Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

Or who do you want to see as the GOP's winning ticket for 2016?




My bet for right now is on a Scott Walker/Ted Cruz ticket. How about you?

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

I like Rand Paul. Ted Cruz is good as well. Not sure about Scott Walker

Do. Not. Want. Jeb Bush. Nor do I want Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckleberry, Dr. Ben Carson or Rick Perry.

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

I used to like Chris Christie but now I don't.

I think Rubio would make a good VP candidate for Walker. I like Rand Paul, but I don't think his foreign policy leanings will be good for the country.

I don't like Ted Cruz.

What's wrong with Carson-- other than he won't win?

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

When I am not posting theological reflections, I am a delegate to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

As such, I interact with Gov. Walkers office on a semi regular basis.

Scott Walker has a tendency to strip authority from boards and commissions and assumes their authority as his own. For example, the Natural Resources Board determines policy for the state of Wisconsin. That board is now being made into a "recommendation" board without any power.

Scott Walker is strongly anti educational. His attack on public school teachers, in the name of "budget control" has left a bitter scar on our state. He takes tax money away from public schools and gives it to charter schools. He cut 900 million from the university system, then ordered that they could not increase tuition rates. On a local level, in Madison, nearly 50% of the black students drop out of high school. Walker has done nothing to fix that problem.

Scott Walker has the very worst environmental record of any governor we have ever had. Water regulations have been compromised. Frac sand mining has gone unregulated. The DNR faces deep cuts. Especially to it's scientific department.

Scott Walker demonstrates racism against Native Americans in his policies. He refuses to aid black kids who are dropping out of school. Face it, if you are not white, he is not your governor.

The policy changes he is introducing to our state are in the interests of his public image. He certainly did not campaign on them. He pushes through legislation that improves his political career, at the expense of the state.

The governors office refuses to work with democrats on any subject, at any level, for any reason.

I would not recommend Scott Walker for any government job.

I have no party affiliation. I was republican until Walker ruined the party for me.

Vote for some one else.

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

Me, too.

I forgot about Rubio. He's not bad, and I agree to him being a VP candidate, rather than a President.

Rand Paul is my favorite because he's inserting Libertarianism into his Republican beliefs. He's also doing things no other Republican has done. His efforts in reaching out to minority voters - from having Q&A sessions at historically black colleges, to going to Ferguson to speak with residents and activists there - is to be commended. He's also co-sponsored the "Redeem Act" with Cory Booker to reform sentencing guidelines. And he's pushed for nonviolent felons, who have served their sentence, to be allowed the right to vote. I like his foreign policy, which is still strong, but not one which would make us world police.

I'd love to see Rand as President, but I'm not naive. I'd settle for him as VP.

I like Ted Cruz. Again, as VP.

Everyone jumped on the Dr. Carson bandwagon after his remarks at the prayer breakfast a couple years ago. Other than Dr. Carson being a black man who often criticizes obama, I don't know what the attraction is. This reminds me of when Republicans were drooling over Colin Powell...until they found out he was a social liberal.

Dr. Carson was a gifted neurosurgeon, no doubt. But he's managed no company or business, led no boards nor has governed in any local, state or federal compacity.

This is what I posted here back in November of last year.


Abortion
He endorsed a pro-abortion candidate and when asked why he did, he compared the issue to barnacles on the side of a ship headed over the Niagara Falls.

You have to be savvy because if you just do everything based on your principles in a political world, you’ll always be doing it from the sideline…. It means re-arranging your priorities. If the ship is about to go off Niagara Falls, which is the analogy I like to use, you probably shouldn’t spend all your time dealing with the barnacles on the side. What you need to do is get the ship turned around first and once it’s sailing in the right direction, that’s when you begin to concentrate more on the other issues.

Source Link

He did say he's against "abortion for convenience," though I have yet to find anything - a statement or paper - where he's said or written opposition to abortion in general.


Healthcare
In his book, America the Beautiful, he gave an example of assisting with a patient's death, promoting patient-assisted suicide if they choose.

I remember a case of a prominent individual who had been in an automobile accident and was rendered a C-1 quadriplegic, which means not only was he paralyzed from the neck down, but he could not breathe without assistance. We could have made the decision to keep him alive at all costs, but through a unique system of communication that we were able to work out with him, he indicated that he wanted to die. After much debate, we yielded to his wishes and withdrew ventilator support. In the long run, I think our course of action was both compassionate and pragmatic. If we integrate compassion and logic into our decision-making processes, I am convinced that we will deal with newly emerging ethical dilemmas appropriately.

He's also questioned the merits of prolonging life, since he claims that nearly half of American's medical expenses are incurred in the last six months of their life.


Free Speech
Again, in his book, he draws a line on free speech and supports curtailing it, if it becomes "hate speech."

Of all the wonderful freedoms that characterize life here in America, freedom of speech is one of the most important. This was most dramatically demonstrated in a recent Supreme Court decision, which upheld the rights of members of the Westboro Baptists Church to display extremely offensive signs and shout obscenities during funeral services for veterans. They are an intolerant hate group that despises homosexuality and are angry with the military because gays are allowed to serve. There is almost no one who agrees with the Westboro Church, but because of the Supreme Court's decision to strictly interpret the Constitution, the rights of the church members could not be denied.
I actually have some doubts about that legal decision, because the signs, obscenity, and noise infringe upon the rights of other Americans to assemble peacefully for the burial of one of their loved ones. If my right to free speech causes you actual harm, it becomes time to curtail my speech.


Gun Control
He's for gun rights, and even for semi-auto weapons...as long as you don't live in a city.

But when asked whether people should be allowed to own "semi-automatic weapons," the doctor replied: "It depends on where you live. I think if you live in the midst of a lot of people, and I'm afraid that that semi-automatic weapon is going to fall into the hands of a crazy person, I would rather you not have it," Carson elaborated. However, if you live "out in the country somewhere by yourself" and want to own a semi-automatic weapon, he added, "I've no problem with that."

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

Hey Scott,

Thanks for the information on Governor Walker. I didn't know much about Walker until your post.

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

david,
That's a lot of info about Dr. Carson's views. Most of it, I understand his point of view. I don't like his view on free speech though.

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

I'm unsure about Walker. I've read good things and bad things about him. I liked his move against the unions. I think that endeared him to most conservatives. If he does run for President in 2016, I hope to read more of his record and what he was able to accomplish.

Thank you for your post. It's good to have first-hand information like this. I may not agree with everything written, but a do value and appreciate it.

Being on the WCC, I could see how that would upset you. From what I've read on this, it seems this could pretty much eliminate the need for the WCC. If the DNR board is made into an advisory board, then why would the DNR need the WCC...which is its advisory body. No need for two advisory bodies, right?

My disdain for the EPA somewhat biases my thoughts on this proposal. Personally, I believe policy decisions which include creating law should be made only by elected officials, not a group of people appointed who aren't accountable to anyone.

That said, I also believe in transparency and citizen input. If this takes that away, I'm not sure it's a good thing.

My daughter attends a charter school because the public schools here are terrible. I believe parents should have the freedom and be able to choose where to send their kids to school. To do that, states should allow vouchers to parents who wish to send their children to charter schools.

I've read he's proposing a $300 million cut, not $900 million. Source Link

On the flip side, he's giving UW what they've wanted for a long time, more independence.

What are your thoughts on this slush fund of $648 million found in hundreds of different accounts. If they can have $648 million hanging around, they should be able to operate with a 13% decrease in budget.

What's Walker supposed to do - force them to stay in school? Create a Truancy task force which goes out and arrests or forces kids to go to school? Where is the demand for parental responsibility. It's the parents job, not the Governor's, to make sure their kids are going to school. Blame the parents, not Walker, for this.

Again, as a representative of WCC, I could see how this would upset you.

How has he demonstrated racism against Native Americans?

Again, it's not his job to force any kids - white, black or whatever color - to stay in school. Where are the parents? What happened to parental responsibility?

Sounds like he took a page from obama's political playbook. :lol

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

So basically, there's a bunch of nobody's-all-that-good in play for the GOP right now.

Re: Who Will Be The 2016 GOP Nominees?
 

Vote Indy, perhaps? :lol