Free Republic's (1/9) poll on Republican candidates' liberal positions that would be deal killers

Free Republic Poll ^ | 1/9/2008 | Jim Robinson

[WOSG]

“Yes. I’m living proof, having suffered for 10 years under his governorship. I’ll cite one example. Early in his administration, he pushed to have a 3% surcharge added to our state income tax rates with the PROMISE that it would be repealed just as soon as the state’s deficit became a surplus. More than two tax years after the state had achieved a budget surplus he finally albeit begrudgingly pushed to get it repealed after much public outcry.”

Thanks for the info.

Great homepage has some key info on Huckabee the Huckster:

http://www.freerepublic.com/~ob1knob/

[Jim Robinson]

Ran a thread on this question today.

Here are the FReeper responses:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1951714/posts

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks Jim.

From Overseas,

[Jim Robinson]

Ok, this is going to be more complicated than I thought. Can’t take shortcuts and can’t please everyone with short lists, so guess we’re gonna have to expand the list of issues, add Ron Paul and also fight it out on each candidate’s records and deeds vs words and campaign promises on each and every issue and attempt to rate each one to the degree of conservatism vs RINOism vs liberalism, reliability, personal traits and abilities, etc.

On the new table, the candidates will go across the top and include:

Giuliani, Huckabee, Hunter, McCain, Paul, Romney, Thompson

Going down we’ll include issues and personal characteristics, ie:

(in no particular order)

Abortion
Right to Life Amendment
Embryonic research/funding
Day after pill
Gay rights
Gay Marriage
Marriage protection amendment
Hate crimes
Boy Scouts
Gays in military
Feminist issues
Glass Ceiling
Global warming/cooling
Environmentalism
Treaties
Cruelty to animals
Evolution
Creationism
God
Equality
Unalienable rights
Open vs secure borders
Enforcement
Rule of law
Amnesty
Sanctuary cities
Anchor babies
Anchor baby amendment
Illegal alien welfare, benefits, entitlements, education, healthcare, social security, medicare, RomneyCare, drivers licenses, crime, bank accounts, home loans, contract rights, English as language, jobs, fines, back of the line, citizenship, civil rights, voting rights, deportation, etc
Religion
Thomas Jefferson on Separation of Church and State vs freedom of religion
First Amendment issues
McCain-Feingold
CFR - the unconstitutional campaign finance reform act
CFR - the conspiracy (CFR membership).
Secret society membership
Guns
Crime
Corruption
Cronyism
Tort reform
Due process
Asset forfeiture
Eminent domain
Privacy
Private property
Taxes
No new tax pledge
Tax/fee hikes
Tax/fee cuts
Budget
Spending
Fiscal restraint, responsibility
Surplus/deficit
Economy
Trade
War
National defense
National security
National sovereignty
Big govt nanny state programs
Federal mandates
Social Security (save, scrap, replace, cut, expand)
Medicare (save, scrap, replace, cut, expand)
Prescription drugs
Education and the arts
Unions
Jobs
Judges
Judicial restraint/activism, original intent, strict constructionism
Federalism/states rights
Cabinet officers
Appointees
Interns
The meaning of life
The meaning of the word “is”

Flip-flop factor
Bimbo factor
Truthfulness
Trustworthiness
Reliability
Character
Charismatic factor
Experience
Ability
Suitability
Qualifications
Military service, draft record
War record
Medals/awards/commendations
Oratory ability
Attractiveness
Photogeniality factor
5 O’clock shadow
Eyebrows
TV camera appeal
Mic appeal
Web appeal
Web ability
Acting ability
Good looks
Good hair
Good tan
Good teeth
Clothes
Height/weight/physical shape
Weight reduction
Height
Height enhancements/aids (ie, phonebook factor)
Health
Mental health
Mental ability
Quickness/slowness/thoroughness/drawl factor
Youthfulness vs experience
Energy
Attitude
Spouse/family
Reaganism
Fire in the belly factor
Want the job factor
Name recognition
Organization
Ability to raise the money or buy the presidency factor
Electability factor

Etc, etc etc,

Man this is gonna take all day!

[Jim Robinson]

Oh, gosh. Forgot the illegal alien gardener factor.

Gotta start all over.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Jim ? we need to tell the troops ( Fredheads ) to NOT get complacent and slack back... now is the time to keep up the heat and fight harder than ever to help Fred get the nomination.

[DWar]

Jim Rob

I started a chart like this yesterday but with a twist. Not all "issues" have equal weight. Some threaten the nation more immediately than others. Some will have a more powerful impact than others. And some, once a change is enacted, will never be reversed. I identified three categories for consideration:

• Immediacy
• Negativity and;
• Changeability.

I did this because it ocurred to me that while the issue of the Death Penalty or School Vouchers are important to me, the immediacy of their national impact, the level of negative impact of the wrong decision, and the ability to change them are all less threatening for these issues than the issues of Illegal Immigration or the War on Terror.

It's still a work in progress but so far my priorties based on this analytical evaluation are:

Issue	Immediacy	Negativity	Changeability
1- Illegals’ Immigration	Imminent	Devestating	Unchangeable
2- War Iraq & on terror	Imminent	Devestating	Unchangeable
3- SCOTUS appts	Urgent	Devestating	Unchangeable
4- Guns/2nd Amend	Urgent	Devestating	Unchangeable
5- Pro-Life	Urgent	Devestating	Changeable
6- Iran	Imminent	Powerful	Changeable
7- Gov. Healthcare	Urgent	Devestating	Unchangeable
8- Social Security	Urgent	Devestating	Unchangeable
9- Internet Tax & control	Urgent	Devestating	Unchangeable
10- AGW/Kyoto Treaty	Urgent	Devestating	Changeable
11- Energy /ANWAR	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable
12- Business/infla/rec	Imminent	Powerful	Changeable
13- Globalism & Trade	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable
14- Low TaxesTax Code	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable
15- Gay Marriage	Serious	Powerful	Unchangeable
16- School Vouchers	Serious	Strong	Changeable
17- Guantanamo	Serious	Strong	Changeable
18- Waterboarding	Serious	Strong	Changeable
19- Death Penalty	Serious	Strong	Changeable
20- Tort Reform	Serious	Strong	Changeable
21- Federalism	Serious	Strong	Changeable
22- Crime	Serious	Strong	Changeable

If I'm left with the option of voting for either McAmnesty, the Flipper, Juilie Anne, or the Hickster I want to know which one is the BEST OF THE WORST on the most important issues not just the most numerically.

I'm still adding issues and planning a section identifying each candidates position as C- Conservative, M- Moderate and L- Liberal with a reliability factor built in.

What do you think of the idea?

What about my issue priortization?

[Jim Robinson]

Sadly, McAmnesty, the Flipper, Juilie Anne, or the Hickster will all apply moderate or liberal solutions to these issues. None of them are conservatives. They do not think conservatively and constitutionality, federalism, individual rights, fiscal restraint, etc, will not even occur to them. They’ll all apply big government solutions to solve societal issues that should be left to the states or to the people people or not tackled by government at all, ie, the Democrat way. None of them will be good on immigration, guns, judges, healthcare, social security, taxes, spending, etc. Huckabee is pro-life, Giuliani pro death, Romney claims to have converted from death to life, and McCain claims to be pro life. All claim to be suitable as Commander-in-Chief but only McCain has any experience whatsoever in military/national security/foriegn policy areas.

In short, if Thompson or Hunter don’t make it, were stuck with the dregs of RINOism. Not a conservative instinct in the bunch. Giuliani, as a gun-grabbing, abortion/gay rights activist and sanctuary city guy is a definite no. McCain is a turncoat, backstabbing Kennedy/Democrat lover and is out. Romney flip flops on all important issues and applies big government solutions to free market problems. No thanks. And Huckabee is a populist RINO. Can’t trust any of them.

GO, FRed, GO!!

[trisham]

LOL! One upbeat note in a rather depressing thread.

[greyfoxx39]

Gotta start all over.

Don't leave these out on the next try: Photogeniality factor, 5 O’clock shadow, Eyebrows. I thought they were superb choices.

It occurs to me that no one should have to take on the heavy chore of making their own decision, based on personal research, should one? Perhaps the government should appoint a "Spokesperson for All" and let him be the "decider"....(late to the thread, so if this has already been suggested, my apologies.)

[DWar]

You're right, of course.
I'm just trying to develop a backup plan.
I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Old Student]

“Do you think that we could convince Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter to run on the same ticket?”

I like that idea. Really, REALLY, like that idea.

[DWar]

Jim Rob

If Fred or 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 would make me puke the least.

I identified my top 29 issues and prioritized them based on:

• How immediately they could impact the nation-
  Immediate, Urgent, Serious
• The power of their negative impact-
  Devastating, Powerful, Strong and
• Once implemented could they ever be changed-
  Unchangeable, Changeable.

It seemed rational that issues like being conquered by illegal immigrants or losing the war, being more immediate, potentially negative and unchangeable, were more critical than even important issues like Gay Rights or Healthcare. Therefore issues that are more immediate, more negative and that were relatively unchangeable were more highly prioritized.

I spent yesterday analyzing the candidates quotes and votes from several sources including http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm, and made some judgments about their level of conservatism. Taking into consideration the "If their lips are moving, they're lying" factor, I marked a candidate lower if I thought their stated position was shaded like with Huckabee on Taxes, McAmnesty on Immigration, Romney on Gay Rights or Giuliani on Guns.

The ranking scale range is:

• Conservative = 10
• Conservative to Moderate = 8
• Moderate or Unreliable = 5
• Moderate to Liberal = 2
• Liberal = 0

I separated and subtotaled the top 10 and the top 20 from the total to see how the candidates compare on the most important issues as opposed to the total.

No one scores as high as FRed.
In order they rank, The Flipper, Juilie Anne, the Hickster and McAmnesty.
Romney may be the "Best of the Worst". Especially on critical top 10 issues.

Issue	Immediacy	Negativity	Changeability
					Giuliani	Huckabee	McCain	Romney	Thompson
1- Electablity-Any R is better than a D	Imminent	Devastating	Unchangeable		8	5	10	8	5
2- Illegal Immigration	Imminent	Devastating	Unchangeable		2	2	0	10	10
3- War Iraq & on terror	Imminent	Devastating	Unchangeable		10	8	10	10	10
4- SCOTUS appts	Urgent	Devastating	Unchangeable		10	5	2	10	10
5- Guns & 2nd Amend	Urgent	Devastating	Unchangeable		0	10	10	8	10
6- Business/infl/rec	Imminent	Powerful	Changeable		10	8	8	10	10
7- Lower Taxes	Imminent	Powerful	Changeable		10	2	2	10	10
8- Iran	Urgent	Devastating	Changeable		10	5	10	10	10
9- Pro-Life	Urgent	Devastating	Changeable		0	10	10	5	10
10- Gov Healthcare	Urgent	Devastating	Unchangeable		10	5	5	5	10
Top 10 Total					70	60	67	86	95
11- Soc Sec-Privatize	Urgent	Devastating	Unchangeable		10	8	10	10	10
12- Internet Tax	Urgent	Devastating	Unchangeable		10	0	10	10	10
13- Kyoto Treaty	Urgent	Devastating	Changeable		10	8	10	10	10
14- Global Warming	Urgent	Devastating	Changeable		0	0	0	0	10
15- Energy Indy	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable		8	8	5	10	8
16- ANWAR Drilling	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable		5	10	0	10	10
17- Globalism & Free Trd	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable		2	8	10	10	10
18- Tax Reform	Urgent	Powerful	Changeable		10	10	5	10	9
19- Gay Rights	Serious	Powerful	Unchangeable		0	10	5	5	8
20- CFR & 1st Amend	Serious	Powerful	Changeable		0	0	0	10	5
Top 20 Total					125	122	122	171	185
21- School Vouchers	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	10	10	10	10
22- Guantanamo	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	0	0	10	10
23- Waterboarding	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	0	0	10	10
24- Death Penalty	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	10	10	10	10
25- Tort Reform	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	8	5	10	5
26- Federalism	Serious	Strong	Changeable		5	8	5	8	10
27- Crime	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	8	10	10	10
28- Affirmative Action	Serious	Strong	Changeable		5	8	5	8	0
29- Military Strength	Serious	Strong	Changeable		10	10	10	10	10
All Issues Total					205	184	177	257	260
			Conservative= 10
			Conservative to Moderate= 8
			Moderate or Unreliable=5
			Moderate to Liberal= 2
			Liberal= 0

[Yosemitest]

Yep, and it looks like we’ll do it again!!!