Current US vote candidates

[D4nny]

I don't have the time to check up on them, could someone summarise the candidates and there personality/policies/stances please? I've heard Ron Paul mentioned but have no idea who he is.

Best answer gets sunshine and sparkles.

[XDelphi]

Vermin Supreme.

[697134002]

Well, I'd tell you to google 'Rick Santorum' but that would be a very bad thing to do - don't do it. No, seriously, it's disgusting.

[LS13]

Vermin Supreme.

I found out about Vermin 2 days ago, and I must say that he is either the best trol ever or seriously deluded.

[Lord_Mountbatten]

Yeah, only guy to know about is Vermin Supreme. If I was a US citizen and was registered, he'd have my vote.

[D4nny]

Vermin supreme is beyond amazing. He...no words can describe the amazingness he radiates.

[Sti_Jo_Lew]

God, could you imagine if this guy actually got elected? It would either end in complete disaster or it would give everyone a pony.

[D4nny]

Or, America would become land of the trolls.

[Preston_Brooks]

Mitt Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts. He is a moderate conservative with a history of saying whatever needs to be said to appeal to the voters (and as such his views have changed over time, and he has a history of completely changing his opinions randomly). Waffling aside, Romney is a very electable candidate, an eloquent speaker, and doesn't really have that many glaring character flaws. However, while voters may like him or support his ideas, his personality is a bit one dimensional (he NEVER gets angry or emotional over anything), and as such, he has never been able to garner true affection from voters.

The short version for Romney is that he is a moderate who changes his mind a lot, but is the front runner in the campaign because of his spotless record and mass appeal.

Newt Gingrich is a right wing conservative (farther right than Romney) that represented Georgia in congress for 20 years, and acted as the Speaker of the House for four years. Most of Gingrich's positions closely follow those of the Republican party, but he does have the tenancy to make controversial statements that need to be clarified later (for example he called the Palestinians an "invented people"). His most glaring issue lies in his personal life, which shades his personal ethics. He is currently married to his third wife, and during his prior two marriages he began seeing his next wife while still being married. His 2nd ex-wife recently accused him of openly admitting to having an affair, and requesting an open marriage. Despite this glaring flaw, Gingrich is an excellent speaker and intelligent debater, and has been able to focus attention away from the shenanigans in his personal life.

The short version for Gingrich is that he is a conservative with 20 years of service in congress, a history of saying controversial things, and glaring personal flaws (cheating on his 2 previous wives). He remains in the race due to his appeal to central conservatives and his brilliant performances at debates.

You mentioned Ron Paul in your title, so I will talk a little about him, but before I do, I feel obligated to point out that his star is fading fast. With the rise of Gingrich, there is little to no hope for Ron Paul to get the GOP nomination.

Ron Paul can best be described as a libertarian, or a true conservative (not a republican conservative, but a truly defined conservative). He served in congress for well over twenty years. His positions are extreme. He wants to strike down Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare, abolish the Departments of Energy, Education, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Labor, disband the Federal Reserve and Environmental Protection Agency. To sum up his positions, he believes that the Federal Government is far too powerful, and all of these bodies are unnecessary. While he would destroy these institutions, he would allow the states power to make decisions within their own borders. He continues this view on topics such as Abortion and the regulation of Drugs. His reputation is ironclad, as he has NEVER voted against his previously stated views.

The short version for Ron Paul is that he is a fringe candidate who would eviscerate the federal government and bureaucracy in order to restore power to the states.

I am usually up to date with political events in the USA, so if you have any further questions, feel free to ask me!

[Lord_Mountbatten]

As much as people criticise voting against previous positions, there do also exist people that simply change their mind after realising their first idea was wrong. I actually much prefer these people compared to people who never change their mind, as they are very rare., especially in an honest sense. It is how I often approach politics, which I believe contributes to me self-enforcement of neutrality.

Unless Mitt Romney very obviously changes tack to get voters, I will not fault him for it.

Newt Gingrich could be a Republican or a Democrat for all I care. He is a repulsive-looking man, and I am vain.

Ron Paul seems to be very popular with everyone for some reason. Or at least with the internet. Hm, perhaps he's a bad choice then.

[Preston_Brooks]

Mitt Romney very obviously changes tack to get voters, and you should fault him for it. It is not so much that his positions evolve over time, but that his positions change to what is most popular or practical to support. I shall give one clear example. As Governor of Massachusetts he spearheaded a universal health care program which has since become known as Romneycare, which was very popular with the citizens of Massachusetts. He now opposes any form of universal health care, and has vehemently attacked President Obama's plan, which actually was actually based on the program Romney enacted in Massachusetts.

If you need another example, when he ran for the GOP nomination in 2008 (after he served his final term as the Governor of Massachusetts) he changed his positions on gay marriage, stem-cell research, and abortion, while suddenly becoming increasingly supportive of the National Rifle Association, cutting taxes, and suddenly stopped supporting closing corporate tax loopholes. Speaking as a citizen of Massachusetts during his tenure as Governor, the Mitt Romney you are seeing today is completely different from the one that campaigned in Massachusetts. This is unquestionable, as it is quite clear that if Romney had supported these things he would never have been able to be elected in MA, which is one of the more liberal states in America

Ron Paul is popular with the internet because he appeals to young, college-age students that are politically active. He is a fresh face that does not compromise or play politics. He is not a "bad" choice, he is just different. He represents a complete and utter deviation from the past 100 years of American politics. To be honest he would have been more at home in the Pre Civil War era of American History, as his views on States' Rights line up more with the political parties of that era than those of today. People like him because he is not a politician, he is intelligent, supports the constitution, and offers what Obama promised but never delivered; Change.

[Lord_Mountbatten]

So that means Ron Paul won't win the nomination then. And just because he offers change, doesn't mean he'd be any different to President Obama.

And if what you say about Mitt Romney is true, the Republican nomination sounds like it's a toss-up between him and Gingrich, both of whom suck.

[vallorn]

i like Ron Paul and Vermin Supreme...

[aflycon]

Ron Paul, as far as I know, is popular on the internet due to his upright support of the Constitution (read: hates SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, supports rights on the internet, is personification of typical uber-internet-activist personality). If I were of voting age, he would have my vote as I strongly agree with his views on States' Rights.

[Invunarble]

I'd vote Vermin Supreme if I were American, I desperately need a pony, better alternative then buying a car.

[SneakyPie]

Unfortunately, none of the candidates running are worth voting for either Democrat, Republican, or Independent.

Trying to pick one is like picking which STD you wouldn't mind catching.

[697134002]

Here's a frightening chart.

[SneakyPie]

That's troubling considering this is where I stand on that scale.

[Sti_Jo_Lew]

Here's mine.

Anyways, I think right now I'm favoring Ron Paul, since he seems to believe many of the same things as me. I probably won't vote though, since I've been too busy to look into the candidates and I don't want to put in an opinion on something I know little about. I like to know what I'm talking about pretty much.

[vallorn]

and mine

[697134002]

Well, all aboard the bandwagon!

[Michael7123]

In case you want a different opinion, here is another political quiz website:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz
My score:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz_result ... 0.gif&p=60

[Lord_Mountbatten]

Doesn't seem particularly in depth compared to the first one. The result it gave me was a slightly more extreme version of what the first did.

[aflycon]

I'm a "centrist."

More mediocrity for me, hooray.

[LS13]

I'm about 2 lines left of vall, doung this from a phone so I cant put in the chart :/

[Spyboticsguy]

/bandwagon

[Wildwill002]

2 under sneaky be me

[LS13]

Hey spy, I'm like the exact same >.>