The Republican nominees have been a hot topic over the past few months: between Jeb Bush and his marijuana-smoking high jinks, Carly Fiorina's mysterious abortion videos and Donald Trump, there are certainly a lot of interesting characters to follow this political season.
Whether you're trying to be more politically informed, searching for a candidate to vote for, or you're just looking to win a debate with your crazy uncle over Thanksgiving dinner, this quick guide is for you.
(I've listed the candidates in order of their projected likelihood of winning the nomination, according to PredictWise)
1. Former Governor Jeb Bush of Florida
Source: People.com
Why Conservatives Like Him: Say what you will about the man and his family, but Jeb Bush looks like a nice guy. In debates and interviews, he evokes the idea of compassionate conservatism that his brother used to great effect in the 2000 election. In addition to his general likability, Bush's political experience is undeniable; with his family ties and high-profile connection, it's clear that Jeb understands how politics work. Overall, Bush is favored and endorsed by many prominent conservatives because he is a safe, trustworthy nominee for republicans to stand behind.
How He's Doing With Liberals: In short, Jeb is doing better than most of the other candidates when it comes to bipartisan appeal. Despite being seen as a traditional, establishment republican, Bush holds several views that are more popular among liberals than conservatives. Most notable is his compassionate stance on immigration, with the general idea that there should be a system through which illegal immigrants can become naturalized citizens. He also supports the Common Core education standards and, apparently, has smoked marijuana.
2. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Source: Jacksonville.com
Why Conservatives Like Him: Foreign policy is one of the most important issues for republican voters, one that Senator Rubio is an expert on. Rubio demonstrated his knowledge with several articulate responses during the second Republican debate last week. No matter which country was being discussed, the Florida Senator has something insightful and passionate to say. Given the many potential foreign threats that our country faces right now (an unsanctioned Iran, an ever-growing China and a newly-aggressive Russia, to name a few), Rubio's foreign policy prowess will go a long way in the coming elections.
How He's Doing With Liberals: Not quite as well. Especially in today's political climate, liberals are generally more concerned with domestic affairs than foreign ones. And when it comes to domestic affairs, Rubio is unabashedly conservative: his strong anti-abortion policies are particularly unappealing to liberal voters. Despite his socially conservative nature, he does have the benefit of being both young and Cuban, and his heartfelt defense of Spanish-speaking Americans in the second debate is likely to win over some moderates.
3. Donald Trump
Source: salon.com
Why Conservatives Like Him: We've all heard it before: "Donald Trump speaks his mind." This is perhaps the one statement about Trump that nobody can disagree with. In a more broad sense, Trump's popularity is derived from his charisma. He may hold some extreme views and lack many concrete policy ideas, but the man is undeniably entertaining when he speaks. What's more, Trump's famously brash persona has drawn the attention of many Americans who were not politically active before, which may help explain his popularity in the polls.
How He's Doing With Liberals: When Trump announced his campaign over the summer, he was almost universally regarded by liberals as a joke. Many still hold this view. Oddly enough, Trump actually holds many views that liberals typically identify with, such as increasing taxes on hedge fund managers. Fellow Republican candidates, notably Carly Fiorina, have accused Trump of flipflopping between liberal and conservative views on issues such as abortion.
4. Carly Fiorina
Source: usnews.com
Why Conservatives Like Her: Among other things, Carly Fiorina holds a number of strong conservative views on topics like foreign policy and abortion. Thus far, she has been the only Republican candidate to attack Donald Trump, the current leader, directly. Fiorina also gave a very memorable performance in the second primary debate, in which she detailed specific plans to enhance America's military and gave a heartfelt response about drug prohibition. In addition, many conservatives are hoping that Fiorina will be able to win over female voters who would otherwise feel alienated by Donald Trump's sexist remarks. Under the assumption that Hilary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee, Carly Fiorina may prove to be rather important to the Republican party's chances of winning.
How She's Doing With Liberals: Like Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina holds extremely conservative views on social issues which are likely to turn away many liberal voters. In addition, her aggressive stance on foreign policy, especially in regards to Russia, will probably be unpopular with moderate democrats.
5. Dr. Ben Carson
Source: washingtonpost.com
Why Conservatives Like Him: In a Republican race full of personal attacks and celebrity-sized egos, Dr. Carson stands out for being polite and soft-spoken. His story of hard-won personal success, in addition to his status as an esteemed neurosurgeon wins him a lot of points. His traditional conservative policies may not set him apart from the rest of the field, but his credentials appeal to a lot of people.
How He's Doing With Liberals: Carson is as conservative as they come, but his character does give him somewhat of a universal appeal. He could potentially see success among moderate voters, if only for the fact that he expresses his conservative views in an agreeable, disarming way.
A Short Word On Outsiders: Perhaps the most interesting development in the Republican race is the emergence of the "outsider" candidates: Trump, Fiorina, and Carson. These three candidates (a businessman, a former CEO and a surgeon, respectively) offer a hope of change to voters who are tired of the current political establishment. The Republican outsiders have often enjoyed the political spotlight in recent months and have largely dominated in the polls. These three candidates, as well as Bernie Sanders, the outsider on the left, reflect a drastic change in the American political landscape, and will certainly be the ones to watch in the coming debates and primaries.
