In the next few days I’ll rate the 8 leading GOP candidates for the 2016 Nomination as reported by RealClearPolitics on 6 August 2015. I will rate four criteria; potential to change our nation, electability, personal integrity, and past performance. I will score them from 0 to 3. The ratings will be color-coded as follows.

Blue = Excellent (3 pts) – Implies candidate is solidly better than most of the GOP and all of the Dems.
Green = Good (2 pts) – Implies candidate is better than GOP average and probably all Dems.
Yellow = Low Pass (1 pt) – Candidate is on the low end of the GOP and is not impressive.
Red = Terrible (0 pts) – Denotes a very nice person who does not need to serve as POTUS.

I will be rating 8 candidates based in the descending order of their 6 Aug 2015 RCP averages. I begin with Donald Trump. I rate Mr. Trump as Green. If THE DONALD becomes THE POTUS, it could be fun in a highly sadistic fashion. Like tossing a sack of teed-off scorpions into a belladonic nudist orgy sadistic. He will at least try to really shake things up. He is genuinely mad about how things are going and isn’t a shy and gentle sparkle-pony when he’s angry. His favorite two words seem to be “You’re fired.” I only rate him below Blue because he remains a political neophyte and his conversion to my way of thinking on some issues may be too recent to be of genuine vintage. I have to rate THE DONALD higher than I’d like to on this criterion.

I now have to say unpleasant things about a genuinely likeable and decent man. I’m rating Jeb Bush, you see. I couldn’t stand by my recent posts here at RS.com if I didn’t rate Jeb as Red. He shares too many donors and political beliefs with Democrats to be a significant change after Barack Obama’s Presidency. I’ll cut this short in keeping with Ronald Wilson Reagan’s 11th Commandment.

Scott Walker currently stands 3rd and rates a Green on the change scale. He gets this rating because he has doggedly fought to change and undo Progressive priorities in Wisconsin. He has fought the high profile enemies and won. He does what is in his heart at personal risk to his career. I only hesitate to rate Scott Walker as Blue because he doesn’t seem to disagree with enough of the Democratic Party’s priorities to yank the whole thing out by the roots. When he is on your side, you will be glad he’s going to war in your fighting position.

Mike Huckabee polls 4th. I rate him a Yellow on the change-o-meter. I would be genuinely relieved to see a sincere Christian occupy the White House after Julian the Apostate. I therefore cannot completely denigrate Rev. Huckabee’s potential to improve the USA from The Oval Office. I can’t get excited about him because he is not inclined to reduce the size or scope of governance. This leviathan would outlive his term in office and prove a handy tool in the hands of the next Progressive who ascends to executive power.

For some exotic reason, Ben Carson still draws enough support to rate 5th in current GOP Primary popularity. I rate him a Yellow because he would try to do something about Obamacare. I can’t rate him any higher because he isn’t sufficiently motivated on the 2nd Amendment. I see this as a tell that suggests he would not be a strong enough Constitutionalist or a suitable friend to personal liberty that America needs to undo eight years of Obama.

[mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ] comes as close to max on this metric as anyone running. He believes what I believe. He does not believe what Barack Obama does. He can get very tough and personal when the situation calls for it. He rates an absolute Blue on this evaluation. Type “Ted Cruz, Redstate” into Google and you will see why I unabashedly credit Senator Cruz on this category.

If you ever feel of sick of the nasty, overbearing and conceited bureaucracy that is a hallmark of Barack Obama’s tenure in office, [mc_name name=’Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’R000595′ ] may well be your GOP candidate. He wins the “I’m not King Richard” Award in the current GOP field. I can’t give Marco a Blue because I don’t feel he is conservative enough or aggressive enough to completely undo the Obama tenure in office. I do rate him a Green because I believe he would want the government to respect the average American. Boy is that a major change after seeing Lois Lerner wield power and influence!

The last candidate rated is the Great Libertarian Hope, [mc_name name=’Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’P000603′ ]. If Senator Paul could enact 1/10th of the small government talk he espouses as actual policy, he would create a happier, richer and freer America for my children to enjoy. I break with many who blog here at RS and rate Rand Paul a solid, deep and awesome Blue. Down with the Progressive Orwell State. Go, Rand Go!

This concludes part 1 out of 4. Next I discuss electability.