8th (previously 5th), Donald Trump: It is baffling that Trump has remained so far ahead in the polls. He would certainly do a better job than Hillary, but I would take any of the other Republican candidates over him. Trump is a great businessman, he's very intelligent, he speaks his mind, and he doesn't need money from anyone, but the prospect of nominating him is terrifying. He's already insulted Mexicans, women, Muslims, and I've lost track of who else... Has he said anything to offend the gays or blacks yet? If not, is Vegas taking odds on when that's going to happen? Yes, we need to confront Islamic extremists and fight ISIS, but banning people of a certain religion from entering the country or tracking those who are already here is a really, really slippery slope. If you thought Obama has been taking a dump on the Constitution, why would we want another President doing that, albeit differently? Regardless, if Trump gets the nomination, not very many Democrats or Independents would vote for him, and there are millions of Republicans who wouldn't vote for him either. He seems to have monopolized a very specific base, and this base will support him no matter what he says, but a large portion of the voters outside of this base wish Trump would disappear.
7th (previously 10th), Jeb Bush: His last name is still toxic, and he's still not a very good candidate, but even he can see the issues with a Trump nomination, and he's at least spoken about it and attempted to confront Trump on occasion during the debates.
6th (previously 3rd), Chris Christie: I still like him, but it's hard to see him winning in a general election. And sometimes it works in his favor that he's more Liberal than the average Republican, but sometimes it works against him. Christie should do the right thing and drop out. He's young enough that he can try again in 4 or 8 years.
5th (previously 9th), John Kasich: His debate performances have improved, and it's nice to see someone with a solid amount common sense speaking on that stage. However, like Christie, I'm not sure he could win a general election right now.
4th (previously 8th), Rand Paul: He got booted from the main debate stage because the FBN rules on which polls they look at, etc. It is rather arbitrary, and he was rightfully not thrilled about it. But I think he was a winner by not taking part in the debate, and I'm turning more and more into a Libertarian every day, a mold that the intelligent, strongly-opinionated Paul fits better than that of a Republican. He may not be the best guy for the nomination, but he has a level of common sense and seems like he would be able to compete on a national level.
3rd (previously 1st), Ben Carson: It absolutely pains me to write this, because Ben Carson has been my personal favorite candidate since he entered the race, but he's starting to seem like the third best option for the nomination right now. This is a shame, because I think he would do well as President, and that he could do a great deal to unite a very divided nation right now. His poll numbers have plummeted not because of his ideas, but because he has shown that he is not a politician. Perhaps the party's lurch further to the right (as the Democrats have lurched further to the left) and the current toxic climate has contributed to his decline as well. He just comes off as too damn much of a nice and reasonable guy to be president. He hasn't been able to take control of the debates, notably the most recent one where he was upstaged by several of the other candidates. I still would like to see it turn around from him, but maybe a few years as a Senator (or VP, which it would be nice to see him considered for if he doesn't get the nomination) could serve him and America well should he choose to serve in that way.
2nd (previously 4th), Ted Cruz: It is my opinion that Cruz won the most recent debate. He was dominating, he was polished, and he is quite obviously a master debater. It should strike fear into the bleeding heart liberals that this man is still so young. With the party as a whole going to the right, Cruz is in the catbird seat. He's going at Trump, and if the candidates with no shot at the nomination would drop out already and all rally around someone else, it would probably either be Cruz or the new number one on this list...
1st (previously 2nd), Marco Rubio: Rubio has been very solid all around, trailing only Trump and Cruz in the polls right now. Clearly not as conservative as Cruz, Rubio may have a disadvantage among Republican voters because of that, but it would play as an advantage in a general election. He's also at the top spot because I could see Rubio, like Carson, as someone who could help to unite us and bring together those who vote red and those who vote blue. Trump or Cruz could inadvertently (if you give them the benefit of the doubt here) continue what Obama began in dividing the nation. Rubio seems like a genuinely good person who could become our next President. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out this year...
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