My current views on the candidates (Republican and Democrat):
Rick Perry: Paul Begala recently noted that the people who want Rick Perry for president are those that think George W. Bush is too cerebral. Wednesday night’s debate again proved his theory correct. For his extremism and inability to put two sentences together, he fails miserably. I would not want him to sit in meetings with foreign leaders. He would not have the respect of a Congress that would think him an illiterate buffoon. Being a conservative is meaningless if you cannot express it intelligently. Grade: F
Mitt Romney: What some people call “flip flopping”, I consider as being pragmatic. To effectively manage a liberal state with a liberal legislature would require a different pragmatism than to run as a national leader. I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not want a leader who runs the nation exactly like he runs a state, as they are different. Reagan was also pragmatic, and made some decisions that would seem liberal today. Meanwhile, Romney exhibits oratory skill in the debates. He appears presidential. He focuses on the economy and middle class, where he ought to. While he is for bigger government than libertarians would like, he could and probably would get our economy back on target. Grade: B+
Herman Cain: Excellent debater and good 999 program. Concerns about his past, but we need to realize that if he harassed these women, it was over a decade ago, and perhaps it is time to move on. We all make bad choices in our lifetimes, and to allow a person to move on is a good thing. Now, if a woman with evidence complains that she was attacked just a couple years ago, that’s another thing. Such side issues still affect grade slightly. Grade: B
Ron Paul: Average debater. Great Libertarian principles. Good policies for truly shrinking government. Good foreign policy. Concern on radical statements regarding America at fault for foreign struggles. Sometimes takes too harsh a libertarian tone in condemning America. Grade: B+
Newt Gingrich: Excellent speaker. Man of ideas. Has issues with being a man of too many ideas (100 ideas a day, 10 are good). Concerns with his inability to stay married for very long. Shot himself in the foot as Speaker by forgetting the Contract with America, and focusing on destroying Clinton. Grade: C+
Michele Bachman: Strong conservative. Decent debater. Wears the Tea Party label a little too tightly. Misstatements occasionally affect her. Forgotten by Tea Party that seems to flit from one hopeful to the next. Grade: C+
Jon Huntsman: Average debater. Good governor. Attacked Romney for wanting to stand up to China, but not offering any other solution. Strange opening commercials on a motorcycle. Grade: C
Rick Santorum: Articulate, decent debater. Seems stuck on himself. Repeatedly states bills he’s been for in the past, though few have passed. Seeks strong control of federal government for conservative issues, rather than reducing government. Grade: C
Barack Obama: Likeable person. Great at running for office. Terrible at governance. Often speaks moderately, but ends up with liberal decisions usually (leaves things to Nancy Pelosi or others to decide). Most expensive president in history, with almost no real impact on recovery. Grade: D
Hillary Clinton: Although probably not running, one to compare with Pres Obama. While very liberal early on in Clinton administration, she learned pragmatism and moderate action through time as First Lady, in Senate, and now as Secretary of State. Smart in her opinions. Had she been elected president, current crisis probably would not be as bad, as she would not have given us Obamacare and useless Pelosi-style pay offs to unions in stimulus. Grade: B
Your grades on the candidates?