Thought Experiment: Who is the best REPUBLICAN candidate?

[Pterodactyl]

Question: Which current Republican presidential candidate
would be best for the country if he actually won?

I'm not asking which would be the easiest to beat, but
assuming the winner would be a Republican, which would you be
most comfortable with?

And why?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_presidential_primaries,_2012#Current

List of current candidates:

Herman Cain

Newt Gingrich

Gary Johnson

Fred Karger

Andy Martin

Jimmy McMillan

Ron Paul

Tim Pawlenty

Mitt Romney

Rick Santorum

Jonathon Sharkey

[GKirk]

1. Let the RNC run their own poll n/t

[shraby]

2. NONE OF THE ABOVE!

None, not one, nany!

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Ron Paul is probably the least sold-out.

Although he's totally nuts on the vast majority of issues, I don't hate EVERYTHING he stands for as is the case with most of them. I could see getting some legislation, like drug legalization, through (not that it would pass Congress in reality), and ending our imperial aspirations in the Middle east during a Paul presidency. But of course his chances of nomination are about equal to those of Dennis Kucinich.

[Exultant Democracy]

5. You are right Ron Paul is the only one who wouldn't sell his mother for a song. Tad Racist

on the other hand. I think his chances of getting the nomination is probably about 3 times are likely as Kucinich, but of course we are talking about small enough numbers that it makes no difference.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Yeah.

.0005 for Kooch, .0015 for Paul.

[emulatorloo]

11. A stopped clock is right twice a day. Ron Paul is a stopped clock

Most of Paul's positions are insane.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. Is that any less true of the rest of them?

Convince me that they aren't racist and homophobic and misogynists (including the women) and global warming deniers, etc.

[emulatorloo]

16. Of course not, they are all awful.

[MineralMan]

4. You might try that poll somewhere where people give a shit.

This is not that place. None of those you mention are in the least acceptable.

Feh!

[crim son]

6. I think it's a good question.

I have no answer because I haven't bothered to do the research beyond the few big names, because people like Jimmy McMillan (who I've never heard of) haven't got a chance. I know a few people who like to claim there are decent republicans out there: is that true of any of these candidates?

[Frisbee]

18. I sincerely believe...

You can't be a republican AND a good person. You can be a republican who has some decent qualities. Not all republicans for example deny climate change, or are racist. But if you identify with today's republican party enough that you claim to be one, and they probably wouldn't throw you out of their convention if they knew your views on the major issues, you are probably not a very good person overall, even if you do love puppies. JMHO

[MH1]

7. Romney, because he isn't crazy

and he actually recognizes global warming and the human factors thereof, which makes him less of a cretin than the rest.

[valerief]

8. Barack Obama. Now we need a progressive to run against him. nt

[Pterodactyl]

13. Now that's funny!

[valerief]

15. Obama is as Republican as I want to see any Republicans get.

Anything right of Obama is insanity, in my book.

[RevStPatrick]

9. I think it's fair to ask questions like that here.

Despite what others might say.

I would say Gary Johnson.
He seems the least crazy, and would let me smoke a doobie in my own back yard.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. None of the above.

The best of those to win would be the one who would be easiest to defeat next time around.

That is my ONLY criterion.

[byronius]

17. Herman Cain. Too crazy to do any real damage.

All right, Romney. If we're serious.

[Harry Monroe]

19. If I had a gun to my head and had to choose or die...

Oh hell, I'd go with Romney. But if my life wasn't threatened, NONE OF THEM!!

[ThomasP]

20. hehe

Give me Bachmann. 4 years of that kind of crazy and the republican party would go the way of the dinosaurs.

[LeftishBrit]

21. None of them.

[Meandering Kitten]

22. Huntsman is the best of the worst.

You didn't list him. All of them including Huntsman are bad. We have to find a way to reelect Obama.