Poll: Who SHOULD be the next President?

[Bubba Wheels]

Pick your President

[rowech]

Ron Paul....however it will be Rudi v Hillary.

[Bubba Wheels]

Originally Posted by rowech

Ron Paul....however it will be Rudi v Hillary.

I also vote Ron Paul

[wade moore]

If there was ever a poll that needed a trout option...

[DaddyTorgo]

imma go ahead and say that i'm in before the controversy/lock/bannination/boxination

[Groundhog]

Does it really matter?

[Tyrith]

Rudi v. Hillary is screaming for a 3rd party candidate to get 20 percent of the vote.

Also, the omission of Al Gore from the list seems like an oversight considering the nature of the question.

[timmynausea]

There's really not a person on the list I'd feel very good about voting for.

[cthomer5000]

Nader

[sterlingice]

It seems like every fringe candidate for the GOP is in there but where's my Joe Biden option?

SI

[Mustang]

I say Gulliani because of his stance on frozen yogurt.

[SackAttack]

Don't blame me.

I voted for Kodos.

[SFL Cat]

Yeah...not real exciting. I have a feeling whoever gets elected will probably have to deal with another 9-11 type incident, so maybe its not so bad for the party that loses the election.

[st.cronin]

Hunter Thompson.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by timmynausea

There's really not a person on the list I'd feel very good about voting for.

Ditto

[JonInMiddleGA]

Well crap.

You left out the most obvious option of all, even more obvious than "Trout".

Me.
(not me JiMGa, but "me", as in voting for yourself)

[Solecismic]

Which Clinton?

Might as well throw a Biden and a Bloomberg in there. I'd take either of them above any of the names on this list.

[FBPro]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Which Clinton?

Long-haired, I'd guess.

[KWhit]

I vote Bubba.

[Castlerock]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Which Clinton?

George Clinton

[Swaggs]

Is this poll supposed to be who you would vote for or who will win?

If it is the latter, do folks really think Ron Paul is going to win?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Castlerock

George Clinton

Funktastic!

SI

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Tyrith

Rudi v. Hillary is screaming for a 3rd party candidate to get 20 percent of the vote.

Absolutely. I still don't see Rudi making it past the GOP primary, though.

[chesapeake]

Where's the Al Gore option? He's running between 2nd and 4th in just about every state's polls.

[Toddzilla]

Nothing will guarantee a Democratic victory more in 2008 - save Al Gore announcing he'll run - than Rudy Gulianni winning the GOP nomination.

[Bubba Wheels]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Is this poll supposed to be who you would vote for or who will win?

If it is the latter, do folks really think Ron Paul is going to win?

No, this poll is designed to see how many folks in their heart-of-hearts really want for a certain candidate to win. Not the candidate they think will win.

The idea for this poll came at a family event where I was asked who I was going to support. I said 'probably Guilliani, just to stop Hillary."

The response was 'yes, but if you were to vote your real convictions..," and when I said 'Paul' he responded 'Paul is my guy too." Made me real curious as to who really liked which candidate and I also began to realize that even if he doesn't win, supporting Paul makes me feel good.

Also, I did this off the top of my head and realized I left off Biden, Richardson and also Bloomberg and Nader if I included independents. The next logical step would be a run-off with the top dem, GOP, and independent.

And just to finish, makes my heart swell to see Paul gaining traction nationally, saw a banner for him over I-94 around Ann Arbor "Ron Paul Revolution!" If only...

[korme]

I voted Kusinich (sic?) cause my brother likes him and I have no bias yet.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

Nothing will guarantee a Republican victory more in 2008 than Hilliary winning the Democratic nomination.

Fixed.

[Young Drachma]

None of the current candidates impresses me enough to convince me that I'm going to vote for any of them. I haven't voted for a major party Presidential candidate yet and I don't think '08 will be an exception to the rule.

[EagleFan]

Obama? He doesn't even know what religion he is, or used to be, or might still be, or if he ever was...

Hillary? I may need to do a Baldwin thing and move to Canada if she wins.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Obama? He doesn't even know what religion he is, or used to be, or might still be, or if he ever was...

It's unfortunate that that is even relevant.

Hillary? I may need to do a Baldwin thing and move to Canada if she wins.

As someone who doesn't live in the US, I sincerely hope Hillary gets in. I doubt her reign could rival Bush Jr's for unintentional comedy, but she'd still lead the other candidates in that department IMO.

[PSUColonel]

obama hs no pltform!! unreal

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Obama? He doesn't even know what religion he is, or used to be, or might still be, or if he ever was...

United Church of Christ, a perfectly respectable Protestant Denomination.

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

obama hs no pltform!! unreal

Yes he does, it's all spelled out in detail in... wait, why am I bothering responding to you?

[Kodos]

Out of that list, I chose Edwards, but Gore is my man.

[bosshogg23]

With no clear front runner on either side I have to think that the TICKET will be most important this election. VP candidates very well could have more influence than any other time. Clinton - Bayh, Obama - Richardson, Romney - McCain, etc.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Pat Paulsen

http://www.paulsen.com/

[RendeR]

If anyone is ignorant enough to even give Romney enough consideration to scratch his name OFF a ticket I'll be shocked...no wait, we're talking about the Red America here, they are ignorant enough to vote for him....

[RendeR]

DOLA: I'm shocked at the venom for Guilliani, I honestly see him as the best real choice for the GOP. I may not like the Republican stance on, well..most things, but Rudy has proven for decades that he knows how to get the job done and done right with as little bullshit as possible.

GOP would be fools to not select him. So of course, they won't.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by RendeR

DOLA: I'm shocked at the venom for Guilliani, I honestly see him as the best real choice for the GOP. I may not like the Republican stance on, well..most things, but Rudy has proven for decades that he knows how to get the job done and done right with as little bullshit as possible.

GOP would be fools to not select him. So of course, they won't.

Venom by whom?

The right dislikes his stances on abortion, gay rights, and gun control. The left dislikes his stances on the power of the executive (ie, think PATRIOT Act Plus).

[timmynausea]

Originally Posted by RendeR

Rudy has proven for decades that he knows how to get the job done and done right with as little bullshit as possible.

Decades? Are you referring to his time as a prosecutor cause I think to most of us he's barely been around for a single decade. He was mayor of New York from 1993-2001.

[clintl]

Originally Posted by RendeR

DOLA: I'm shocked at the venom for Guilliani, I honestly see him as the best real choice for the GOP. I may not like the Republican stance on, well..most things, but Rudy has proven for decades that he knows how to get the job done and done right with as little bullshit as possible.

GOP would be fools to not select him. So of course, they won't.

Rudy's a creep who treats other people horribly. It's hard for me to envision handing the kind of power the president has to someone who, after his extramarital affair became public knowledge, held a press conference announcing he was separating from his wife before telling her in person. That kind of thing just shows a fundamental disregard for appropriate interpersonal relations, and it's far from the only incident. At least Clinton had the decency to try to cover his affairs up, and when caught, to reconcile. Politically, he's probably the most palatable of the Republican candidates to me, but I would never vote for him for anything. I don't trust him, and I think that if he's elected, he'll have the same cavalier disregard for the Constitution and the law that our current president has.

[JPhillips]

I was going to pick Rudy, but I had other time constraints that made it impossible for me to find the time to make a selection.

[tucker342]

Obama gets my vote in here and in real life

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by clintl

Rudy's a creep who treats other people horribly. It's hard for me to envision handing the kind of power the president has to someone who, after his extramarital affair became public knowledge, held a press conference announcing he was separating from his wife before telling her in person. That kind of thing just shows a fundamental disregard for appropriate interpersonal relations, and it's far from the only incident. At least Clinton had the decency to try to cover his affairs up, and when caught, to reconcile. Politically, he's probably the most palatable of the Republican candidates to me, but I would never vote for him for anything. I don't trust him, and I think that if he's elected, he'll have the same cavalier disregard for the Constitution and the law that our current president has.

Its a good thing some people can seperate their public life and their private one better than you believe they can then.

No matter your opinion of his personal life and the way he handles his private affairs, I challenge you to find fault with his handling of his job(s).

You don't have to LIKE someone to accept their ability to do a job better than other people. Do I want to have dinner and coffee with Rudi? hell no, he's a politician which instantly labels him a pathetic excuse for a human being, but do I think he knows how to get things done and done well? Yes, I do.

Sorry if this sounds like a vehemant rant, its really not, I honestly loath politics but if I am forced to choose, I want someone who does the job right over someone popular or pleasent.

[JPhillips]

I think Rudy skipping out on the 9/11 Commission is a rather serious mark against him.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by RendeR

No matter your opinion of his personal life and the way he handles his private affairs, I challenge you to find fault with his handling of his job(s).

It really isn't much of a "challenge" to find many people who have found fault with the job Rudy did in NYC. I think of the candidates that most resemble our current president, it would probably be Rudy. Bush has never been too supportive of conservative social issues (stem cell research being a notable exception) just like Rudy. They both have an extreme authoritarian streak to them. Rudy has never had to deal with foreign policy, but I think his foreign policy will be very similar to Bush based upon his general outlook toward the world. Rudy's crackdown in NYC did not leave him beloved in the city. Until September 11, I think most people in NYC had enough of Rudy and his bullying ways.

It's funny to see Eaglefan's and PSUColonel's criticisms of Obama. It's clear they only do their political reading at a few choice places.

I still don't know who I am going to vote for. None of the candidates excite me. Edwards is too anti-free trade for my taste. I have no idea what Clinton will do with foreign policy. Paul is a nut on many issues (his isolationism is bonkers) although I agree with him on a few. I'm still waiting to see how Obama develops as the campaign goes on. Fred Thompson is the flavor of the month, but fundamentally a joke (and will probably be the same as Rudy or Bush on foreign policy).

If I was forced to choose today, I would probably go with Obama, but I wouldn't feel good about it.

[oliegirl]

Rudy's a creep who treats other people horribly. It's hard for me to envision handing the kind of power the president has to someone who, after his extramarital affair became public knowledge, held a press conference announcing he was separating from his wife before telling her in person. That kind of thing just shows a fundamental disregard for appropriate interpersonal relations, and it's far from the only incident. At least Clinton had the decency to try to cover his affairs up, and when caught, to reconcile. Politically, he's probably the most palatable of the Republican candidates to me, but I would never vote for him for anything. I don't trust him, and I think that if he's elected, he'll have the same cavalier disregard for the Constitution and the law that our current president has.

I don't think someone's personal life matters to their public life, unless they make it matter...which is what both Rudy and Bill C. did. Rudy by being a sleaze and telling the press before his wife, Bill C. by continuing to lie over and over again until it was such a huge issue that he couldn't avoid it any longer.

I have a lot of respect for Rudy b/c of how he handled 9/11, as well as his career before and after that, and at this point think he is the best GOP candidate. I have no respect for Bill C at all, he got caught in so many lies and rather than just saying "yeah, I'm human - I cheated on my wife and then lied about it, I'm sorry", just continued to lie for weeks. I don't think it has an impact on whether on not they can be a good president, but it does contribute to my opinion on their character.

[Jas_lov]

Giuliani is scum politically or personally. He has been known to restrict free speech as guaranteed by the 1st amendment. His whole campain is banking on him being present during the 9/11 attacks. Ron Paul has called him a demagogue and I agree, especially at that one debate where Giuliani had never heard of the concept of blowback and argues that American foreign policy had nothing to do with 9/11. The constitution would continue to go out the window and there's no telling which country Giuliani would invade next. I really hope Giuilani doesn't even get past the primaries. He would turn American into a police state.

[clintl]

Originally Posted by RendeR

Its a good thing some people can seperate their public life and their private one better than you believe they can then.

No matter your opinion of his personal life and the way he handles his private affairs, I challenge you to find fault with his handling of his job(s).

You don't have to LIKE someone to accept their ability to do a job better than other people. Do I want to have dinner and coffee with Rudi? hell no, he's a politician which instantly labels him a pathetic excuse for a human being, but do I think he knows how to get things done and done well? Yes, I do.

Sorry if this sounds like a vehemant rant, its really not, I honestly loath politics but if I am forced to choose, I want someone who does the job right over someone popular or pleasent.

I have the same problem with Rudy in how he handles his job. I think he has been just as much of an arrogant jerk in his public duties as he has been in his private life. Yes, he was an effective mayor of New York. But a lot of things that were happening during his years in New York (dropping crime rate, for example) were also happening just about everywhere else in the country, too. So how much of it was really Rudy? I think that's hard to tell.

Bottom line - I don't like him, and I don't trust him. I'd be much more comfortable with one of the Thompsons or Romney, even though I agree less with them ideologically.

[sabotai]

I refuse to vote for anyone to spouts off the "they hate us for our freedom" nonsense, so for me, Rudy is out (along with just about every reason given here).