It seems as if every time there is an election, they say “This is the most important election of our time!”.  This time…it really is.  Unfortunately for Republicans, the picking pool isn’t looking so hot.  Each candidate carries their suitcase of baggage.

I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. Below are the reasons NOT to vote for each candidate.  It may seem negative and it may seem as if I’m suggesting you go against the entire party.  But that’s not the case.  I simply think you should be aware of what you’re giving up when you vote for a specific candidate.

*Some candidates may have more ‘negatives’ than others but the ones with fewer may be more severe.

Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Congresswoman

• Supports Creationism WITH evolution in schools
• Her husband’s alleged anti-homosexual therapy practices don’t appeal to independents and moderate
• Has a record of flip-flopping in the House (Ex: She publicly opposed a cigarette tax increased proposed by Gov. Pawlenty-sticking to her promise of ‘no new taxes’.  She then voted in favor of it.)
• Has vowed to single-handedly bring the price of gas down to $2/gallon
• Claims to hate the EPA but has solicited them in 2007 & 2010 for funds on “behalf of her constituents”.
• Used the word “retarded” while explaining an unverifiable story about the HPV vaccine.

Herman Cain, CEO Godfather Pizza

• Supported TARP, claiming it was an investment for the American taxpayers.
• Opposes a timetable withdrawal from Iraq
• Believes illegal immigrants should be allowed to go through the citizenship process (But does oppose entitlements for them.)

Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House 

• Resigned after Republican losses in midterm election
• Had 84 ethics violations charged against him during his time as Speaker (83 were eventually dropped, but he is the only Speaker to ever have this happen)
• Affairs with employees during the Lewinsky scandal (Normally, personal life should be left out, however, Gingrich was very instrumental in the impeachment process, so this makes him look like a hypocrite.)
• Introduced HR 4170, a bill that would sentence drug traffickers to life imprisonment for the first offense and give the death penalty for multiple offenses. (Supporter of the death penalty or not- this would discredit the death penalty system because the punishment would not fit the crime.)
• Self-proclaimed “Teddy Roosevelt Republican”– JOY!
• Dedicated to conservation, although he does favor incentives over regulations and laws
• Believes we should not continue to increase the rates of incarceration
• Opposed to mass deportation of illegal immigrants and supports ‘open-ended’ visas for ‘high-value workers’.
• Supports ideals of the UN, but admits it is corrupt.

John Huntsman, Former Governor of Utah, Former Ambassador to China

• Supports civil unions but not same-sex marriage.
• Supports reduction in greenhouse gases based on a belief of global warming
• Supported a “driving privilege” card for illegal immigrants in Utah
• Threatened to veto a measure repealing in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants (Numbers USA- a group which advocates less immigration gives Huntsman a D-)
• Partial to China after serving as an ambassador to them, frequently suggests working more closely with them
• McCain suggested he run.  More of the same?

Ron Paul, Texas Congressman 

• Denounced the raid that killed Osama bin Laden claiming that we should have worked with Pakistani officials instead.
• Claims he wants a defederalization of any market that the federal government currently interferes with, though he has earmarked funds to subsidize industries like Wild Shrimp and to aid in movie theater renovations in his district
• Has voted against child predator laws claiming he has a “personal belief that the responsibility of raising kids, educating kids and training kids is up to the parents and not the state”.
• Implicitly supports prostitution saying it doesn’t harm others
• Opposes any definition of marriage by the government
• Supports stem cell research
• Does not believe in death penalty on the federal level
• Some tag him as too extreme and therefore won’t listen to him (He warned of the current financial crisis in 05 & 06 but was ignored).  He is a strong proponent of small government and less agency intervention which terrifies a lot of people- especially those with their hands out.

Rick Perry, Governor of Texas

• Favors in-state tuition for undocumented Texans
• Mandated the HPV vaccine for young girls
• Former democrat
• Same-sex marriage stance is unclear.  When New York recently passed same-sex marriage laws, Perry stated they had the right to do it because of the 10th amendment.  He later clarified that he supports a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage
• Originally endorsed by Giuliani in 2008 election.

Mitt Romney, Former Governor of Massachusetts 

• Romney Care
• Abortion stance has been inconsistent.  His wife used to donate to Planned Parenthood and in 1994, he stated “regardless of one’s beliefs about choice, you would hope it would be safe and legal”. In 2002, he vowed to up-hold pro-choice laws in Massachusetts but in 2007 said he was pro-choice because he was Governor of a liberal state but personally is pro-life.
• Proposed a bill to reinstate the death penalty but only in cases with DNA evidence upholding the sentence.  He also wanted to change the verbiage “beyond a reasonable doubt” to “no doubt”.
• Opposes teaching creationism in schools.
• Supports No Child Left Behind
• Supports a ban on assault weapons
• Against same-sex marriage and civil unions but believes in domestic partnership benefits
• Supported stem cell research (vowed to help President Bush ’embrace it’, but now denounces it)
• Supported the auto industry bailout
• Supports restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions–but only voluntary regulations
• Favors increased immigration but opposes illegal immigrant rights
• Would expand the role of federal government by creating organizations like the “Special Partnership Force” to battle terrorism
• Endorsed by Pawlenty.

You MUST choose someone because ANY of the above are better than the default: O-blah-blah.