding	10	0	10	0	10	10
26- Tax Reform	10	10	10	8	10	8
27- Gay Rights	0	10	10	5	8	8
28- CFR & 1st Amend	0	0	10	0	10	0
29- Crime	10	5	10	10	10	10
30- Education	5	5	5	5	5	5
31- Death Penalty	10	10	10	10	10	10
32- Tort Reform	10	8	10	5	10	5
33- School Vouchers	10	10	10	10	10	10
34- Federalism	5	8	10	5	8	10
35- Affirmative Action	5	8	10	5	8	2
36- Property Rights	10	10	10	10	10	10
	.	.	.	.	.	.
POLITICAL ISSUSES TOTAL	267	215	335	189	306	300
	.	.	.	.	.	.

[DWar]

Revised and reformated based on FReeper input. The most frequent challenges were:

• That candidate is a liar,
  
• That candidate changed his position and can't be trusted,
  
• That candidate will say anything to get elected.

I heard that about EVERY remaining candidate. To compensate for that, I rated a candidate down 2 to 5 points when it appeared that he had a history of inconsistency on an issue. In addition I included a consistency rating under Personal Qualities.

Lastly, I have been told by various people that it was obvious whom I supported based on the outcome of the research. This usually by a FReeper who already strongly supported a candidate that came out less conservative on the chart. I will support any of these guys against a possible President Hillary. I did this research in an effort to find out who was really conservative on the issues that mattered to me most.

All I care about is nominating the candidate that has the best combination of conservativism and electability. I didn't do it to prove anything to you. I did the research for myself and created the chart for myself to clarify the situation for myself. If it's helpful to you great. If not, OK, move on.

[TChris]

It looks like your research is based on the premise that Duncan Hunter is perfect, or very nearly so.

[CounterCounterCulture]

2 candidates left off... Alan Keyes and Ron Paul

click here for Keyes...

[Owen]

You go to war with the Army you have. We have Romney.

Focus on erasing McCain’s fund raising and then holding everything Bush won, and stealing Michigan.

[indcons]

“That candidate is a liar,
That candidate changed his position and can’t be trusted,
That candidate will say anything to get elected.”

How did Myth romney still manage to make it to the top half of your list? Just wondering.

In any case, now that Thompson and Hunter have dropped out of the race, conservatives don’t have much choice between Myth/Juan McCain/Rooty/Huckster. Of these, Myth seems to be have a better chances in winning the general compared to the other three.

[Filo]

Not bad, but any system that results in Romney being ahead of Fred in the Conservative department is clearly flawed.

[IM2MAD]

I wondered why Keyes was excluded. He IS a conservative and still running, isn’t he?

[onja]

Huckabee, 10/10 on Iraq. First thing. Makes me wonder about the general validity.

[DWar]

Not bad, but any system that results in Romney being ahead of Fred in the Conservative department is clearly flawed.

In the top 10 issues Fred wins 98 to 84.
In the top 20 issues Fred wins 192 to 177.
I the last 14 issues Fred comes up short mostly because of their positions on tort reform and affirmitive action.

On the most important issues Fred is more conservative and more consistent.

[DWar]

Huck is no the record as supporting the effort in Iraq to victory. Its in the War on terror that he is weaker. Specifically he wants to close Guantanamo and cease waterboarding.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Yes & Yes

[Route66]

any system that results in Romney being ahead of Fred in the Conservative department is clearly flawed.

Revisionism...

revisionism(rĭ-vĭzh'ə-nĭz'əm)
n.
Advocacy of the revision of an accepted, usually long-standing view, theory, or doctrine, especially a revision of historical events and movements.

Conservatism is dead. Long live conservatism.
Make way for the new heir apparent.

[processing please hold]

I wish someone would put some Paul numbers up on those issues. I’d like to see where he stands on them.

[Filo]

On the most important issues Fred is more conservative and more consistent.

Good to hear. Except for the fact that he's out of the race... :(

[Filo]

Conservatism is dead. Long live conservatism.
Make way for the new heir apparent.

For this round, anyway. There's always hope for the future.

Step one, I guess, is to keep the Hildabeast out.

[Route66]

If the goal is to vote Romney to keep Hillary out, then that should be the argument which is made. Those who think this is the best choice for America in this election should present Romney, warts and all, and make an honest case for why they think he’s the best conservatives will get.

However, playing fast and loose with a candidate’s history to make him appear more conservative and therefore more palatable to conservatives is revisionism and that’s something that Dems do. It’s beneath us.

[Filo]

However, playing fast and loose with a candidate’s history to make him appear more conservative and therefore more palatable to conservatives is revisionism and that’s something that Dems do. It’s beneath us.

I agree and I've been making my case against Romney (mainly on his gun control stance) elsewhere.

I don't like the idea that someone this flawed is the best we have left.

[DWar]

Ping!

[DWar]

PING!

[CASchack]

If Mitt holds to these positions, he can provide a clear choice over HildeBill. No surprise that McQueeg is bringing up the rear.