Ah, the Republican Presidential Candidates

Mitt Romney — maybe a decent person but obviously a seasoned and oftentimes insincere politician. How can minorities actually vote for a man whose religion advocated that they were less than all creatures in God’s eyes as recently as 40 years ago? He is despised by all the Republican candidates and off the record none can find a kind thing to say about the plastic candidate.

John McCain — no candidate in this presidential race has sacrificed and distinguished himself more than this former POW. Though he has been the subject of much ridicule within his own party for taking stances governed by conscience instead of party politics, he still represents conservatism at its best. The only problem is that privately many people think he’s a volcano waiting to erupt and doesn’t have the temperament or judgment to govern the White House.

Mike Huckabee — he’s perhaps the most engaging and down-to-earth of all the candidates. He truly connects and resonates with the American people. He’s more like the average American and can identify with their concerns, certainly more so than the traditional rich and powerful disconnected politician. One has to question, however, whether honesty and sincerity is enough to govern this nation. For some reason many conservatives feel he’s liable to raise taxes, doesn’t favor their prescription for education and that what you see is definitely not what you will get if he’s elected. As with all the candidates, change is possible with maturation.

Rudy Giuliani — he certainly made us feel safe and secure during the tragedy of Sept. 11 and found a way to capitalize on that situation without bringing a large portfolio of other experiences necessary to govern a nation. If you live in New York, you must appreciate his incredible success in making it the safest big city in the world. However, his very high risk strategy of winning the Republican nomination calls into question his judgment and ability to face the complex situations that will challenge the president. By the way, no one can or will defend his personal life, which certainly has taken its toll on the female vote in this country.

Fred Thompson — there were such high hopes for this guy before he entered the race. Everyone expected to meet and get to know that same gentlemen who graces our screens on “Law & Order.” The funny thing is we’re still looking for him. His campaign has been a total disappointment from the beginning. He has never been able to regain any momentum after entering the race. He’s in desperate need of a speech writer and will put you to sleep if you have to listen to him deliver a message for more than 10 minutes. Seems like a decent person, but should return to “Law & Order” and forget about this business of becoming president.