(they are still candidates, right?)
I'm posting my reply publicly because everyone should know why I didn't include them in this poll:
Yes, technically, they are still candidates. However, they cannot win, simply because they don't have the votes. I'm not talking about the merits of these candidates. I'm only talking about the number of votes they have or will have.
If the GOP doesn't coalesce around one candidate, if we split the vote, we will end up with someone who has only 23% of the GOP support. If we put up a 23-percenter against Obama, we will lose.
So everyone who is currently supporting Santorum, Bachmann, Huntsman, and Paul needs to suck it up, for the good of this Country, and get behind one of the four listed in this poll.
I know it's harsh, but it's reality. We must coalesce behind ONE candidate. And soon.
United we Stand.
Divided we Fall.
One nation, under God, indivisible.
Manure! The generic Republican candidate is 6 to 7 points above Obama at this point. Just replace "generic" with Santorum or Backmann and you have virtually the same polling numbers.
This initial stage of choosing candidate is a promotions game. Romney has the money, and so he is going to get the publicity.
But put any reasonable conservative (and Bachmann and Santorum are the only TRUE conservatives on the ticket now) and Obama loses big time.
Are you going to count the people who voted on the thread or just the Freepmail ones?
How are you going to make sure people are not voting twice?