Jeff Kouba’s piece on the upside of McCain this morning prompted me to drag out a bit I did – very obliquely – on the NARN show last weekend.
Going through my short list based on the principles that matter.
There are two lists of those principles that I like: Hugh Hewitt’s, and the one we use over at True North.
- Win the war.
- Confirm the judges.
- Cut the taxes.
- Control the spending.
- Secure the border.
The True North list:
- Liberty
- Security
- Prosperity
- Culture
- Limited Government
- Family
For the sake of “brevity”, let’s consolidate these two lists into one. For argument’s sake, and with apologies to Hugh Hewitt, I’ll mash ’em together like this:
- “Win the war” and “Secure the Border” are both narrow applications of “Security”
- “Confirm the judges” and part of “Cut the taxes” fit under “Limited Government”
- “Controlling the spending”, along with “Cutting the taxes”, fits under “Prosperity”.
- Liberty
- Culture
- Family
So let’s go through ’em one at a time, candidate by candidate:
Limited Government
- Romney – Although being governor of Massachussetts means he’s never had to really prove it, I think Mitt makes all the right noises. When Ed and I interviewed him last summer, he at least talked the talk – and he was a CEO’s faith in private enterprise that I think will serve us all well. Grade: A
-
Giuliani – On the one hand, anyone who can face down New York’s public employees’ unions deserves some points. He has been as strict a limiter of government as anyone on the parade of candidates. Of course, he broke a few eggs to make the omelet that is New York, so I’m going to dock him half a point Grade: Tough one. Call him a A-.
- McCain – He’s always made most of the right noises here – except, of course, for McCain-Feingold. And while Thorley Winston is right – the BCRA is hardly alone among things we’re all willing to forgive an otherwise-better-than-the-alternative candidate for, now is the time to make our displeasure known. Grade: B
- Thompson – Says the right things, but I dock a point for both McCain-Feingold and for never really having had to prove it. Grade: B.
- Huckabee – Bad nannystater. No donut. Grade: C.
- Ron Paul – Well, he certainly qualifies here. Grade: A
- Hillary – Please. I’ll give her a point back if only because she might have a shred of DLC left in her pedigree – and it’s a gift, at that. Grade: D
- Obama: He’s got a program for everything. Grade: F
Prosperity
- Romney – Probably the best, most untrammelled free-enterpriser in the bunch. Grade: A
- Giuliani – On the other hand, anyone who could create the New York of today out of the New York of the Dinkins era has got something going for him. Whatever Rudy’s other faults, I think he’s close enough to fiscal conservative to score. Grade: A
- McCain – I worry about his take on tax cuts; they would seem to be the biggest blemish on JMac’s pedigree. Grade: A-
- Thompson – Makes the right noises, again. Docked a minus for having never had to deliver on those noises. Grade: A-
- Huckabee – Nannystatist. Grade: C
- Ron Paul – While I’m a small-l, free-market libertarian, burying one’s head in the sand and failing to recognize that government has a role – positive and negative – in prosperity is not what I want in a president. Grade: B-
- Hillary – Not as stupid as the liberals would like her to be, but would certainly reprise her husband’s tax-jacking practices. Grade: D-
- Obama – A program for everything and everyone. Grade: F+
Liberty
- Romney – Can’t seem to find any major problems with Mitt. Grade: A
- Giuliani – Docked a point for his stances on gun control. Grade: B
- McCain – Docked a point for BCRA. Gets a plus back for having a lifetime “A” from the NRA Grade: B+
- Thompson – Again – says the right things. Grade: A
- Huckabee – I can’t find a reason, off-hand, to disparage him here. Grade: A
- Ron Paul – Well, if a Libertarian can’t score points on liberty, what’s he good for? Grade: A
- Hillary – The Fairness Doctrine. ’nuff said. Also, would revert to her husband’s awful policies on gun control. Grade: F-
- Obama – Relentlessly anti-gun; led the Senate in gun-control efforts. Supports campaign finance reform. No position against the “Fairness Doctrine”. Grade: F-
Culture
- Romney – Relentless proponent and role model for personal responsibility: Grade: A
- Giuliani – Let’s invoke the Clinton doctrine here; what a guy does in his personal life isn’t the public’s business. Move On, people. Rudy kicked the Mafia’s ass, got New York’s welfare recipients to work, and put a gag on at least parts of the entitlement culture. Imperfect, but damn good about the parts that matter most to me. Grade: A
- McCain – Our culture would benefit greatly by being led by a genuine hero. Grade: A.
- Thompson – Our culture would benefit greatly by being led by a genuine conservative. Grade: A.
- Huckabee – Our culture would benefit greatly by being led by a genuine Christian. However, I dock him a bit because of the focus of his single-issue supporters. Grade: A-
- Ron Paul – Our culture would benefit greatly by Ron Paul staying in Congress and serving as a gadfly. Grade: D.
- Hillary – “Stagflation” was the great historical paradox of the seventies. “The Authoritarian Libertine” would be the paradox of a hypothetical Hillary! era. Would destroy Western civilization Grade: G.
- Obama – Docked many, many points for being a nanny-state ultraliberal. Gets one back for at least repudiating the Clinton Machine’s politics of destruction. Grade: D+
Family
- Romney – If the Mormons have one thing going for them, it’s their focus on families. Grade: A
- Giuliani – If he holds to his promise to appoint constructionist judges, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Suspect he’d not repudiate the Department of Education. Grade: B.
- McCain – I dock him half a point for being less-than-enthusiastic about reforming education Grade: A-
- Thompson – I think he’s making all the right noises, again. Grade: A
- Huckabee – Oh, what the heck: Grade: A
- Ron Paul – For his stance on schools, alone, I say Grade: A
- Hillary – The paradoxical support of both Hollywood and the Teacher’s Unions and NOW is dispositive, here. Grade: F
- Obama – Like Hillary, only less oppressive. Grade: D-
Security – This is, of course, the make-or-break issue for me. Given that this is wartime, I will give it extra weight in the final grading.
- Romney – Right noises, but no experience. The Olympics were impressive; they are not a war. Grade: B-.
- Giuliani – Says the right things. Has the right experience. Grade: A.
- McCain – Rock solid. Grade: A.
- Thompson – A solid defense conservative. Docked a point for being a Senator rather than an executive; gets half a point back for having been the best DA in the history of Law and Order. Grade: A-.
- Huckabee – Are you inexperienced? Yes, and not convincing even by that standard. Grade: C.
- Ron Paul – The second-biggest reason I left the Big-L Libertarian Party was their myopia about defense. Defense does not start at the border. Even the paladin of the Libertarians, Thomas Jefferson, realized this, and built a standing Navy and Marine Corps to project American power and protect our interests overseas. Grade: D.
- Hillary – Not as dumb as the opposition, although her husband’s record in dealing with the military counts against her, as does her relentless triangulation. Grade: D+
- Obama – All of Huckabee’s inexperience, none of the wisdom. Grade: F.
Final Scores – Of course, the exercise only really helps if it shows any differentiation. Well, there is, but not in a way that helps me narrow my own choices.
Below, I calculate each candidate’s “Grade point average” based on the grades I issued above. I gave Security extra weight in the grading, since it is by far the most important issue.
- Romney – Very strong B+ (3.46), hampered by lack of foreign policy and defense experience.
- Giuliani – An A- (3.53); could gain a few points back on civil liberties, maybe, assuming he puts some meat to the bones of his promise to appoint constructionist judges.
- McCain – Squeaks into A- (3.53), tied with Rudy based largely on security.
- Thompson – Very nearly a dead heat with JMac and Rudy (3.57) for an A-.
- Huckabee – Weak B- or strong C+ (2.74)
- Ron Paul – I call him a C+ (2.61), largely based on having a security position that’d pass muster with the Daily Kos.
- Hillary – Squeaks into D- territory by the skin on her teeth (.51), largely based on at least being able to fake being tough on security.
- Obama – F+ (.3).
Well, I know who I won’t vote for, anyway.
Where does the issue of abortion fall into your analysis?
Mitch fantasized: “Giuliani – On the other hand, anyone who could create the New York of today out of the New York of the Dinkins era has got something going for him. Whatever Rudy’s other faults, I think he’s close enough to fiscal conservative to score. Grade: A”
Get real. That was Wall Street. Rudy went along for the ride.
Mitch praised: “Romney – If the Mormons have one thing going for them, it’s their focus on families. Grade: A”
True. They all seem so happy on Big Love.
“They all seem so happy on Big Love.”
You get cable in that card board box you inhabit?
Mitch observed: “Romney – Right noises, but no experience. The Olympics were impressive; they are not a war. Grade: B-.”
Well there’s the biathalon.
Anyone else notice AC has been off his game so far in ’08? It’s like his tiny, coal-blackened heart isn’t even in it any more.
Biathalon is to war as the clown’s squirt gun is to an M1-Abrams: an attempt at fearsome show that falls completely on it’s face.*
Much like the clown’s attempt at commentary.
—
* And I say that as someone who used to compete in biathalons.
Mitch: I tend to agree with your overall grades, although Ron Paul loses points for integrity with his spin on his rather ugly newsleter. I worry about Libertarians who tolerate that kind of stuff.
Overall, though, Thompson is preferred, although only very slightly over any of the major candidates except Huckabee. Thompson’s major weakness is just lack of experience and poor handling of the media so far.
The Huckster would be a disaster for the GOP since the base just wouldn’t turn out for him, even running against Hillary. No wonder he’s the darling of the MSM so far and being treated relatively benignly by them.
Geez, Nerd, you have to fail at a lot of sports before you get to biathalon. Couldn’t make your high school synchronized swimming team?
I think Huckabee should have lost points for having the approval of the NEA. That can’t be good.
AC, have’t you heard the joke going around? Romney may be a Morman, but Hillary is married to a closet polygamist.
Liberty:
***
Huckabee – I can’t find a reason, off-hand, to disparage him here. Grade: A
Er, the whole Nannystatist thing doesn’t come into play in the Liberty calculus? How?
Also, you forgot to rate bacon.
Hewitt will pull SITD from his blogroll once he realizes that although Romney was the first candidate listed under ‘final score’, Mitch actually scored Giuliani and McCain higher.
Nice try, but welcome to Fratersville, Mitch.
Security:
Giuliani – Says the right things. Has the right experience. Grade: A.
What experience? Letting the police run roughshod over the population? Moving/leaving the emergency command center to the WTC? Riding the national economic boom and national falling crime rates?
I have to agree with LearnedFoot here:
http://news.aol.com/elections-blog/2007/08/30/huckabee-commits-to-nationwide-smoking-ban/
When he sees a problem, I worry that he is a bit too likely to opt for a government-control-freakery option. He may not deserve an A for Liberty. 🙂
Nice to see the clown believes that nobody should exercise after high school, or learn anything after that. Hint, clown: where I was in high school there was no such thing as snow. Nor college. Nor graduate school (for more a few weeks at least).
Conversely, high school’s probably the last time he exercised his brain. I hear that those Soros mind control implants he’s got make life a lot easier when you don’t have to think for yourself.
Sorry, Nerd, but cross-country skiing and target shooting ain’t exactly “you got your chocolate in my peanut butter.” It’s a boring recreation (the skiing) paired with a non-sport (pulling a trigger). While Angryclown could see the attraction of *downhill* skiing with a machine gun or a flamethrower, say, biathalon strikes him as a boring, peculiar “sport” of the northern wastelands. Like curling or ice fishing.
“you got your chocolate in my peanut butter.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
It’s a boring recreation (the skiing) paired with a non-sport (pulling a trigger).
What, are you nuts? (Rhetorical question asked for dramatic effect).
Cross-country skiinng is hardly boring. It’s sort of like biking (and the Mitch is well aware of the Clown’s rap sheet in that department) in the winter.
And shooting? Not much of a spectator game, but damn fun to do, “sport” or not (and since it is purely objective, with no “judges” or “style points” whatever, I think you’re wrong there, too).
While Angryclown could see the attraction of *downhill* skiing with a machine gun or a flamethrower,
I need to have my secretary get Vince McMahon on the line. Stat.
say, biathalon strikes him as a boring, peculiar “sport” of the northern wastelands. Like curling or ice fishing.
Peculiar? Sure.
Boring? Not at all.
Curling=a great drinking game run amok.
Ice fishing – I keep trying. But the light shot skips off the water, and the heavy shot loads destroy too much meat.
Actual scores in Sanity land.
Guiliani – Double F minus, no experience, running on 9/11 he neither created nor did exceptionally well outside of a presence during. Would usher in 4 more years of dishonesty (like Bush), destruction of our future, our reputation, our military, wracking up massive debt, destroying liberty, the middle-class, education, name it. The only thing you can say is, at least he’s more engaged than Bush, but that might actually be a BAD thing considering he’s an engaged facist.
Romney – D+, flip-flop personified, if he governed like he did in Massechusettes, he’d be ok, if he tries to stimulate the economy by putting the US national debt into the 50 Trillion range, he’s F-.
Thompson, no heart, no fire, no message – D
Huckabee – Goofey, sincere, not likely to bring in a crowd of Cheney-like corrupt, nepotists – D+ because he’s still just dull enough to try to pass a national sales tax. You want a simple national tax, try a national property tax. Wealth is held in property, those who benefit by the system should pay in equal measure.
McCain – C – maverick and willing to stand up on principal. Foriegn policy experience, which the right thinks means ‘actiing tough’, actually means knowing when to be pragmatic, and he’s got that, but he’s still too cozy with business.
Clinton – C minus to D+, WAAAYYY to cozy with business, but would at least be a pragmatist between the neo-nutzies and the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.
Obama C+ maybe, to C – , also far too cozy with big oil, but genuine in convictions, as experienced as Ronnie Rayguns on a national stage, and we all know how well that worked out (Beirut).
Edwards B, experienced, populist, willing to stand up for civil liberties, but too cozy with narrow special interests in the Democratic party.
Long and short, nearly NO good options.
I see Thompson actually gets valedictorian, by a squeak. But I would not have rated them as you did, in many cases. The biggest error, I think, was Romney’s MANDATORY health insurance program in Massachusetts, just now kicking in, and kicking in the teeth of lots of folks. It’s better than Hillarycare, but not by much. He also couldn’t find a way to keep marriage between a man and a woman, I think he could have tried harder.
“While Angryclown could see the attraction of *downhill* skiing with a machine gun or a flamethrower,”
There used to be a biathalon variant run from the top of the Stowe ski resort down into the town itself, slightly more than half downhill, half cross country. Pretty cool since the telemark guys had to compete with the cross country guys. I don’t recall telemarkers ever winning.
Hmmm, full auto would be fun, but getting the Class III license wouldn’t be. It’d be the situation with MA trying to host a biathalon tourney times twenty. And it would remove the biggest challenge in biathalon, breath control as you’re trying to hit a small target after all that skiing. But it’d be something I’d try in a heartbeat if I had the equipment!
And I vastly prefer cross country skiing to biking as performed by urban types. That’s boring, with moments of sheer terror as you dodge yet another idiot in a car. At least when I’m out cross country or mountain biking I’m in the woods and not sucking on an exhaust tube.
The cross country in Vermont was pretty cool, since you could go down any “road” that had ever been there no matter the vintage; right of way never went back to the landowner even if the road was abandoned. And since the population had shrunk considerably from the 1800s it made for some pretty wild discoveries of old farmsteads (at 4K elevation? what were they thinking?!), abandoned towns, etc. In 1900 Vermont was 10% forested, in 2000 it was more than 85% forested.
Actual scores in Sanity land.
We’ll need to see your tourist visa.
Edwards B, experienced, populist, willing to stand up for civil liberties, but too cozy with narrow special interests in the Democratic party.
If only the Dem’s had been elected in 2004 Edwards would have made good on his stem cell research promise and Christopher Reeves would be walking today.
Which would be really creepy since he’s dead.
So you don’t dock Romney Limited Government points on his healthcare program? Just asking.
If you are a Romney or Guiliani supporter, the Neocons at National Review probably love you and the Devil owns your soul: you either want a car salesman or a crime lord (former US attys make the best crime lords) to be President. Great, send them some money and see what you bought.
So, here we go, the old test. Leave your wallet, your girl and your car with:
The rich boy/car salesman type who never looks anybody in the eye when he’s answering a question and even waffles on his waffles, or
The wife-cheater/one issue candidate who you are pretty sure owes big-time to the wrong people and has bad wingman judgment, or
The expericenced old soldier, who at least you are sure loves and serves the best interests of America as he sees them but who makes compromises and can be swayed by special interests who may be smarter than he, or
The former preacher and crunchy-con, who you are pretty sure will do better in a debate then all-of-the-above, but who you know will be anti-big business and pro-big government, which really puts you off…
Both Freddy and Ronny are pretty much gone, but hopefully Paul will at least be able to affect the platform at some level.
Ok, which one?
Jackscrow-
Your test is flawed. You could have trusted Hitler with your wallet, car, and girlfriend. Or Castro. Or Mao. Or Stalin.
The real scary people don’t care anything about those kind of things.
Peev educated: “Actual scores in Sanity land.”
To which, in reply, Mitch defamed: “We’ll need to see your tourist visa.”
Peev is every bit as sane as Angryclown, the most rational dyspeptic jester on Earth.
Nonetheless, well played, old chap.
Peev is every bit as sane as Angryclown
Praise by faint…
…oh, too easy.
Thanks!
Er, the whole Nannystatist thing doesn’t come into play in the Liberty calculus? How?
I factored it into limited government and prosperity, even using the “N-stater” word in both cases.
Also, you forgot to rate bacon.
Doh. My bad. OK:
Liberty – Bacon, in this day and age where the CSPI says “jump” and
the media responds “Off what?”, Bacon says “give me liberty or
give me death”. Although “or” might also be “and”, given
the cholesterol involved, and having a pacemaker installed
when you’re 50 is hardly “liberty”, either, so I dock it half
a point. Grade: A-
Security – Bacon contains the key enzyme Kickassozol, which makes
people make smarter votes on national security issues. Grade: A
Prosperity: A happy American is an American that makes the sale.
Bacon makes happy Americans. But the cost of obesity and heart
disease is not only sapping prosperity, it is giving the left a
grounds for trying to socialize healthcare; these are serious
negatives. Grade: B-
Culture – The power of bacon in our culture is almost mythic. Grade: A
Limited Government: “Pork” is a veritable synonym for unlimited
government. Grade: C
Family: Nothing promotes families like the smell of bacon. Grade: A
Average: A very strong B+ (3.433)
Terry Says:
January 14th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Jackscrow-
Your test is flawed. You could have trusted Hitler with your wallet, car, and girlfriend. Or Castro. Or Mao. Or Stalin.
The real scary people don’t care anything about those kind of things.
No. Each one of them would have appropriated my car and my wallet for the good of the community, and then thrown my (Jewish) girlfriend in a concentration camp.
Each one of them would have appropriated my car and my wallet for the good of the community,
Presumes facts not in evidence.
then thrown my (Jewish) girlfriend in a concentration camp.
Perhaps, but then if modern Gender Feminism is correct, the fact that she’s in a relationship with a male at all is almost the same, and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Oh, I am, I am.
Oh yeah, I forgot, you can’t presume validity from historical fact. And, it’s against the rules to learn from history.
Thanks, Mr. Berg, I don’t know what I was thinking.
Oh yeah, I forgot, you can’t presume validity from historical fact.
Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Castro, Hussein and Kim had petty crime records?
Please enlighten.
Most of them weren’t big into actually committing crimes on their own (there were exceptions, naturally). Not to say I’d want them babysitting my kids, but unless you have some historical record I’m not aware of, I suspect you’d be statistically vastly more likely to get your wallet back from Hitler than, say, survive as a Jew in occupied Europe.
And, it’s against the rules to learn from history.
I do learn from history; hence, I’m a Republican.
I’m just curious (albeit not very) about Adolph Hitler’s lesser-included charges of petty larceny.
Amazing how you turn that “literal button” on and off.
Consider the history of confiscation of private property. Hitler. Castro. Mao. Stalin.
And the evidence suggests that Republicans and Democrats (can you really tell the difference these days?), or at least their leadership, have not learned much from history. Especially recent history.
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