As I've been doing after each and every debate to this point in primary season, I thought I'd update my GOP candidate rankings. My last set of rankings were posted on December 16th at this link - http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-updated-gop-candidate-rankings-down.html. Since then both George Pataki and Lindsey Graham have suspended their campaigns, so we're actually down to 11 candidates (yes, Rand Paul is still technically running). Without further ado, here are my current rankings:
11) Ted Cruz (up 2 spots): When former Republican President George W. Bush even says, "I don't like this guy," you have to know something is wrong... Also, while Tom Cruise may appear a tad loony by jumping on couches on national television, Ted Cruz appears extremely nutters by stomping all over facts at each and every given opportunity, not to mention failing to answer moderators' questions and pretending he was asked something he wasn't.
10) Marco Rubio (up 1 spot): He and Cruz are now in a virtual tie for the last place spot, and it's no wonder, as the two seem to be in a nonstop pissing contest. Rubio is even coming close to falling behind Cruz in my rankings for his tendency to go off the deep end with wild conspiracy theories of late. "If Obama could, he'd probably take away everyone's guns!" Deep down, Rubio's actually probably thinking, "If Obama could, he'd probably take away everyone's water bottles, and even though I have no proof of it, I'm still horrified!"
9) Mike Huckabee (up 3 spots): The less this man talks, the better he sounds, and fortunately, I didn't hear much from him during the 1-hour JV debate.
8) Carly Fiorina (up 1 spot): Ms. Fiorina had a moment in the JV debate where she actually uttered something with a high level of accuracy. I know, I was shocked as well. However, her moment was short-lived, as after rightly declaring the wage gap has grown, she went on to pin most the blame on the current president. Psst, look up Reaganomics, not to mention the Great Recession...
7) Rick Santorum (no change): Is it just me or does Santorum sound progressively angrier at every debate? Rumor has it he's auditioning for the role of Howard Beale in a remake of the classic film, The Network. If that doesn't work, perhaps he can audition for a remake of Brokeback Mountain.
6) Donald Trump (up 4 spots): Approximately 97% of the time, this man comes across like a complete as*hole. However, he did have a moment in the most recent debate where he actually made himself look like less of an ass than Ted Cruz. Yes, my standards have gotten progressively lower for the candidates in each successive debate.
5) Ben Carson (up 3 spots): Ben Carson comes across as a nice man, which is why I currently have him ranked ahead of most others. He's quiet when on the debate stage, doesn't interrupt others, and sadly, that's refreshing. However, I still don't think the man is president material, and when he's off the debate stage, he sounds about as nutty as any other GOP candidate. When someone says Obamacare is the worst thing since slavery, that's a key sign they've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
4) Chris Christie (down 1 spot): If the guy would coming across like a bully at the expense of the president, and often times, by uttering false (or at least misleading) claims, he could have a chance to top my leaderboard. However, even though some of the New Jersey governor's one-liners at the expense of other GOP candidates are chuckle-worthy, I'm growing a little tired of him trying to overcompensate for hugging President Obama after his state was struck by Hurricane Sandy, calling the president a "petulant child" and a "feckless weakling," among other things. Give it up, buddy, hug it out with the president, and then hold up a sign which says, "If my supporters don't like this, you can suck it!"
3) Jeb Bush (up 1 spot): Sadly, Jeb! comes across as one of the most sane and stable candidates in the field. Having said that, however, he may need to see a shrink before too long, as it seems he's in deep denial about the past two presidencies. To say we're worse off now than we were under his brother's leadership, having gone through 9/11 and the Great Recession with Dubya in the Oval Office, leads me to believe he's in serious denial. As Dubya would likely say, "Denial isn't just a river in Kentucky."
2) Rand Paul (up 3 spots): This man boycotted the debate and his absence made him look better. Now that's strategizing! Well done, Rand!
1) John Kasich (no change): While I liked this guy's initial debate performance, coming across as the most moderate of the candidates, I've been unimpressed since then. I guess the guy believes in repetition. Rick Perry would have extreme difficulty counting how many times the Ohio governor mentioned how he's balanced the budget. Yes, we know, please talk about something else. Criticism and all, though, he still comes across as the most level-headed, moderate GOP candidate, so he retains the top spot.
My hopeful 2016 presidential election: Democrat Bernie Sanders vs. Republican John Kasich (same as before)
My predicted 2016 presidential election: Democrat Hillary Clinton vs. Republican Ted Cruz (same as before)
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