Part I ... The Republican Candidates
This is just a brief rundown on each Presidential candidate. To be fair, I am listing 1 thing I like about each candidate, 1 thing I don't like, and some "deficiency" in their candidacy.
Rudy Giuliani
The Good - A very decisive leader. Willing to step away from the GOP platform on certain issues.
The Bad - Known as a "dictator."
The Ugly - it's tough to take a guy at his word about "always living up to their commitments / promises" when he has 2 ex wives. Funny how the bishops never bring up that. They might have to get into the relationship between cash and annulments.
John McCain
The Good - About as honorable of a man as they come.
The Bad - Riding the Bush doctrine all the way to the bottom of the sea
The Ugly - Sudden affection for the evangelical wing of the GOP doesn't sit well for a man who claimed he would never pander to those types.
Mitt Romney
The Good - Has a solid record as a strong businessman with good instinct.
The Bad - Has convenient changes of heart. In 2002, was trying to run left of ted Kennedy. In 2007, he's trying to run to the right of everybody.
The Ugly - May be too "camera friendly" in the long run. Already coming off as "plastic."
Mike Huckabee
The Good - One of the best communicators the political stage has seen in a long time. Can eloquently and smoothly express even controversial ideas
The Bad - Some of his views are hardly mainstream.
The Ugly - Sometimes goes 1 step too far. Especially with religion. Like when asked if Rudy could be his running mate with different views. He asked for 30 minutes in a backroom to "convince" him that his views were wrong. I don't think most want the country run like that...again.
Duncan Hunter
The Good - Very strong and staunch supporter of the military. Has family in the military and served himself.
The Bad - Has tendency to make up stuff, especially with the military that can be easily disproved on quick fact-checks.
The Ugly - Has friends amongst the "swiftboaters" that will further credibility problems.
Ron Paul
The Good - The most "real" conservative in the race.
The Bad - Real conservatism includes a non interventionist foreign policy, which means he has been anti - Iraq war since before the invasion. That doesn't sit well with neoconservatives who think they are conservatives.
The Ugly - If by some prayer, Paul does gain momentum and contend for the nomination. His "lack of crisis management" answer in the 1st debate will be run over and over and over by whomever opposes him.
Tommy Thompson
The Good - One the best administrators to ever hail from Wisconson. Both as a governor and a cabinet member in Washington.
The Bad - His campaign is barely off the ground, and "the other Thompson" is going to kill any name recognition he may have gained.
The Ugly - Can't hear, can't hold his water, has little fashion sense or charisma and is just not ready for primetime.
Tom Tancredo
The Good - Hardline immigration supporter's best friend
The Bad - The "chicken little" of the immigration issue. So hardline he turns off even people who want to be pretty tough.
The Ugly - Has tendency to speak like that nerd you remember from high school. Rushing his words and staring at the floor, with little patience with anyone who dies not instantly agree with him.
Sam Brownback
The Good - The evangelical right's best friend.
The Bad - Really doesn't have any other friends.
The Ugly - Trying to pass off a plan by Joe Biden as his own. A plan he endorsed formally last year.
Jim Gilmore
The Good - Strong resume and was a pretty popular Governor.
The Bad - except for Mike Gravel, has raised the least amount of money in the field. This run might just be a way to get back into Virginia politics.
The Ugly -Never mentions that he chaired a comittee on WMD's, namely, the "Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction", nicknamed the Gilmore Commission. Maybe that's because the commission's last report before 9/11 said that Osama Bin Laden's ally was Sudan, not Iraq.
Fred Thompson
The Good - Popular, charismatic and his acting skills won't hurt either.
The Bad - Isn't the "cause driven" type like the man that others are trying to compare him to, Ronald Reagan.
The Ugly - His young 2nd wife may give some the creeps.
Some of these are obviously more important issues than others, in all the categories. Please don't get mad if I didn't point out your particular candidate's best strength or weakness as you see it. But do feel free to share your views. Next up, we'll look at the Democratic field.