How about we just go ahead and put it on the table regarding 2016 POTUS candidates?

General General Discussion
1

We can do this one of two ways: A) who you will vote for, or B) who you won’t vote for.

I’ll try to remain cynically positive and say who are just about the only ones I’ll vote for are, in order of preference.

  1. Cruz
  2. Walker
  3. Paul

A “possible” is Fiorina, gotta know more about her views.

Who will I definitely NOT vote for? Bush, Christie, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich.

Carson is a “probably not” due to his gun comments from a while back, which were mentioned in a thread here.

The purpose of this thread is to see if there is one guy who seems to be among the majority’s choice, i.e. if the vast majority mention Walker for instance. The one name that keeps being mentioned is what I’m looking for.

2

Paul, easily.

3

Fair enough, but two or three choices would be better. That way we can determine the most mentioned name that the vast majority are okay voting for.

ETA: please don’t say “Anyone other than Hillary” as we need to try and get on board with someone specific.

4

It is simply to early to say who I will vote for, however it is much easier for me to say who I wont vote for.
Bush, Christie or Huckabee, I think they are clearly the wrong choices for POTUS at any time.

These guys are the ones to watch;
Carson, Fiorina, Cruz, Walker and Paul have my attention and for the most part in that order.

The stew has to cook for a bit longer before anyone has a clear lead in what I’m looking for. I want to see how the things shake out right now and how they all handle the pressure.
I would also like to see someone besides Trump go after the tougher issues rather than trying to appease.
Someone with the political savvy to be able to time their momentum politically and at the same time call for the ouster of McConnell and Bohner would be remarkably refreshing.

5

I will vote for Paul, Cruz, Trump, Rubio, Bush. In that order.

I will not vote for anyone else, barring some extremely conservative late entrance to the race.

If the republican primary voters want to nominate a Democrat-Lite again, or base their nomination on who is electable I will just vote for the Democrat again. I would rather have Hillary than Christie and I will make that happen if need be. It’s easier to fight a Dem every step of the way then it is to have Christie proposing BS legislation and have Mcconnell and Bohner agreeing with it.

6

Assuming that the OP is asking the question in the context of a GOP primary and not the general election…

My preference, all other things being equal, is for a present or former re-elected governor of a large swing state.

I might vote for Walker, Bush, Kasich, Fiorina, Jindal, or Rubio.

I cannot foresee voting for Graham, Pataki, Huckabee, Gilmore, Christie, Cruz, Trump, Santorum, Carson, Perry, or Paul.

7

Then faced with the prospect of another 4-8 years of democrat rule, I’ll vote for any of the candidates on the stage last Thursday - including Trump, Christie, Bush, etc.

Having said that, I’m hoping that the debate and primary process is lengthy and brings to the top the best candidates. Based on the last debate, here is who I’d like to hear more from in my current order of excitement which is likely to change as the process progresses:

  1. Fiorina
  2. Cruz
  3. Rubio
  4. Kasich
  5. Walker

The people that started to fade in my mind include Trump, Christie, Paul and all of the other no-names from the 5 PM debate. All of the others from the 9 PM like Bush, Carson, Huckabee, et al are just tredding water and can rise to the top with a good performance on the next debate or a novel idea on a national issue.

A note about Paul. I generally like him and would easily vote for him in a general election. I thought that his perform and in the debate was lukewarm, but my real concern for his candidacy stems from this evolving scandal with his Dad’s supporters who have ties to his current campaign. Thus, I’m unwilling to throw my support behind him until this mess get resolved.

8

Walker, Cruz, Rubio in that order.
I would have said “anyone but Hillary” but Eurodriver makes a good point and there is no way in hell I would vote for Christie.

9

Paul, Cruz, with Carly in the VP slot for both…
If Carson could toughen up I could support him.
I suspect none of the above will be there so I will once again have to find an Independent that reflects my views.

10

I will vote for anyone except Christie. I will probably either vote for Cruz in the primary, but I’m not as turned off my Kasich as some of you here and would support him if it looked like he has a shot in the general.

11

I REFUSE to vote in ANY more Federal elections. And to those of you who tell me “then you cant bitch” or “I cant say anything” I say this- You come back in 4 or eight years and you tell me ONE ****in thing that’s gotten better, ONE campaign promise kept, ONE thing that’s changed. EVERY single time Ive voted since 1983 shit has gotten worse and worse. You can argue & disagree until you are blue in the face,
but Im telling you right now…IT DOESNT MATTER ONE **** WHO IS ELECTED…NOTHING WILL BRING THIS COUNTRY BACK RIGHT AGAIN.
But, have at it, if it makes you feel good.

12

For me it is:

  1. Jindal
  2. Fiorina
  3. Paul
  4. Cruz
  5. Rubio
  6. Kaisich

I’d be willing to pull the lever for Bush in the general if that is the only way to keep Hillary out. The GOP needs Fiorina to stick around for a long time. If she fades away too early they will all but hand Clinton the DEM nomination. I like Carson somewhat but I don’t see him having an honest shot. The RNC only has him up there so they can go “See! We’re not a bunch of racist old white guys!” but they’re not gonna give him a real shot at winning. Plus I don’t think he has enough foreign policy or economic experience for the office of POTUS. I’d even be ok with Perry in there over a lot of the others.

IMO Pitaki, Huckabee, Christie, Gilmore, Graham and Santorum all need to go sit the **** down and shut the **** up.

13

I’d hold my nose and vote for any of the above if (1) the Dem choice ends up being Hillary and (2) the running mate of the GOP candidate is not a far right type brought in just to grab the far right voters as the past two GOP candidates have done.

Paul/Cruz could make a good run of it I think in terms of bring in moderates but not to keep the more conservative and religious voters from not voting and or voting in the “anyone but Hillary” type vote.

14

Not sure why the double tap. Forum has done that to me a few times recently.

15
  1. Paul
  2. Cruz
  3. Fiorina

Unfortunately, if we get another RINO as a nominee, I’ll just vote for Hilary to rip the band aid off our political wound and hopefully a 3rd party will genuinely emerge.

16

Exactly my view except I put Walker in the three spot.

17

FlyingHunter- we wont find out until AFTER they are elected that they are RINO’s. like O-Care…they had to pass it to find out what was in it…ALL BAD.

18

That’s a very true point and also a sad point. I’ve unfortunately lost trust with the Republican party. I understand all of the logical as well as mathematical arguments that a 3rd party “gives” the election to democrats. Well, in politics, like medicine, you can’t always wait for the patient to get better - sometimes they must have surgery to heal. I think the political reality in this country could benefit from a surgical consult.

19

Exactly.

The voting game has worked out fabulously for us. Remember when Ovomitcare was repealed, and The Republicans shot down the TPP fast-track?

We’ve been sold out, time, and time, and time again.

But when an election cycles comes around, we break out our Pom-pins and vote for the same shitbags that screw us over.

20

How true this is. Yet those who say it most often (not specifically you) are the same ones who would NEVER vote for a guy like Ron Paul or Donald Trump.

At this point, I would vote for the guy who cuts my hair over any politician democrat or republican. Yet so many, despite their cries against career politicians, only vote for them. Whaatttt