Rate the Presidential Candidates

This has been a very difficult political primary for me and I know many of you. So in order to help myself and perhaps you in this process I developed a PRR (Presidential Rating Rubric).

I have gone back and forth regarding who I am supporting in the primary over the last 6-12 months never finding the ideal candidate. To be honest there was a point when I disliked all of them and was very frustrated. There was also another moment when I equally supported all of them except for Rudy (due to his pro-abortion and other anti-family record). Likewise this didn't help me in making the choice.

However this rubric helped me rate the candidates and gave me a basis to see who I thought was the best overall candidate. So let me explain it briefly and perhaps this will help you in making up your mind. I don't want to force your hand in this race - you need to decide but this can help focus your thinking.

Presidential Rating Rubric - I believe America is need of a leader who is moral, principled, right on the issues, and has a record to back this up. But we don't want someone who excels in one area but is utterly incompetent in another. We want the best overall candidate and this rubric looks at broad areas in order to rate a candidate for President of the United States.

Areas Evaluated in this rubric:
A. Founding Principles - does the candidate understand that America is unique? Does he/she understand that individuals have been given inalienable rights...gifts from God and not the state? And governments were established to preserve and protect these rights... our politics and the economy are in the hands of the people... etc.

B. Moral Leadership - Record and rhetoric on the non-negotiable issues. What is his/her stance on the culture of life, defense of marriage and the family.

C. Leadership - The ability and record to lead and get results. Principles and values are vital but can this candidate lead and get results on this? Have they run a business or been an executive official before?

D. Domestic Policy - Where does this candidate stand on taxes, education, health care, welfare etc.?

E. National Security & Terrorism - I believe this is part of the broader protection of life. A modern extension of being pro-life is protecting innocent Americans from terrorists.

F. Political Acumen - This should not be a deciding factor but ought to be a part of the consideration since we are not voting for an college professor but a political leader. Does this candidate look presidential? What is this candidate's ability to win elections, in fundraising, and in campaigning nationally?

The rubric rates each of these areas on a scale of 0-4 except for Moral Leadership which I scored on 0-7 scale. Then I considered the overall average of these areas. By weighing Moral Leadership it makes life the overarching issue without completely removing our prudential judgment in considering all the areas. Some candidates are pro-life but not as strong as others and this ought to be considered. Candidates with 100% pro-life record have greater opportunity to score high but also does not eliminate those who are more pro-life than say Hillary Clinton.

I am pro-life and for me this make Rudy an impossible choice in the Republican primary. But I don't believe we, pro-lifers are single issue voters. Life should only be the beginning or our basic requirement and the over arching issue. So how do we choose among imperfect candidates? I think we look at the overall competency of the candidates and judge them based on a standard.

This rubric requires work and research on your part . It is not going to tell you how to rate each candidate or each area this is your job. For this to work you need to research each candidate and hold each candidate to the same standard. This should not be used in a vaccum, however I think it can significantly help those who are struggling with whom to support.

Look at each area objectively and honestly one by one. Who does best overall? Who is your runner-up?

I doubt you will find anyone who is top in all, if you do you may need to cut back on drinking the campaign cool aid. Likewise there are probably very few who score zeros in every area. This is where the prudential judgement of an informed voter must be active.

So rate the candidates and let me know what you think. How does the rubric work for you? Was it helpful? Did the results surprise you? Are there areas you would add more weight to?

Download GOP Primary Rubric: /PRR.xls (ver 1.0)