Free Republic

If you look on the surface, one might think that the polls indicate that Donald Trump is the best candidate to go up against the Democrats in the general election. As history has shown, the ability to get support within one’s own party is not always an indicator of ability to win in the general election. In fact, one can argue that either Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich were more likely to defeat President Obama in 2012, though we’ll never know. Before we get into the list of candidates, let’s look at general election “winning attributes” that work in...

Seventeen major Republican candidates are running hard for the White House. But not all will make it to Iowa. Of the crowded 2016 GOP primary field, who will be the first to head for the exits? It’s impossible to know for sure at this early stage, but a handful of high-profile campaigns are already showing serious signs of strain six months out from Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses on Feb. 1. Super PACs have changed the game, enabling struggling candidates tochoose to stay in the race as long as they’re propped up by deep-pocketed donors. But as Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich...

What a mess, 31 candidates and counting: Skip Andrews, declaredMichael Bickelmeyer, declaredKerry Bowers, declaredJeb Bush, exploringDr. Ben Carson, declaredDale Christensen, declaredChris Christie, exploringTed Cruz, declaredJohn Dummett, Jr., declaredBob EhrlichMark Everson, declaredCarly Fiorina, declaredJim GilmoreLindsey Graham, declaredChris Hill, declaredMike Huckabee, declaredBobby Jindal, declaredJohn KasichPeter KingMichael Kinlaw, declaredDennis Michael Lynch, exploringGeorge Pataki, exploringRand Paul, declaredRick Perry, exploringMichael Petyo, declaredMarco Rubio, declaredBrian Russell, declaredRick Santorum, declaredRick SnyderDonald Trump, exploringScott Walker, exploring My vote for shortlist: Ted Cruz Source of list: http://2016.republican-candidates.org/