It's time to start studying the 2008 candidates

We are weeks away from the primary, and I still have no clue who I'm going to vote for. My brother believes that Mike Huckabee is the best candidate, but I'm not entirely convinced that he is.

You have Mitt Romney. I don't know why, but there's something about him I don't like. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is a Mormon. I don't think religion has anything to do with being a good leader, unless you're a radical Islamist.

I have never been a big fan of John McCain. He seems to try to please moderates too much, instead of doing what is right. His support of the campaign reform bill and his undying support for George Bush's amnesty program are perfect examples of this.

I think this was Bush's biggest fault as president, and I don't want another president who is more concerned about supporting bills in the hopes of gaining political support than doing what is right. And when Bush and McCain support programs like amnesty, they are doing so for the explicit reason that they think this would garnish Spanish American votes.

I will definitely not vote for Hillary Clinton, Obama or Edwards, because all three of them have stated flat out that they would raise taxes, and at the same time increase the size of government. If there's anything I do know for certain about government, it's that government can't do much right.

Thus, the last thing we need is the government running another program that's important to middle class America, such as our medical care. All three top democratic candidates believe the government is the solution to solving the health care crisis. They have more faith in govenrment than most people.

Not only that, but I'm not convinced that any of these democrats would be capable of defending Americans from another terrorist attack. I don't care what their opinion is as to why America went into Iraq, pulling out would be a complete disaster not just for the Middle East, but for the rest of the world.

Whether you agree with Iraq or not, we need a president who will not pull out our troops until we win the war. I'm convinced that all the republican candidates, with the exception of Paul, would stay this course. However, I am all for doing something different in Iraq if something different will result in victory quicker.

The person I vote for is the person I think will benefit the middle class the most. I want my taxes to remain low. I want health care reform, but not socialized medicine. I want the government to discourage businesses from outsourcing jobs. I do not necessarily want more money going to education, but the money already allocated to education going to students and teachers and schools as opposed to bureaucrats. I want originalist judges nominated who rule by the constition and not by their own political views.

I will not vote for someone based on abortion alone. I think that is foolish. I am pro-life, but I think whether or not abortion is legal should be left to the states to decide. I know my brother likes Huckabee because of his views on abortion, but does your view on one issue make you a good candidate for president?

No.

I would like a candidate who listens to the people as opposed to lobbyists of big corporate America. I want more bans on smoking in public places. I know this isn't very libertarian or conservative, but I'm tired of breathing in people's smoke on my way into the hospital, and then again on my way out.

I want a president who is environmentally responsible. I want less trash in our lakes, rivers and streams. I want cleaner air. However, I don't want laws made that will punish America or American businesses. I think the best solution to this is to create incentives for corporate America rather than more regulations that work only to punish success the same way taxes do.

Never in my life have I had this much trouble deciding who I want to vote for. I think all the republican candidates have good qualities, but they all have that one thing that makes me think, "Do I want this person to be president?"

Who will I vote for? I think it's time to start studying a little harder. In the coming days I'm going to discuss not only the most important issues I think our next president needs to deal with, but who I think will be most capable of leading the nation.