John Hawkins of Right Wing News recently polled right-wing bloggers asking for a list of their 10 favorite and least favorite elected Republicans. Our choices could include members of Congress, the President and governors. 42 bloggers responded, including me. We were asked to not rank them, but just submit unnumbered lists. The results follow...
20) John Thune (6)
16) Mark Sanford (7)
16) Mitch McConnell (7)
16) John Cornyn (7)
16) John McCain (7)
12) John Shadegg (8)
12) Jon Kyl (8)
12) Haley Barbour (8)
12) Tom Tancredo (8)
11) Dick Cheney (9)
9) Jeff Sessions (11)
9) Jeff Flake (11)
8) Mike Pence (12)
7) George W. Bush (13)
6) James Inhofe (14)
5) Sarah Palin (15)
4) Duncan Hunter (16)
3) Jim DeMint (18)
2) Tom Coburn (24)
1) Bobby Jindal (25)
14) Ron Paul (5)
14) Mel Martinez (5)
13) Michael Bloomberg (7)
11) Susan Collins (8)
11) Charlie Crist (8)
9) George Voinovich (9)
9) John Warner (9)
7) Lindsey Graham (16)
7) Larry Craig (16)
6) Ted Stevens (17)
5) John McCain (18)
4) Arnold Schwarzenegger (19)
3) Olympia Snowe (20)
1) Arlen Specter (23)
1) Chuck Hagel (23)
The following are the choices I sent him. While he asked us not to rank our choices, in each case my top choice is my favorite (or least favorite) elected Republican, and my last choice is my 10th-favorite (or least favorite.)
Top Ten
Gov. Bobby Jindal, Louisiana
Rep. Duncan Hunter, California
Sen. James Inhofe, Oklahoma
Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado
Rep. John Shadegg, Arizona
Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina
Sen. Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
Sen. Jim Bunning, Kentucky
Sen. John Boehner, Ohio
Sen. Jon Kyl, ArizonaWorst Ten
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California
Sen. Olympia Snowe, Maine
Sen. Susan Collins, Maine
Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania
Sen. Ted Stevens, Alaska
Sen. Gordon Smith, Oregon
Sen. Norm Coleman, Minnesota
Sen. John McCain, Arizona
Sen. George Voinovich, Ohio
Sen. Richard Luger, Indiana
Note that he didn't ask for our favorite conservatives. Looking at the comments he's received, many of the readers take issue with how conservative someone is or isn't. I used economic conservatism as the primary criteria, because that is what is most important to me. I am mostly a social conservative as well, but not as fully as some of you may be, ie, I lean to the libertarian side on a few issues. We are all different in what is important to us. I noted that 8 of my choices made the top 20 overall.
One comment asked, "How the hell did John McCain make this list (talking about the favorite list)?" Well, he's a Republican, and some people apparently like him. How difficult is that to understand? He
made my least favorite, but I can think of at least three reasons why he would make the list:
1. He isn't Barack Obama. As the Republican candidate for the highest office in the country, squaring off against a socialist democrat, I'm sure some of us have decided to fully support him as a much-lesser of two evils.
2. He has always been one of the best Republicans at spending and balancing the budget. Those ideals are not only fully Republican, they are also fully conservative.
3. Some responders are certainly people who appreciate his support for the war on terror and his unmatched service to country. It is very difficult to not have a great deal of personal respect for the man.
Another commenter commented on Jindal at #1. "Gov. Jindal? The guys been in office less than a year. How is he number one? I know, flavor of the month."
Jindal is the easiest choice on the list for me. As any conservative who finds lack of a national ideological "movement" conservative leader maddening knows, leadership is crucial. Jindal offers us hope that that leader is coming. It doesn't matter how long he's been in office. He talks the talk better than anyone in the country right now. Human beings need hope for a better future, and in politics right now he is the closest thing. Hopefully he doesn't begin to moderate his policies or rhetoric. Maybe he will. But until someone takes over the conservative leadership void in this country, he looks like one of the better options.
As for our least favorites, this one received a great deal more discussion. Here, 8 of my choices made the top 15. Interestingly enough, New York mayor Bloomberg made the list, even though he has left the Republican Party and is not a congressman, President or governor. (Or, as one comment noted, "Or human, or worthy of air.") A lot of bitterness towards him I guess, much of it well-deserved.
John McCain making both lists was obvious. I felt he belonged (barely) on this list, based on his aisle-jumping abilities alone. All seven of the people I rated worse than McCain are incredibly more worse than him. A few people may wonder why I didn't include Chuck Hagel and Lindsey Graham, and the reason has already been stated. They are both tremendously good economic conservatives.
I was a little surprised at the venom of some of the comments. I am highly critical of many of our RINO's when it is deserved, but the hatred for some of these people is kind of disturbing. I don't expect anyone to agree with me on every issue. I almost thought I was at the Daily Kos a couple of times.
It was also interesting to note that President Bush made the favorite list, but not the least favorite. I expected him to be on both. I had him on neither, however.
What do you think of the choices overall, and do you take any issues with my lists based on the criteria I used?
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