Excel Scoresheet: Who Should Republicans Nominate for President?

Free Republic ^ | 2/14/2016 | PoconoPundit

[poconopundit]

The battle of conservative issue purity has been waged on Free Republic for many months! And I'm not sure the Trumpbots and Cruzbots will ever agree on who is the most conservative.

And I think it varies issue by issue.   But I'm not going to argue here about who is the more conservative.

Rather, my aim is to show a spreadsheet analysis of the four voting dimensions I consider important in selecting a republican you want to vote for in primary.

The dimensions are: 1) Conservative positions; 2) Independence; 3) Executive experience; and 4) Electability. See the chart below for my rating (Scale 1 to 9) for each of the major candidates.

And the Excel spreadsheet itself you are free to download and juggle the ratings, weights, or change the dimensions.

The spreadsheet is simple in operation.   The relative weights of the "voting dimensions" are on the left side, so you adjust these so the column adds to 100.

Ratings are from 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest score.

You'll notice that I show Cruz and Rubio as the most conservative in terms of stated positions.

The main point I want to make is that "conservative positions" is only one factor to consider in a candidate.  In fact, the positions espoused in the campaign may not be realized when in office if the candidate is overly influenced by donors or lacks the management / negotiating experience of getting things accomplished.

For instance, I estimated that "conservative positions" account for about 35% of the value of candidate to me.   And you, of course, will have your own opinion.

So I welcome hearing from you FReepers. How would you modify the ratings, weights, or dimensions themselves?

If you have the time, please download the spreadsheet, modify it, and post a image of your own scoresheet.   I think it would be fun to see the rational process FReepers use to decide who they are voting for.

[DoughtyOne]

eliminate obamacare, expand payers exponentially

rebuild the military

use the military using a more wise standard that we have been

deport illegals

build a wall

get our citizens back to work

get veterans the care they deserve

end common core

do away with the department of education, return control to local communities

defund planned parenthood

supports 2nd amendment

would appoint sound justices, even named two

end sanctuary cities, deporting criminal element right away

implement a better tax code

reduce and eliminate deficit spending, and pay down the national debt

...and more

Which six are they including and why are they ignoring the rest?

[smoothsailing]

It’s always best to put quotes in their full context. Your post is useless gibberish otherwise.

.......................................................

Scott Pelley: What’s your plan for Obamacare?

Donald Trump: Obamacare’s going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare is a disaster if you look at what’s going on with premiums where they’re up 45, 50, 55 percent.

Scott Pelley: How do you fix it?

Donald Trump: There’s many different ways, by the way. Everybody’s got to be covered. This is an un-Republican thing for me to say because a lot of times they say, “No, no, the lower 25 percent that can’t afford private.” But—

Scott Pelley: Universal health care?

Donald Trump: I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now.

Scott Pelley: The uninsured person is going to be taken care of how?

Donald Trump: They’re going to be taken care of. I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people. And, you know what, if this is probably—

Scott Pelley: Make a deal? Who pays for it?

Donald Trump: —the government’s gonna pay for it. But we’re going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most it’s going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-60-minutes-scott-pelley/

[bigbob]

Ideology and five bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

[Lurkinanloomin]

OK, so if it’s dumb, then what dimensions would you choose instead?
************************************

Only those that favor Cruz.
You are engaging Cruzloyalists. They are very loyal.

[poconopundit]

Thanks.   This is a good statement of important issues.

Maybe later on I'll create a spreadsheet for the issues, but at this point, I want to see if the dimensions beyond the "issues" can be debated with decorum.

[SunkenCiv]

from the "What's his FR nick?" dep't:

• Why Donald Trump's vicious attack on George W. Bush was so brutally effective -- and brilliant
• Trump going after Bush in debate was "strategic" [vanity]
• Donald Trump: Bush Admin: "Everything is A Lie" (From 2007)
• Donald Trump claims George W Bush lied about WMDs to justify Iraq invasion
• Donald Trump ready to take on George W. Bush
• The Ultimate 'What If': A World Where America Never Invaded Iraq
• Donald Trump's success in Jacksonville coming at expense of Jeb Bush
• WOW! Trump Takes On Debate Audience as 'Jeb's Special Interests and Operatives' (VIDEO)
• Donald Trump gets double booed trashing Jeb Bush
• Trump says Bernie Sanders is a 'communist' and Jeb Bush is 'gutless'

Media Shills:

• 'Really Honorable': Glenn Beck Shares Theory on Why Jeb Bush Is Still Running
• 3 Texas Newspapers Reject Ted Cruz, Endorse Kasich and Bush Instead
• Where are Mark Levin, Jebstate, Erickson, Leon Wolf, Club for Amnesty, Krauthammer,Kristol & Kelly?

Little Jebbie:

• Jeb Bush: Obama Has 'Every Right' To Submit Nominee To Replace Scalia (RINO/GOPe Surrender Caucus)
• Jeb: 'I won't blame Obama for single thing'
• Video: Jeb Bush shrugs sholders on Senate vote to replace Scalia -- "not important to me"
• Jeb Bush takes his fellow candidates to Immigration 101 class at the Republican debate
• Loyal supporters of GOP granted tickets to debate in Greenville (RNC stacks audience for Jeb)
• New Jeb Bush ad trashes "suck up" Cruz, "robot" Rubio, "McCain bashing" Trump
• Jeb Bush Denounces Donald Trump's Manner, Character, in Play for Evangelical Votes
• Jeb Bush Snorted Cocaine On Night His Dad Became President
• Bush: Trump would be worse than Obama
• Jeb Bush: Temporary Muslim Ban 'Horrific,' Illegal Immigration 'Act of Love'
• Bush: I will not blame Obama 'for a single thing'
• Jeb Bush would 'eliminate' Citizens United
• Establishment Declares Jeb Bush Is Making a Comeback After He Spent $36 Million for 4th Place
  • Jeb Bush fundraisers celebrate after New Hampshire
  • Establishment Declares Jeb Bush Is Making a Comeback After He Spent $36 Million for 4th Place
  • Jeb-mentum! Marco Rubio's disastrous New Hampshire performance leaves Jeb Bush in a happier place
  • Jeb Bush energized, swinging at Donald Trump in South Carolina
  • Jeb Bush Spent $1200 Per Vote In New Hampshire: That's 30 times more per vote than frontrunner [tr]
  • Donald Trump wins NH, but Jeb Bush has strong night
  • Jeb Bush Gains Some Steam After New Hampshire
  • Bush: I'm 'not dead'
  • Jeb Bush Finds His Stride In New Hampshire, But Is It Too Late?
  • Could Jeb-mentum be real? The GOP's "low-energy" candidate veers left -- and New Hampshire loves it
  • Jeb Bush shows signs of second wind ahead of New Hampshire primary
  • Jeb Bush's Fall (or Maybe Rise)
  • The Return of Jeb Bush (GOPEe keeps hope alive)
  • Something has clicked for Jeb Bush in the last few days
  • Why Jeb Bush shouldn't be counted out just yet
  • After strong debate, Christie, Bush resume attack on Rubio
  • WILL JEB BUSH BE NEW COMEBACK KID?
  • Is Jeb Bush's Campaign Dying, or Just Getting Ready to Begin?
• Jeb Bush eyes Florida for the win, vows to spend every dime
• Marco Rubio In 2nd Place In Florida, New Poll Finds (Jeb polls at 4% and in 5th place)

[PIF]

Weight	Voting Dimensions	Trump	Carson	Bush	Rubio	Cruz	Kasich
35	Conservative Positions as expressed during campaign	2	4	1	5	9	1
15	Independence from donors & lobbyist influence	0	9	0	0	9	2
20	Executive Experience & Success managing large organizations	5	5	5	0	3	5
30	Electability - Name recognition & ability to win conservative/moderate/independent voters	9	6	9	5	6	2
100	Totals	44	56	41	33	69	23

[poconopundit]

Thanks.   OK, maybe I was too aggressive on Trump's electability, but I consider the name recognition factor to be very important.

Nevertheless, I dropped Trump a couple points and revised the Excel sheet slightly.

[SuzyQue]

Thanks, I got lazy there.

[poconopundit]

Thanks for elevating the conversation.   You and you ilk are trying to destroy free and civil speech.

[DoughtyOne]

Not a put-down by any means, but good luck with that.

Eight months and counting, I haven’t seen that ability yet.

[stocksthatgoup]

Rubio more conservative that Trump? I don’t think so.

[stocksthatgoup]

bttt

[spintreebob]

I love your approach.

Cruz independent? Cruz is not independent of his conservative ideology. That makes him extremely independent of donors.

Cruz executive experience in the FTC, Solicitor General, etc is far better than anything Rubio has done.

So I could nit pick on the scoring.

The weighting? I dont know. It seems most of us would work that backwards to come up with the result we want.

[poconopundit]

Thanks, I believe as you do that Trump deserves higher numbers on conservativism.   But in the interest of fairness, I'm leaving him purposely lower.

[TBP]

Obviously put together by a Trumpkin to find what he wanted.

[poconopundit]

Thanks,

You make a good point about Cruz's executive experience, so I revised the chart a bit and I moved up the Cruz "independence" score.

But I feel that since he is heavily funded by donors, he's not going to as independent from those donors -- and their issues -- as Trump who is funding his own campaign.

But we're all entitled to our opinions on these things.   And I agree that moving the weights is tempting also.

Delighted you see some merit in the approach.

[poconopundit]

Actually I revised my scores a couple of times to be more accommodating to comments I received.

But yes, I firmly believe Trump is the best, yet in some areas I lowered his score (from my own belief) to appear credible based on comments received here.

[tinyowl]

Thank you MR. Poco for your note on the other thread.

I think you've got that math pretty well captured in the excel. Where the anti-Trumps (and I'm not anti-Cruz) have a legit path of argument (though not necessarily correct,) is whether Trump's stated positions will be the one's he holds to.

We know he's a BS'er. The question is whether the BS'ing is a conscious act or an unconscious one. I'm pretty sure it's conscious, which means he doesn't believe his own BS, rather, he wields it ... and if he wields it against what's lately been emerging as a conservative establishment -> then good. I always like that Jaw Severin referred to himself and his listeners as 'small c conservatives' .... conservative as adjective rather than label or group.

I think most of us who support Trump's candidacy sense that on the central, vital issues, he's with is in heart as well as word. I'd rather sit down and discuss politics and religion with Cruz, but the time for sitting down and discussing is well past.

Good math and I enjoyed reading some of the insults :-)