Let's be honest about it, Mitt Romney is the best candidate in the field. He might be one of the worst on policy. But when measured by what got Obama elected in 2008, Romney is 30 times better than everyone else. That doesn't mean that you should vote for him on those grounds, but it's true. If you're voting purely on someone who can win, it's Romney. (That doesn't mean you'll be happy once he's in office.)
Herman Cain is a really good speaker, but he isn't holding up particularly well to the heat in my opinion. He's also way too slogan-ey for me and can't seem to explain himself when he really needs to. And if he actually is a dirtbag, obviously I don't want him as President, though I haven't seen any evidence of that yet.
When you really think of it, Rick Perry probably has the best record of success of any of the candidates. He's the best candidate on paper. His debates have been awful, but he strikes me as the only other guy with any shot of actually beating Obama outside of Romney, assuming the general climate didn't shift too much. It's a steep climb from where his poll numbers have been lately though.
Newt Gingrich...yes, he looks pretty decent in debates lately. Do we forget about him sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi? (Please, watch this again.) Plus, a gruff, old, white dude isn't beating Obama.
Ron Paul can't win the republican nomination because of his foreign policy. I think he's going to walk in to the Libertarian Convention and get their nomination in a cakewalk at the last minute. Then we're all screwed. Yes, I've heard his half-hearted denials.
Michelle Bachmann has had a couple of rough moments in the campaign, but she deserves better than her current status. The media has succeeded in villifying her, and she hasn't helped herself at times.
Rick Santorum should be a top tier candidate in this field. You're really telling me he's not better than Newt Gingrich? Seriously? He hasn't made any major errors, knows policy and process, and is solidly a conservative candidate. He deserves better.
Barack Obama is the current President of the United States. He sucks at this job and should try another. This just isn't the career for him.
