I can't remember a time when we had so many candidates lined up to run for president as we do in the Republican Party leading up to the 2016 election. It seems almost once a day I read a headline which states that yet another Republican candidate will either be running or is thinking about running for next year's election. To this point, sixteen such candidates have officially announced their run for the presidency. If many more get added to the list, we may start seeing tournament brackets being filled out much like they are during March Madness season. While I may not label myself as conservative nor Republican, I've paid close attention to the stories surrounding all of the before-mentioned announcements and thought I'd rank the candidates as I see them.
16) Donald Trump - There are times I can't tell if his run for the Oval Office is a big joke, part of a bet he made with someone, or if he's 100% serious about it. In any case, he's currently leading in the polls and has threatened to run as a third-party candidate if other members of the GOP don't start treating him better. Yes, it's comedy at its finest, and while I sincerely hope he stays in the race for the continued laughs, I also sincerely hope he doesn't become our next president.
15) Ted Cruz - Yes, the Texas senator who was the main architect of the government shutdown wants to become president. Yes, that thought frightens me too...
14) Rick Santorum - If there's one person who's worse about separation of church and state matters than Mike Huckabee, it's this guy. Fortunately, as poll numbers would suggest, Rick Santorum has less chance of winning the Republican nomination than Elvis Presley has of winning the lottery next week.
13) Scott Walker - I'm frankly shocked that Donald Trump and Scott Walker are two of the three current leaders in GOP polls at the moment. I already discussed why I feel this way about Trump, but Walker, the Wisconsin governor, won on a recall vote, and his in-state approval rating was, at last check, just 41%. Heck, his wife and kids have even voiced their displeasure over his stance on gay marriage rights. If Walker can't win a majority vote in his own home, how in the world would he be able to win a majority vote in a general election?
12) Ben Carson - It amazes me how smart this guy is, being a neurosurgeon and all, yet how dumb he makes himself sound at times. What's the worst thing to happen in this country since slavery? Just ask Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon and Fox News commentator - it's "Obamacare." Perhaps the transformation occurred while he worked at Fox News. Instead of showing the before-and-after brain photos with regard to drug usage, maybe we should start showing such comparisons with regard to watching or being a part of Fox News...
11) Rick Perry - Once in a great while, Perry says something that actually makes sense. However, these occurrences are few and far between. No matter how much smarter the former Texas governor wants to make himself look with those fancy new glasses, they can't effectively counter the ridiculous words he so often spouts. Either he needs to try on an even fancier pair of glasses or be a man of fewer words. For all our sake, hopefully he chooses the latter.
10) Mike Huckabee - Speaking of a guy who should be talking less... I swear, the more this guy talks, the further he'll fall on this list. Things have gotten so bad, Huckabee actually made Jon Stewart speechless last night with his recent Holocaust comment. Before his campaign is finished, the former Arkansas governor should just make it official and alter his name from Mike Huckabee to Mike Hyperbole.
9) Bobby Jindal - Close to as crazy as Huckabee as far as his beliefs go, but with the less crazy rhetoric. So, way to go, or something!
8) Carly Fiorina - I know less about her than I do about any other Republican candidate, and sadly, this results in me ranking her in the top half!
7) Lindsey Graham - Graham isn't quite as extremist as some others when it comes to social issues, but his two favorite words appear to be "bomb" and "war," which, as crazy as it may sound, gives me some pause...
6) George Pataki - If Donald Trump is the name everyone knows of the 16 candidates to this point, George Pataki is the name only his closest friends and family members seem to know. ...and yes, sadly, he almost made my top 5...
5) Marco Rubio - Rubio is young, attractive, a Florida representative, Latino, and could be the most problematic nominee for the Democratic Party in the general election. However, for whatever reason, he's still polling behind Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and yes, even Donald Trump.
4) Chris Christie - Before word broke about Christie's highly controversial decisions as New Jersey governor and his approval ratings dropped as a result (down to 30% in the state), he was my favorite potential GOP nominee. Sadly, even after those revelations became known, I still have him ranked behind only three other candidates for the party's nomination.
3) Jeb Bush - I would much rather have had him as our president from 2000-2008 than his brother, Dubya. However, with 12 Bush years already under our belt, do we really need any more? As I still have a difficult time seeing Donald Trump winning the party's nomination, I think it will eventually come down to Bush and Rubio.
2) Rand Paul - Paul often times comes across as a bit loony, but I can't say I disagree with him in all areas. When it comes to the Patriot Act, marijuana legalization, and prison reform, as difficult as it is for me to say, I do actually "stand with Rand."
1) John Kasich - As a resident of the state Kasich governs, I can honestly say I have never voted for the guy. I don't care for his anti-union stance, his typical corporations-over-people position, or how he feels about women's reproductive rights. However, of all the candidates who have announced they're running thus far, Kasich comes across as the most willing to work with the other side to get things done. He's done this a number of times as governor of Ohio and has angered many in his base as a result. Chances are very slim I'd vote for him if he were the Republican nominee in the 2016 presidential election; however, of all 16 GOP candidates, I'd be the most comfortable with him in the Oval Office.
My hopeful 2016 presidential election: Democrat Bernie Sanders vs. Republican John Kasich
My predicted 2016 presidential election: Democrat Hillary Clinton vs. Republican Jeb Bush
16) Donald Trump - There are times I can't tell if his run for the Oval Office is a big joke, part of a bet he made with someone, or if he's 100% serious about it. In any case, he's currently leading in the polls and has threatened to run as a third-party candidate if other members of the GOP don't start treating him better. Yes, it's comedy at its finest, and while I sincerely hope he stays in the race for the continued laughs, I also sincerely hope he doesn't become our next president.
15) Ted Cruz - Yes, the Texas senator who was the main architect of the government shutdown wants to become president. Yes, that thought frightens me too...
14) Rick Santorum - If there's one person who's worse about separation of church and state matters than Mike Huckabee, it's this guy. Fortunately, as poll numbers would suggest, Rick Santorum has less chance of winning the Republican nomination than Elvis Presley has of winning the lottery next week.
13) Scott Walker - I'm frankly shocked that Donald Trump and Scott Walker are two of the three current leaders in GOP polls at the moment. I already discussed why I feel this way about Trump, but Walker, the Wisconsin governor, won on a recall vote, and his in-state approval rating was, at last check, just 41%. Heck, his wife and kids have even voiced their displeasure over his stance on gay marriage rights. If Walker can't win a majority vote in his own home, how in the world would he be able to win a majority vote in a general election?
12) Ben Carson - It amazes me how smart this guy is, being a neurosurgeon and all, yet how dumb he makes himself sound at times. What's the worst thing to happen in this country since slavery? Just ask Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon and Fox News commentator - it's "Obamacare." Perhaps the transformation occurred while he worked at Fox News. Instead of showing the before-and-after brain photos with regard to drug usage, maybe we should start showing such comparisons with regard to watching or being a part of Fox News...
11) Rick Perry - Once in a great while, Perry says something that actually makes sense. However, these occurrences are few and far between. No matter how much smarter the former Texas governor wants to make himself look with those fancy new glasses, they can't effectively counter the ridiculous words he so often spouts. Either he needs to try on an even fancier pair of glasses or be a man of fewer words. For all our sake, hopefully he chooses the latter.
10) Mike Huckabee - Speaking of a guy who should be talking less... I swear, the more this guy talks, the further he'll fall on this list. Things have gotten so bad, Huckabee actually made Jon Stewart speechless last night with his recent Holocaust comment. Before his campaign is finished, the former Arkansas governor should just make it official and alter his name from Mike Huckabee to Mike Hyperbole.
9) Bobby Jindal - Close to as crazy as Huckabee as far as his beliefs go, but with the less crazy rhetoric. So, way to go, or something!
8) Carly Fiorina - I know less about her than I do about any other Republican candidate, and sadly, this results in me ranking her in the top half!
7) Lindsey Graham - Graham isn't quite as extremist as some others when it comes to social issues, but his two favorite words appear to be "bomb" and "war," which, as crazy as it may sound, gives me some pause...
6) George Pataki - If Donald Trump is the name everyone knows of the 16 candidates to this point, George Pataki is the name only his closest friends and family members seem to know. ...and yes, sadly, he almost made my top 5...
5) Marco Rubio - Rubio is young, attractive, a Florida representative, Latino, and could be the most problematic nominee for the Democratic Party in the general election. However, for whatever reason, he's still polling behind Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and yes, even Donald Trump.
4) Chris Christie - Before word broke about Christie's highly controversial decisions as New Jersey governor and his approval ratings dropped as a result (down to 30% in the state), he was my favorite potential GOP nominee. Sadly, even after those revelations became known, I still have him ranked behind only three other candidates for the party's nomination.
3) Jeb Bush - I would much rather have had him as our president from 2000-2008 than his brother, Dubya. However, with 12 Bush years already under our belt, do we really need any more? As I still have a difficult time seeing Donald Trump winning the party's nomination, I think it will eventually come down to Bush and Rubio.
2) Rand Paul - Paul often times comes across as a bit loony, but I can't say I disagree with him in all areas. When it comes to the Patriot Act, marijuana legalization, and prison reform, as difficult as it is for me to say, I do actually "stand with Rand."
1) John Kasich - As a resident of the state Kasich governs, I can honestly say I have never voted for the guy. I don't care for his anti-union stance, his typical corporations-over-people position, or how he feels about women's reproductive rights. However, of all the candidates who have announced they're running thus far, Kasich comes across as the most willing to work with the other side to get things done. He's done this a number of times as governor of Ohio and has angered many in his base as a result. Chances are very slim I'd vote for him if he were the Republican nominee in the 2016 presidential election; however, of all 16 GOP candidates, I'd be the most comfortable with him in the Oval Office.
My hopeful 2016 presidential election: Democrat Bernie Sanders vs. Republican John Kasich
My predicted 2016 presidential election: Democrat Hillary Clinton vs. Republican Jeb Bush
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