Washington, DC (TLS). Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore announced today that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.
Citing money woes, Gilmore stated that there was not enough spendable cash to sustain the campaign.
Gilmore is surely to be merely the first in a string of candidates who will announce their departure. The most high-profile of these is John McCain who, despite the insistence that he will fight on, is facing his own money woes. Others who are in dire financial straits include Democrats Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich, and Republicans Tommy Thompson and Tom Tancredo.
In addition, while Democratic Senator Joe Biden has done well in the debates, he has not exactly set the woods on fire with fundraising. While we believe that Biden is a serious candidate, we look for him to decide to stay in the Senate rather than continue with a campaign that so far is appearing lackluster.
The impending entry of former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson into the race will definitely change the entire makeup of the campaign. Sources inform us that Thompson is already poised not only to be the front-runner but the top fundraiser as well, right out of the starting gate.
Republican and Independent activists with deep pockets have either already committed or will commit to giving the candidate large sums of money that will not only rival but surpass the campaign cash raised by Rudy Giuliani.
Meanwhile, Ron Paul continues with his grassroots surge, raising 2 million in the last three months, mainly from online contributions. We see his prospects continuing to improve as time progresses.
Something to think about--perhaps Ron Paul's 'ace in the hole' is his stance against the War in Iraq. Among Republicans not only is this rare but it is seen almost as anathema.
However, given the present mindset of the electorate as a whole, independents, libertarians, and disenchanted Democrats may well come flocking to the Ron Paul campaign because of the War.
And this is not to mention the fact that many conservative Republicans, though openly castigating Paul on his stance on the War, privately express delight over his emphasis on the return to core conservative values, such as small government and low taxes.
The Liberty Sphere still puts its money on Fred Thompson, although we like Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul.
But as they say in politics, it really is getting interesting out there, isn't it?
Showing posts with label Jim Gilmore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Gilmore. Show all posts
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Ratings of Republican Candidates--3rd Debate, 6/5/07
Manchester, NH (TLS). The 3rd major Republican debate is history. Once again, CNN did an admirable job, with the exception of the 'stupid question' we have come to expect from the mainstream media.
The stupid question tonight was, 'If you are elected how will you use former President George W. Bush?'
Other than these types of stupid questions, Wolf Blitzer and the CNN team did a very good job at managing the debate.
All of the candidates were in top form this evening, and we saw no one who appeared to be having a bad night or struggling with answers.
GENERAL EVALUATION OF DEBATE SKILL/PRESENTATION
In terms of overall communication skill, several candidates competed for top honors, including Duncan Hunter, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul. Each of these 5 candidates did an exceptional job at presenting their views.
Those who did very well but not quite up to the level of the aforementioned candidates were Tom Tancredo, Jim Gilmore, and Tommy Thompson. However, even these candidates presented themselves very well and showed very few weaknesses.
Perhaps one of the key moments during the debate came during the second half, when Duncan Hunter took on Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney for espousing views that are far outside the Republican mainstream. Hunter made a strong case for Reagan ideals being key to reaching out to moderate Republicans and Independents, rather than allowing conservative values to be usurped by the support of more gun control, socialized medicine, and other such dubious positions.
Giuliani's strongest area tonight was his ability to articulate the clear differences between Republicans and Democrats on national security and defense, and the War on Terror. He stated that, 'Not a single Democrat on this stage Sunday night would even utter the words "Islamic Terrorist." He also took direct aim at both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, particularly Edwards' contention that the War on Terror is merely a bumper sticker slogan.
Thus, in terms of presentation, Duncan Hunter showed the strongest improvement. Rudy Giuliani continued to exhibit a clear penchant for leadership, credibility, and a natural ability to look 'Presidential.'
RATINGS OF CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES IMPACTING LIBERTY
The Liberty Sphere uses our exclusive 'Liberty Scale' for rating candidates based upon the following key issues: national defense, taxes, abortion, gun rights, the War on Terror, healthcare, immigration, and U.S. foreign policy.
Based upon these 8 key issues that impact human liberty, The Liberty Sphere rates each of the Republican candidates in tonight's debate as follows (10 being the highest score):
Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Jim Gilmore--10
Tom Tancredo--8
Ron Paul--7
Rudy Giuliani--7
Tommy Thompson--7
John McCain--5
While John McCain can be given high marks for his stand on the War on Terror and its tributary in Iraq, The Liberty Sphere is still very concerned about his long-standing opposition to gun rights, immigration control and border security, and his assault on First Amendment/free speech through McCain-Feingold.
Frankly, however, we would have no problem supporting McCain if he is chosen to go up against ANY Democratic candidate in the general election. In this contest, even the very weakest Republican candidate is a vast improvement over the outright socialistic, pacifistic anti-freedom exhibited by each of the Democratic candidates.
McCain may well have succeeded in regaining his 'number three' position among the front-runners with tonight's strong performance. While Mike Huckabee came on very strong, we are concerned with the 'ministerial' moniker that is increasingly hanging around his neck.
The Liberty Sphere has no problem with ministers running for office, and we believe that Huckabee is a very good man and a strong candidate. Our concern is that the Baptist Minister tag will hurt him among certain portions of the electorate.
It will be interesting to see how the polling data falls out over the next few days with regard to McCain and Huckabee.
Look for Duncan Hunter to move upward in the polls.
The stupid question tonight was, 'If you are elected how will you use former President George W. Bush?'
Other than these types of stupid questions, Wolf Blitzer and the CNN team did a very good job at managing the debate.
All of the candidates were in top form this evening, and we saw no one who appeared to be having a bad night or struggling with answers.
GENERAL EVALUATION OF DEBATE SKILL/PRESENTATION
In terms of overall communication skill, several candidates competed for top honors, including Duncan Hunter, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul. Each of these 5 candidates did an exceptional job at presenting their views.
Those who did very well but not quite up to the level of the aforementioned candidates were Tom Tancredo, Jim Gilmore, and Tommy Thompson. However, even these candidates presented themselves very well and showed very few weaknesses.
Perhaps one of the key moments during the debate came during the second half, when Duncan Hunter took on Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney for espousing views that are far outside the Republican mainstream. Hunter made a strong case for Reagan ideals being key to reaching out to moderate Republicans and Independents, rather than allowing conservative values to be usurped by the support of more gun control, socialized medicine, and other such dubious positions.
Giuliani's strongest area tonight was his ability to articulate the clear differences between Republicans and Democrats on national security and defense, and the War on Terror. He stated that, 'Not a single Democrat on this stage Sunday night would even utter the words "Islamic Terrorist." He also took direct aim at both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, particularly Edwards' contention that the War on Terror is merely a bumper sticker slogan.
Thus, in terms of presentation, Duncan Hunter showed the strongest improvement. Rudy Giuliani continued to exhibit a clear penchant for leadership, credibility, and a natural ability to look 'Presidential.'
RATINGS OF CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES IMPACTING LIBERTY
The Liberty Sphere uses our exclusive 'Liberty Scale' for rating candidates based upon the following key issues: national defense, taxes, abortion, gun rights, the War on Terror, healthcare, immigration, and U.S. foreign policy.
Based upon these 8 key issues that impact human liberty, The Liberty Sphere rates each of the Republican candidates in tonight's debate as follows (10 being the highest score):
Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Jim Gilmore--10
Tom Tancredo--8
Ron Paul--7
Rudy Giuliani--7
Tommy Thompson--7
John McCain--5
While John McCain can be given high marks for his stand on the War on Terror and its tributary in Iraq, The Liberty Sphere is still very concerned about his long-standing opposition to gun rights, immigration control and border security, and his assault on First Amendment/free speech through McCain-Feingold.
Frankly, however, we would have no problem supporting McCain if he is chosen to go up against ANY Democratic candidate in the general election. In this contest, even the very weakest Republican candidate is a vast improvement over the outright socialistic, pacifistic anti-freedom exhibited by each of the Democratic candidates.
McCain may well have succeeded in regaining his 'number three' position among the front-runners with tonight's strong performance. While Mike Huckabee came on very strong, we are concerned with the 'ministerial' moniker that is increasingly hanging around his neck.
The Liberty Sphere has no problem with ministers running for office, and we believe that Huckabee is a very good man and a strong candidate. Our concern is that the Baptist Minister tag will hurt him among certain portions of the electorate.
It will be interesting to see how the polling data falls out over the next few days with regard to McCain and Huckabee.
Look for Duncan Hunter to move upward in the polls.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Who Is Winning So Far Among the Republicans?
Columbia, SC (TLS). With two televised debates now under their belts, the Republican Presidential candidates have begun to carve out for themselves a certain niche in the minds of the voters. With some of these candidates, initial impressions have been made, for good or ill. Others have had opportunity to re-introduce themselves after years in the public spotlight.
The Liberty Sphere has been rating candidates, both Democrat and Republican, based upon our exclusive 'Liberty Scale.' This scale is based upon eight key issues that we view as being central to the preservation of liberty in our lifetime and beyond--taxes, gun rights, abortion, national defense, border security, immigration control, the War in Iraq, and the broader War on Terror.
Based upon the ratings of the Republican candidates on these issues during the two debates, we can now get a clearer picture as to who is ahead so far, and who is lagging behind.
We have added together each candidates' two scores from their two debates, and divided them by two, in order to get an average score. The following is the average score of each of the 10 Republican candidates, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score:
Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Jim Gilmore--8
Tom Tancredo--7.5
Sam Brownback--7
Rudy Giuliani--6.5
Mitt Romney--6.5
Tommy Thompson--6.5
Ron Paul--6.5
John McCain--5
You will note that only two candidates have a perfect score on the issues that are key to The Liberty Sphere--Duncan Hunter and Mike Huckabee. However, our concern at this point is money. Neither Hunter nor Huckabee have shown the ability, at least thus far, to raise the mega-bucks needed to mount a competitive campaign. It will be interesting to see if this changes after last night's debate.
If anyone stands to gain the most in terms of fundraising, it is definitely Rudy Giuliani with his powerful showing in the debate. We look for the candidate to overtake Romney as the Republican who raises the most funds, at least with the present field of candidates.
That looming unknown factor is still very much present, however--how soon will Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich announce, and to what degree with this effect the Giuliani bandwagon.
The Liberty Sphere has been rating candidates, both Democrat and Republican, based upon our exclusive 'Liberty Scale.' This scale is based upon eight key issues that we view as being central to the preservation of liberty in our lifetime and beyond--taxes, gun rights, abortion, national defense, border security, immigration control, the War in Iraq, and the broader War on Terror.
Based upon the ratings of the Republican candidates on these issues during the two debates, we can now get a clearer picture as to who is ahead so far, and who is lagging behind.
We have added together each candidates' two scores from their two debates, and divided them by two, in order to get an average score. The following is the average score of each of the 10 Republican candidates, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score:
Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Jim Gilmore--8
Tom Tancredo--7.5
Sam Brownback--7
Rudy Giuliani--6.5
Mitt Romney--6.5
Tommy Thompson--6.5
Ron Paul--6.5
John McCain--5
You will note that only two candidates have a perfect score on the issues that are key to The Liberty Sphere--Duncan Hunter and Mike Huckabee. However, our concern at this point is money. Neither Hunter nor Huckabee have shown the ability, at least thus far, to raise the mega-bucks needed to mount a competitive campaign. It will be interesting to see if this changes after last night's debate.
If anyone stands to gain the most in terms of fundraising, it is definitely Rudy Giuliani with his powerful showing in the debate. We look for the candidate to overtake Romney as the Republican who raises the most funds, at least with the present field of candidates.
That looming unknown factor is still very much present, however--how soon will Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich announce, and to what degree with this effect the Giuliani bandwagon.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The 2nd Debate--Ratings of the Republican Candidates
Columbia, SC (TLS). The Republican candidates squared off for their second debate here this evening at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. The University, which boasts over 30,000 students here in a metropolitan area of roughly 400,000, became the focus of thousands of news personnel from around the country, some from as far away as Washington State, in order to see these candidates in action.
An estimated crowd of 10,000 gathered for this forum, which was hosted and aired by Fox News. News veteran Britt Hume, Washington bureau chief for Fox News, did his normally admirable job of moderating this debate.
The questions presented to the candidates were reasonable, thoughtful, thorough, sometimes confrontational, and substantive. In fact, Fox News, Britt Hume, and company, can take pride in the fact that tonight they displayed a brilliant presentation of professional journalism.
Tonight's format was decidedly different from what we have seen so far in these gatherings. Fox had stated prior to the debate to expect changes, and they delivered. There was room for interaction between candidates, with Giuliani going head-to-head with Ron Paul on the reasons we were attacked on 9/11. There was even an innovative part of the debate where Britt Hume presented a hypothetical scenario of a terrorist attack on America. The candidates then had to describe what they would do in light of the attack.
As always, The Liberty Sphere will begin by presenting our analysis of the effectiveness of the candidates' presentation, i.e., clarity and style of communication, connection with the audience, logical progression of rhetoric, and ability to answer the questions asked rather than running off on tangents.
In light of these qualities, The Liberty Sphere ranks the candidates as follows, in order of their overall effectiveness of presentation:
Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter (3-way tie)
John McCain, Tom Tancredo, Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback (4-way tie)
Tommy Thompson
Jim Gilmore
Ron Paul
The person showing the most improvement over the first debate was Tom Tancredo, who was engaging, articulate, and powerful. The biggest disappointment was Ron Paul, who implied that the reason we were attacked on 9/11 was directly due to our involvement in the Middle East for years. This played right into the hands of Rudy Giuliani, who was visibly outraged at such a suggestion, and displayed the indignation of one personally offended by the mere suggestion that America itself is responsible for the terrorist murders of our citizens.
When we are dealing with radical Islam, no amount of isolationalism would have prevented them from attempting to carry out the will of Allah in slaughtering the infidels. Ron Paul should know this.
In fact, the major gaffe of the evening was by Ron Paul on this issue, who may have just insured his demise as a viable candidate.
Second, The Liberty Sphere will rate the candidates based upon our eight-point 'Liberty Scale.' This is the heart of our ratings system, for the emphasis here is exclusively on the issues alone.
The eight issues we have chosen by which to rate the candidates on the issues are as follows: taxes, gun rights, national defense, abortion, the War on Terror, the War in Iraq, border security, and immigration control. These particular issues are at the heart of liberty, and they are consistent with The Liberty Sphere's mission statement.
For a full explanation on our rationale for rating the candidates on these eight issues, see our post on the first Democratic debate here:
http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com/2007/04/ratings-of-democratic-presidential.html
Based upon The Liberty Sphere's analysis of each of the 10 Republican Presidential candidates and the extent to which they adhere to our eight key indicators of liberty, the candidates in tonight's debate are rated as follows on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score:
Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Tom Tancredo--8
Jim Gilmore--7
Rudy Giuliani--7
Mitt Romney--6
Sam Brownback--6
Ron Paul--6
Tommy Thompson--6
John McCain--5
You will note several items of interest. Tom Tancredo significantly helped himself in tonight's debate. So did Rudy Giuliani. Ron Paul lost a great amount of ground due to his more complete explanation of his views on foreign policy and his apparent short-sighted take on the nature of radical Islam. We did not create Muslim terrorists. To merely imply such a thing either deliberately or inadvertently is to insure the end of one's candidacy, for all intents and purposes.
Our rationale on giving significantly higher marks to Rudy this evening revolves, in part, around his eloquent explanation of his views on abortion. Although we disagree on how to deal with a moral issue, we can respect his point of view because he is honest about it, and because he has obviously thought it through very thoroughly. In addition, we believe that his credentials as a player on the world stage against global terrorism were on full display this evening. And it doesn't hurt that he pledges to appoint only strict constructionists to the courts and that he believes in American capitalism and free enterprise as opposed to Hillary Clinton's socialism.
An estimated crowd of 10,000 gathered for this forum, which was hosted and aired by Fox News. News veteran Britt Hume, Washington bureau chief for Fox News, did his normally admirable job of moderating this debate.
The questions presented to the candidates were reasonable, thoughtful, thorough, sometimes confrontational, and substantive. In fact, Fox News, Britt Hume, and company, can take pride in the fact that tonight they displayed a brilliant presentation of professional journalism.
Tonight's format was decidedly different from what we have seen so far in these gatherings. Fox had stated prior to the debate to expect changes, and they delivered. There was room for interaction between candidates, with Giuliani going head-to-head with Ron Paul on the reasons we were attacked on 9/11. There was even an innovative part of the debate where Britt Hume presented a hypothetical scenario of a terrorist attack on America. The candidates then had to describe what they would do in light of the attack.
As always, The Liberty Sphere will begin by presenting our analysis of the effectiveness of the candidates' presentation, i.e., clarity and style of communication, connection with the audience, logical progression of rhetoric, and ability to answer the questions asked rather than running off on tangents.
In light of these qualities, The Liberty Sphere ranks the candidates as follows, in order of their overall effectiveness of presentation:
Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter (3-way tie)
John McCain, Tom Tancredo, Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback (4-way tie)
Tommy Thompson
Jim Gilmore
Ron Paul
The person showing the most improvement over the first debate was Tom Tancredo, who was engaging, articulate, and powerful. The biggest disappointment was Ron Paul, who implied that the reason we were attacked on 9/11 was directly due to our involvement in the Middle East for years. This played right into the hands of Rudy Giuliani, who was visibly outraged at such a suggestion, and displayed the indignation of one personally offended by the mere suggestion that America itself is responsible for the terrorist murders of our citizens.
When we are dealing with radical Islam, no amount of isolationalism would have prevented them from attempting to carry out the will of Allah in slaughtering the infidels. Ron Paul should know this.
In fact, the major gaffe of the evening was by Ron Paul on this issue, who may have just insured his demise as a viable candidate.
Second, The Liberty Sphere will rate the candidates based upon our eight-point 'Liberty Scale.' This is the heart of our ratings system, for the emphasis here is exclusively on the issues alone.
The eight issues we have chosen by which to rate the candidates on the issues are as follows: taxes, gun rights, national defense, abortion, the War on Terror, the War in Iraq, border security, and immigration control. These particular issues are at the heart of liberty, and they are consistent with The Liberty Sphere's mission statement.
For a full explanation on our rationale for rating the candidates on these eight issues, see our post on the first Democratic debate here:
http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com/2007/04/ratings-of-democratic-presidential.html
Based upon The Liberty Sphere's analysis of each of the 10 Republican Presidential candidates and the extent to which they adhere to our eight key indicators of liberty, the candidates in tonight's debate are rated as follows on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score:
Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Tom Tancredo--8
Jim Gilmore--7
Rudy Giuliani--7
Mitt Romney--6
Sam Brownback--6
Ron Paul--6
Tommy Thompson--6
John McCain--5
You will note several items of interest. Tom Tancredo significantly helped himself in tonight's debate. So did Rudy Giuliani. Ron Paul lost a great amount of ground due to his more complete explanation of his views on foreign policy and his apparent short-sighted take on the nature of radical Islam. We did not create Muslim terrorists. To merely imply such a thing either deliberately or inadvertently is to insure the end of one's candidacy, for all intents and purposes.
Our rationale on giving significantly higher marks to Rudy this evening revolves, in part, around his eloquent explanation of his views on abortion. Although we disagree on how to deal with a moral issue, we can respect his point of view because he is honest about it, and because he has obviously thought it through very thoroughly. In addition, we believe that his credentials as a player on the world stage against global terrorism were on full display this evening. And it doesn't hurt that he pledges to appoint only strict constructionists to the courts and that he believes in American capitalism and free enterprise as opposed to Hillary Clinton's socialism.
What to Look for in Tonight's Republican Debate
Columbia, SC (TLS). The campus of the University of South Carolina in the state capital of Columbia will be the setting this evening for the second debate of the Republican Presidential candidates.
As a primer for this evening's debate, here are a few things to look for:
1. Fox News will undoubtedly provide a very different format and approach from that of the first Republican debate, which was sponsored by MSNBC. While Fox has not disclosed exactly how this forum will be different, it will be interesting to see if this meeting comes closer to being a real debate than any of the previous candidates' forums this year.
2. With news veteran Britt Hume as the moderator for tonight's debate, look for more questions of substance. Chris Matthews' stint as 'moderator' of the first Republican debate was nothing less than a debacle for two reasons: Matthews is a known partisan who favors Liberal Democrats, and two, many of the questions were downright ridiculous and not even worthy of consideration. It will be hard to imagine this happening tonight with Hume in charge.
3. Ron Paul stands to make major strides in advancing his candidacy if he does well tonight. His first debate appearance set the Internet abuzz. Will he build on that momentum, or will he stall?
4. Tom Tancredo will more than likely stage a very strong appearance this evening, given that he was off his game in the first debate. Look for him to display his characteristic charisma and eloquence, particularly on the issue of border security.
5. The four candidates who helped themselves the most by their performance in the first debate--Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Jim Gilmore, and Mitt Romney--will be under the gun to pull off the same thing this time. Look for at least one of these to stumble a bit.
6. Giuliani and McCain have a chance to step up to the plate and hit one out of the park this evening. However, anything less than a stellar performance out of each will amount to a net loss, in our opinion. Neither candidate did or said anything in the last debate to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in terms of desirability. Unless they change that perception, and change it soon, you can look for both of these top contenders to begin losing steam in the polls.
7. At this point we do not see either Kansas Senator Sam Brownback nor Tommy Thompson as viable contenders. Brownback could change that with an unusually strong showing this evening. He is a good man who certainly has a bright future worthy of greatness. The question is, is the timing right? With Thompson, his candidacy has had trouble getting off the ground, and we don't see that changing tonight unless a major miracle takes place.
As always, The Liberty Sphere will post our exclusive 'Liberty Rating' on each of the candidates following tonight's debate.
As a primer for this evening's debate, here are a few things to look for:
1. Fox News will undoubtedly provide a very different format and approach from that of the first Republican debate, which was sponsored by MSNBC. While Fox has not disclosed exactly how this forum will be different, it will be interesting to see if this meeting comes closer to being a real debate than any of the previous candidates' forums this year.
2. With news veteran Britt Hume as the moderator for tonight's debate, look for more questions of substance. Chris Matthews' stint as 'moderator' of the first Republican debate was nothing less than a debacle for two reasons: Matthews is a known partisan who favors Liberal Democrats, and two, many of the questions were downright ridiculous and not even worthy of consideration. It will be hard to imagine this happening tonight with Hume in charge.
3. Ron Paul stands to make major strides in advancing his candidacy if he does well tonight. His first debate appearance set the Internet abuzz. Will he build on that momentum, or will he stall?
4. Tom Tancredo will more than likely stage a very strong appearance this evening, given that he was off his game in the first debate. Look for him to display his characteristic charisma and eloquence, particularly on the issue of border security.
5. The four candidates who helped themselves the most by their performance in the first debate--Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Jim Gilmore, and Mitt Romney--will be under the gun to pull off the same thing this time. Look for at least one of these to stumble a bit.
6. Giuliani and McCain have a chance to step up to the plate and hit one out of the park this evening. However, anything less than a stellar performance out of each will amount to a net loss, in our opinion. Neither candidate did or said anything in the last debate to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in terms of desirability. Unless they change that perception, and change it soon, you can look for both of these top contenders to begin losing steam in the polls.
7. At this point we do not see either Kansas Senator Sam Brownback nor Tommy Thompson as viable contenders. Brownback could change that with an unusually strong showing this evening. He is a good man who certainly has a bright future worthy of greatness. The question is, is the timing right? With Thompson, his candidacy has had trouble getting off the ground, and we don't see that changing tonight unless a major miracle takes place.
As always, The Liberty Sphere will post our exclusive 'Liberty Rating' on each of the candidates following tonight's debate.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Ron Paul on the Move
Washington, DC (TLS). A dark horse Republican candidate for the Presidential nomination, Ron Paul, is apparently on the move in the polls. Late-breaking surveys are showing that the U.S. Representative from Texas has surprisingly gained much ground since the Republican debate in California.
The Liberty Sphere had picked Mitt Romney, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore as the ones who helped themselves the most by their performance in the debate. Although we did not feel that Ron Paul made a particularly strong showing in the debate itself, his views certainly are attracting quite a bit of attention--and support.
Paul may well turn out to be the dark horse candidate to watch in this race.
The real key is fundraising. Although The Liberty Sphere picked Duncan Hunter early-on as our favorite, we have frankly been worried of late concerning his ability to raise the necessary funds to compete next year. And that goes for most of the candidates.
In order to mount a competitive campaign in the Winter and Spring of 2008, each candidate will need 100 million dollars in their coffers. So far, only Mitt Romney has shown that he can raise that kind of money.
Thus, if Ron Paul or any of the others are going to emerge as strong candidates to go head-to-head against Hillary or Obama, they are going to have to start reeling in the cash.
The Liberty Sphere had picked Mitt Romney, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore as the ones who helped themselves the most by their performance in the debate. Although we did not feel that Ron Paul made a particularly strong showing in the debate itself, his views certainly are attracting quite a bit of attention--and support.
Paul may well turn out to be the dark horse candidate to watch in this race.
The real key is fundraising. Although The Liberty Sphere picked Duncan Hunter early-on as our favorite, we have frankly been worried of late concerning his ability to raise the necessary funds to compete next year. And that goes for most of the candidates.
In order to mount a competitive campaign in the Winter and Spring of 2008, each candidate will need 100 million dollars in their coffers. So far, only Mitt Romney has shown that he can raise that kind of money.
Thus, if Ron Paul or any of the others are going to emerge as strong candidates to go head-to-head against Hillary or Obama, they are going to have to start reeling in the cash.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Ratings of Republican Presidential Candidates
Washington, DC (TLS). The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California provided the backdrop for this first forum of the Republican Presidential candidates.
As we did with the Democrats, The Liberty Sphere will rate each of the Republican candidates based upon their performance in tonight's debate, as well as their views.
With regard to strength of communication skills, clarity of presentation, answering the questions posed, and ability to connect at an emotional level with voters, the candidates are listed below in order of their overall effectiveness in tonight's forum:
Governor Mitt Romney
Rep. Duncan Hunter and Governor Mike Huckabee (tie)
Governor Jim Gilmore
Senator Sam Brownback
Senator John McCain
Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rep. Ron Paul
Governor Tommy Thompson
Rep. Tom Tancredo
The surprises of the evening are that Mitt Romney and Jim Gilmore did so incredibly well, and Tom Tancredo did so poorly. We regret the latter, for Rep. Tancredo is a good communicator with ideas that need a hearing in this country. For some reason or another, he was off his game tonight.
Of the three front runners so far, Mitt Romney gained the most from this encounter, allowing a large portion of the population to see how well he handles himself under pressure. If there were to be a declared winner on the basis of communication, presentation, and debate presence, it would be Romney, hands down.
Now for the issues of substance. The Liberty Sphere rates all candidates based upon our mission statement, which is to advocate for human liberty all over the world, and to support those candidates, Parties, and organizations that do the most to propagate human freedom.
We base this 'liberty rating' on eight (8) key issues that are central to liberty: national defense, taxes, healthcare, gun rights, abortion, the war on terror, U.S. foreign policy, and immigration control.
For a complete description and rationale for our view that these issues are key, click here to go to our ratings of the Democratic candidates in their first debate:
http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com/2007/04/ratings-of-democratic-presidential.html
Based upon our analysis of the views of each of the Republican candidates on these 8 key critical issues, The Liberty Sphere rates tonight's candidates on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest score):
Rep. Duncan Hunter--10
Governor Mike Huckabee--10
Governor Jim Gilmore--9
Senator Sam Brownback--8
Governor Mitt Romney--7
Governor Tommy Thompson--7
Rep. Tom Tancredo--7
Rep. Ron Paul--7
Mayor Rudy Giuliani--6
Senator John McCain--5
Based upon The Liberty Sphere's total leading indicators, combining effectiveness of presentation with strength of views with regard to liberty, who benefited the most from tonight's forum?
Four candidates stand out as doing a stellar job at presenting their case for why they should be President, and probably helped themselves tremendously by appearing in tonight's debate. They are Mitt Romney, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore.
A LIBERTY SPHERE INSIDER'S TIP: The man to watch is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has been gaining supporters everywhere he goes. He was terribly underrated going into the campaign, and not only has he far surpassed everyone's expectations but he has proved that he is a major player--a political heavyweight who can stand his ground with the most seasoned veterans.
By the way, Huckabee surprisingly came out as the winner of the first Republican straw poll in South Carolina, the Spartanburg County Republican Party Straw Poll, which not only shows Huckabee's ability to sway voters to his side but which also showed the strength of another dark horse--Duncan Hunter, who came in third.
A FINAL NOTE: A huge absentee who was yet very much present tonight was former Senator Fred Thompson. He is emerging as a star waiting in the wings whose entry into the race could change the entire complexion of the Republican race for the nomination.
As we did with the Democrats, The Liberty Sphere will rate each of the Republican candidates based upon their performance in tonight's debate, as well as their views.
With regard to strength of communication skills, clarity of presentation, answering the questions posed, and ability to connect at an emotional level with voters, the candidates are listed below in order of their overall effectiveness in tonight's forum:
Governor Mitt Romney
Rep. Duncan Hunter and Governor Mike Huckabee (tie)
Governor Jim Gilmore
Senator Sam Brownback
Senator John McCain
Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rep. Ron Paul
Governor Tommy Thompson
Rep. Tom Tancredo
The surprises of the evening are that Mitt Romney and Jim Gilmore did so incredibly well, and Tom Tancredo did so poorly. We regret the latter, for Rep. Tancredo is a good communicator with ideas that need a hearing in this country. For some reason or another, he was off his game tonight.
Of the three front runners so far, Mitt Romney gained the most from this encounter, allowing a large portion of the population to see how well he handles himself under pressure. If there were to be a declared winner on the basis of communication, presentation, and debate presence, it would be Romney, hands down.
Now for the issues of substance. The Liberty Sphere rates all candidates based upon our mission statement, which is to advocate for human liberty all over the world, and to support those candidates, Parties, and organizations that do the most to propagate human freedom.
We base this 'liberty rating' on eight (8) key issues that are central to liberty: national defense, taxes, healthcare, gun rights, abortion, the war on terror, U.S. foreign policy, and immigration control.
For a complete description and rationale for our view that these issues are key, click here to go to our ratings of the Democratic candidates in their first debate:
http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com/2007/04/ratings-of-democratic-presidential.html
Based upon our analysis of the views of each of the Republican candidates on these 8 key critical issues, The Liberty Sphere rates tonight's candidates on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest score):
Rep. Duncan Hunter--10
Governor Mike Huckabee--10
Governor Jim Gilmore--9
Senator Sam Brownback--8
Governor Mitt Romney--7
Governor Tommy Thompson--7
Rep. Tom Tancredo--7
Rep. Ron Paul--7
Mayor Rudy Giuliani--6
Senator John McCain--5
Based upon The Liberty Sphere's total leading indicators, combining effectiveness of presentation with strength of views with regard to liberty, who benefited the most from tonight's forum?
Four candidates stand out as doing a stellar job at presenting their case for why they should be President, and probably helped themselves tremendously by appearing in tonight's debate. They are Mitt Romney, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore.
A LIBERTY SPHERE INSIDER'S TIP: The man to watch is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has been gaining supporters everywhere he goes. He was terribly underrated going into the campaign, and not only has he far surpassed everyone's expectations but he has proved that he is a major player--a political heavyweight who can stand his ground with the most seasoned veterans.
By the way, Huckabee surprisingly came out as the winner of the first Republican straw poll in South Carolina, the Spartanburg County Republican Party Straw Poll, which not only shows Huckabee's ability to sway voters to his side but which also showed the strength of another dark horse--Duncan Hunter, who came in third.
A FINAL NOTE: A huge absentee who was yet very much present tonight was former Senator Fred Thompson. He is emerging as a star waiting in the wings whose entry into the race could change the entire complexion of the Republican race for the nomination.
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