Since the Republican field of candidates has been mostly established now, I've started compiling information on each candidate––I've found that it helps when debating the merits of different candidates. So far I've collected info on guns, taxes, trade, and immigration. I'll add other issues when I have time.

If anyone notices any errors or anything that should be added, let me know.

Update: 9/15 added SS and abortion info and Cain's 9-9-9 plan under taxes



Michele Bachmann
Age: 55
Education: B.A. in Political Science from Winona State University (1978), JD from Oral Roberts University (1986), LL.M. in tax law from William & Mary School of Law (1988).
Career: 1988-1993 attorney for IRS, 2001–2007 Minnesota State Senator, 2007-Present U.S. Rep. from MN 6th district.

Herman Cain
Age: 65
Education: B.A. in Mathematics from Morehouse College (1967), M.S. in Computer Science from Purdue University (1971)
Career: Worked from the Department of the Navy while studying at Purdue, business analyst for Coca-Cola, VP of Pillsbury, regional manager for Burger King, CEO of Godfather's Pizza, chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, CEO of Digital Restaurant Solutions, CEO of Retail DNA, board member for Aquila, Inc., Nabisco, Hallmark, Whirlpool, Reader's Digest, AGCO, Inc, UtiliCorp, KCP&L, Bell Research, senior adviser to the 1996 Dole/Kemp campaign, radio talk show host and columnist.

Newt Gingrich
Age: 68
Education: B.A. in History from Emory University (1965), M.A in History from Tulane University (1968), PhD in Modern European History from Tulane University (1971)
Career: 1970-1978 Assistant Professor at West Georgia College, 1979-1989 U.S. Rep. from GA 6th district, 1989-1995 Minority Whip, 1995-1999 Speaker of the House, worked with various commissions and think tanks, Fox News contributor.

Jon Huntsman
Age: 51
Education: G.E.D, B.A. in International Politics from University of Pennsylvania.
Career: White House staff assistant in the Reagan Administration, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Ambassador to Singapore under the George H.W. Bush Administration, Deputy United States Trade Representative in the George W. Bush Administration, served as an executive for the Huntsman Corporation, the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, and CEO of Huntsman Family Holdings Company, 2005–2009 Governor of Utah, 2009–2011 Ambassador to China in the Obama Administration.

Gary Johnson
Age: 58
Education: B.S. in Political Science from the University of New Mexico (1975)
Career: 1976 Founded Big J Enterprises, 1995-2003 Governor of New Mexico

Ron Paul
Age: 76
Education: B.S. in Biology from Gettysburg College (1957), MD from Duke University School of Medicine (1961)
Career: medical internship at the Henry Ford Hospital, 1963-1965 Air Force flight surgeon, 1965-1968 Air National Guard flight surgeon, opened private OB/GYN practice in Texas, 1976-1977 U.S. Rep. from TX 22nd district, 1979-1985 U.S. Rep. from TX 22nd district, 1988 Libertarian candidate for president, 1997-Present U.S. Rep. from TX 14th district.

Rick Perry
Age: 61
Education: B.S in Animal Science from Texas A&M University (1972)
Career: 1972-1977 Air Force C-130 pilot, farmed cotton with his father, 1985–1991 TX State Rep., 1991-1999 Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, 1999-2000 Lieutenant Governor of Texas, 2000-Present Governor of Texas.

Mitt Romney
Age: 64
Education: B.A in English from Brigham Young University (1971), joint JD/MBA from Harvard (1975)
Career: 1976 Management consultant for Boston Consulting Group, 1978 VP of Bain & Company, 1984 co-founded Bain Capital, 1994 challenged Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, CEO of 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games Organizing Committee, 2003-2007 Governor of Massachusetts.

Rick Santorum
Age:53
Education: B.A. in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University (1980), MBA from University of Pittsburgh (1981), JD from Pennsylvania State University.
Career: Administrative assistant to PA State Senator Doyle Corman, 1991-1995 U.S. Rep. from PA 18th district, 1995-2007 US Senator from PA.




Michele Bachmann
Co-Sponsored National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009 and 2011
Co-Sponsored Fairness in Firearm Testing Act of 2011
Co-Sponsored Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2011
Co-Sponsored Citizens' Self-Defense Act of 2009
Co-Sponsored District of Columbia Personal Protection Act of 2007

Herman Cain
CAIN: “I support, strongly support, the 2nd amendment. I don’t support onerous legislation that’s going to restrict people’s rights in order to be able to protect themselves as guaranteed by the 2nd amendment.”

BLITZER: "Should states or local government be allowed to control guns, the gun situation, or should…"

CAIN: "The answer is yes, that should be a state’s decision."
Source

“Here's how I'd like that done: Let each state pass a concealed weapon bill. Empower the states––some states already have it––and not have a federal mandate. I believe in the Second Amendment. All of the liberals who want to restrict your rights and my rights to keep and bear arms, remind them of that fundamental principle to keep and bear arms, and to protect yourself if you have to. That's what America is all about. But the American Dream is under attack. And we have to take it back. After the Founding Fathers did their job, we must now be the Defending Fathers of those same principles.”
Source ***Note: This source cites the title of the May 2011 NRA meeting wrong, the actual title was “NRA Celebration of American Values Freedom Experience.” I can not find any other source to verify this quote.

Newt Gingrich
"The right to bear arms is not about hunting. It's not about target practice ... The right to bear arms is a political right designed to safeguard freedom so that no government can take away from you the rights that God has given you, and it was written by people who had spent their lifetime fighting the greatest empire in the world and they knew that if they had not had the right to bear arms, they would have been enslaved. And they did not want us to be enslaved. And that is why they guaranteed us the right to protect ourselves. It is a political right of the deepest importance to the survival of freedom in America."
Source
Voted NO on Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
Voted NO on Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act of 1993

Jon Huntsman
As Governor of Utah, Huntsman signed:
HB 357 - modifies the criminal penalties exception provisions related to carrying a concealed firearm to apply to a vehicle in a person's lawful possession and to a vehicle in the lawful possession of another, with the consent of that person;
allows a person to carry a loaded firearm in a vehicle in the person's lawful possession or in a vehicle with the consent of the person lawfully in possession of the vehicle;
allows for the possession of a loaded firearm, on a person's real property

SB 78 - prohibits certain persons from creating or enforcing a policy that prohibits the storage of firearms in a motor vehicle parked on property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the person.

Gary Johnson
"I don't believe there should be any restrictions when it comes to firearms. None."
Slate - April 20, 2011

Sheff: Where do you stand on gun control?

Johnson: I'm one of those who believe the bumper sticker: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The first people who are going to be in line to turn in their guns are law-abiding citizens. Criminals are going to be left with guns. I believe that concealed carry is a way of reducing gun violence.

Sheff: Do you carry a gun?

Johnson: I don't, and I don't own a gun, but I'd still just as soon have the concealed carry law. If the guy who is going to hold up a car knows there is the possibility of a concealed weapon, he may think twice. We don't have that law here.

Sheff: The NRA disagrees with any limits. Do you?

Johnson: I don't believe the laws regarding guns are effective. We're allowed to bear arms. It's part of a free society.

Playboy Magazine - May 2, 2011

Ron Paul
Sponsored Second Amendment Protection Act of 2011
Sponsored Citizens Protection Act of 2011
Co-Sponsored Fairness in Firearm Testing Act of 2011
Co-Sponsored Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2011
Co-Sponsored District of Columbia Personal Protection Act of 2007
Voted NO on Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act 2005
Voted Yes on Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act

Rick Perry
Lifetime A+ rating from NRA
Opposes reporting rule for multiple gun sales in border states. Source
Supports concealed carry on college campuses. Source
“I think a person ought to be able carry their weapon with them anywhere in this state if they are licensed and they have gone through the training. The idea you're going to exempt them from a particular place is nonsense to me.” Source

Mitt Romney
Signed a permanent assault weapons ban as Governor of Massachusetts. "These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." Source

Romney: "I would have supported the original assault weapon ban. I signed an assault weapon ban in Massachusetts governor because it provided for a relaxation of licensing requirements for gun owners in Massachusetts, which was a big plus."

Russert: "So the assault ban that expired here because Congress didn’t act on it, you would support?"

Romney: "Just as the president said, he would have, he would have signed that bill if it came to his desk, and so would have I."
Meet the Press - December 16, 2007

“Yeah, I don’t support any gun control legislation, the effort for a new assault weapons ban, with a ban on semi-automatic weapons, is something I would oppose. There’s no new legislation that I’m aware of or have heard of that I would support. In regards to guns, I think we have enough legislation and should enforce the laws as they exist.” The Glenn and Helen Show - Feb 03, 2008

Rick Santorum
2006 A rating from NRA
Voted YES on Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act 2005
Voted YES on requiring child safety locks to be sold with firearms. (S AMDT 1626 to S 397, 2005)
Voted NO on Lautenberg amendment to require background checks at gun shows (S AMDT 362 to S 254, 1999)
Voted NO on Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
Voted NO on Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act of 1993





Michele Bachmann
Signer of Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Supports The Contract From America
Opposes VAT
Opposes Estate Tax
Supports eliminating capital gains taxes
Supports lowering corporate tax rate to 9%
Supports simplified tax code––single rate income tax w/ no deductions.

Herman Cain
Signer of Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Cain's 9-9-9 Tax Plan:
-9% business flat tax. Gross income less all investments, all purchases from other businesses, and all dividends paid to shareholders.
-9% individual income flat tax. Gross income less charitable deductions.
-9% national sales tax.
-zero tax on capital gains and repatriated profits.
-no estate tax
-replaces the payroll tax

Newt Gingrich
Signer of Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Gingrich's tax plan:
-Cut the Payroll Tax in Half for 2 Years
-Abolish Taxes on Capital Gains
-Reduce the Corporate Tax Rate to 12.5%
-Abolish the Death Tax

Jon Huntsman
Supports a Flat Tax
Tried to eliminate all corporate taxes as Governor of Utah.
Refused to sign Taxpayer Protection Pledge

Gary Johnson
Signer of Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Johnson's tax plan:
-Eliminate punitive taxation of savings and investment.
-Simplify the tax code; stop using it to reward special interests and control behavior.
-Adopt a flat tax on income or consumption.

Ron Paul
Signer of Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Supports a Flat Tax or a Fair Tax––repealing the 16th Amendment would be a prerequisite though.
Supports abolishing federal income taxes, the estate tax, and capital gains taxes.

Rick Perry
Signed HB 3667 enacting a 2% tax on the retail sale of fireworks
Signed legislation cutting property taxes, but replaced it with a new margins tax on businesses, raised cigarette taxes by $1 per pack, and created a $5 surcharge on admission to sexually oriented businesses (later struck down as unconstitutional).
Vetoed a bill that would have expanded the number of internet retailers required to collect sales tax from Texans.
Supports repealing the 16th Amendment and replacing the current tax code with the FairTax.

Mitt Romney
Supports Bush tax cuts
Supports tax breaks for corporations to entice them to bring overseas profits back to the US.
Supports zero capital gains taxes for individuals earning less than $200,000 a year.
Opposes the estate tax
Opposes FairTax

Rick Santorum
Signer of Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Voted YES on Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005
Voted NO on raising tax rates for capital gains and dividends
Voted YES on extending capital gains and dividends tax cuts
Voted YES on Bush tax cuts





All the republican candidates generally support free trade. One notable difference is that Ron Paul opposes free trade agreements and membership in the WTO––he takes a more laissez faire approach to free trade.





NumbersUSA ratings: http://www.numbersusa.com/content/node/11556

Michele Bachmann
Voted NO on DREAM Act of 2010 (H.R.5281)
Co-Sponsored SAVE Act of 2009
Co-Sponsored Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 (No birthright citizenship for those born to illegal aliens)
Opposes amnesty.
Supports federal legislation requiring all employers to use E-Verfiy.
Supports punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegal aliens
Supports stronger border security.
Supports local enforcement.

Herman Cain
Opposes amnesty.
Opposes birthright citizenship for those born to illegal aliens.
Supports federal legislation requiring all employers to use E-Verfiy.
Supports stronger border security.
Supports local enforcement.
Supports expanding temporary worker program for skilled legal immigrants.

Newt Gingrich
Voted for 1986 amnesty (Simpson-Mazzoli Act)
Supports certain aspects of the Dream Act
Supports forming local boards to determine whether or not an illegal alien should be granted citizenship.
Supports federal legislation requiring all employers to use E-Verfiy.
Supports punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegal aliens
Supports stronger border security.
Supported legislation that increased immigration.

Jon Huntsman
Supported in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
Supports a path to citizenship for illegal aliens.
As governor, Huntsman signed legislation requiring government employees and contractors to use E-Verify.
Supports punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegal aliens
Supports stronger border security.
Supports local enforcement.

Gary Johnson
Supports a “two-year grace period for illegal immigrants to attain work visas.”
Opposes reducing overall immigration
Supports guest worker program.
Opposes stronger border security, supports current security measures.
Opposes local enforcement, would have vetoed a bill like SB 1070.
Supports punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegal aliens

Ron Paul
Voted NO on DREAM Act of 2010 (H.R.5281)
Opposes amnesty, however he “refuses to back enforcement measures that would lead to significant attrition of the illegal population.” (NumbersUSA)
Opposes birthright citizenship for those born to illegal aliens.
Opposes federal legislation requiring all employers to use E-Verfiy.
Supports stronger border security.
Opposes punishing businesses who hire illegal aliens.

Rick Perry
Supported in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
Supports granting illegal aliens work visas.
Opposes E-Verfiy mandate.
Supports guest worker program.
Supports stronger border security.
Worked to eliminate sanctuary cities.
Would not have supported a bill like SB 1070 in Texas.
Supports punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegal aliens

Mitt Romney
Opposes amnesty
Supports mandatory verification system for employment.
Opposes reducing overall immigration
Supports expanding H1B visas.
Supports stronger border security.
Supports punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegal aliens

Rick Santorum
Opposed voluntary E-Verify system
Opposes reducing overall immigration
Supports stronger border security.



Bachmann
“strongly supports continuing Social Security benefits at their present levels for seniors currently receiving them, but believes reform for younger generations is necessary to keep the program solvent.” Source

“So, what you have to do, is keep faith with the people that are already in the system, that don’t have any other options, we have to keep faith with them. But basically what we have to do is wean everybody else off. And wean everybody off because we have to take those unfunded net liabilities off our bank sheet, we can’t do it. So we just have to be straight with people. So basically, whoever our nominee is, is going to have to have a Glenn Beck chalkboard and explain to everybody this is the way it is.” Feb 2010

Cain
Supports “Chilean Model,” which is essential privatization.

Gingrich
“Suppose that workers were free to save and invest, in their own personal accounts, up to roughly 50% of what they currently pay in payroll taxes. Employers would contribute the same amount to their workers' personal accounts out of the payroll taxes they currently pay on behalf of their employees. This plan was proposed in a bill by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. John Sununu (R-NH). “ Source

Huntsman
“I know that there are people that can give, perhaps more than others. Maybe as it relates to means testing around social security and Medicare, there are people who don't need these programs and I think that we need to look realistically at where we are, where our vulnerable spots are, where our vulnerable populations are, recognize that for what it is, recognize those populations that don't need these programs and make some choices around that.” Source

Johnson
“Fix Social Security by changing the escalator from being based on wage growth to inflation. It's time for Social Security to reflect today's realities without breaking trust with retirees.” Source

“I think that at a minimum the retirement age has to be raised. Talking about privatizing social security or being allowed to self direct a portion of your benefits ... I think that needs to be part of the mix. There also needs to be some means testing going forward.” Source

Paul
Q: “Are you still in favor of abolishing Social Security?”

A: “Yes, but not overnight. As a matter of fact, my program’s the only one that is going to be able to take care of the elderly. I’d like to get the young people out of it, just the younger generation, because there’s no money there, and they’re going to have to pay 50 years and they’re not going to get anything. I’d take care of all the elderly, all those who are dependent, but I would save the money from this wild spending overseas.” 2008 GOP debate in Boca Raton

Sponsored Social Security Preservation Act of 2003
Co-sponsored Personal Lockbox Act of 2000
Voted NO on Social Security and Medicare Safe Deposit Box Act of 1999
Voted YES on Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2000

Perry
SS “at the expense of respect for the constitution and limited government.” Source

“Means testing is one of those things that we oughta have a conversation about. Or you know, does Warren Buffet need to get Social Security? Maybe not.”

“[P]eople who are on Social Security today, men and women who are receiving those benefits today, and individuals at my age that are in line pretty quick to get them, they don't need to worry about anything. But I think the Republican candidates are talking about ways to transition this program, and it is a monstrous lie. It is a Ponzi scheme to tell our kids that are 25 or 30 years old today, you're paying into a program that's going to be there. Anybody that's for the status quo with Social Security today is involved with a monstrous lie to our kids, and it's not right.

Mitt Romney
“Currently, we’re taking more money into Social Security that we actually send out. So our current seniors, their benefits are not going to change. For people 20 and 30 and 40 years old, we have four major options, for instance, for Social Security. One is the one Democrats want: raise taxes. It’s the wrong way to go.

Number two, the president said let’s have private accounts and take that surplus money that’s being gathered now in Social Security and put that into private accounts. That works.

Other people said, well, extend the retirement age. That mathematically works. It's not as attractive. And the last is to index the Social Security benefits, the first benefit, to something other than wages, which is what it has always been. But, in my view, that's the wrong way to go. That's the wrong way to go other than for higher-income Americans. Higher-income Americans –– that is the Posen plan –– yes, let's consider doing that. That is indexing based on prices rather than wages.”
Source

Santorum
Q: Will you support or oppose using Social Security taxes to fund private accounts?

A: I only support using Social Security taxes to fund private accounts if such an option is voluntary. I believe that Social Security must remain a program that our children & grandchildren can depend on-we owe it to them to provide for their retirement security as they have provided for current and previous generations. As proposals for strengthening and improving this valuable system for future retirees are considered, I believe that all options should remain on the table. I take seriously my responsibility of working to protect current and near retirees, while ensuring sustainable financial security and peace of mind for future generations.

David Gregory: "On Social Security, would you raise the retirement age?"
Rick Santorum: “I proposed that back in 1994. I think that's an option that has to be on the table”

"The reason Social Security is in big trouble is we don't have enough workers to support the retirees. Well, a third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion, because one in three pregnancies end in abortion,"



Bachmann
Q: Gov. Pawlenty says he opposes abortion rights except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at stake. Do you have any problem with that position?

BACHMANN: I am 100 percent pro-life. . . I believe in the dignity of life from conception until natural death. I believe in the sanctity of human life. Our Declaration of Independence said it's a creator who endowed us with inalienable rights given to us from God, not from government. And the first of those rights is life. And I stand for that right. I stand for the right to life. The very few cases that deal with those exceptions are the very tiniest of fraction of cases, and yet they get all the attention. Where all of the firepower is, is on the genuine issue of taking an innocent human life.

Voted YES on No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
Voted NO on Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007
Co-sponsored Child Custody Protection Act (prohibits taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions.)
Co-sponsored Life at Conception Act
Co-sponsored Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2009
Co-sponsored Right to Life Act
Co sponsored Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act

Cain
“The Founding Fathers got it right. The Founding Fathers got it right because of those fundamental principles: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They also got it in the right order. That wasn't an accident. Their vision meant that you could pursue happiness in America as long as you don't infringe upon the liberties of somebody else. And you can pursue all the liberties that you want as long as you don't infringe upon the life of anybody else. And that starts with the life of the unborn. “

“I believe that life begins at conception, period. And that means that I will have to see enough evidence that someone I would appoint shares that same view. I believe that the current Supreme Court is leaning too much to the liberal side.”

“I absolutely would defund Planned Parenthood––not because I don't believe in planning parenthood. Planned Parenthood as an organization is an absolute farce on the American people. People who know the history of Margaret Sanger, who started Planned Parenthood, they know that the intention was not to help young women who get pregnant to plan their parenthood. No––it was a sham to be able to kill black babies. “

Huntsman
Q: "Do you support a right to life amendment?"
A: "I do support a right to life amendment,"

Signed Utah HB70 that makes second-trimester abortions illegal

Johnson
"Life is precious and needs to be protected. Deciding to have an abortion is a very difficult decision. As Governor, Gary Johnson supported legislation that banned late term abortions and allowed for parental notification for minors seeking an abortion. He believes that ultimately it is a woman’s right to make such a decision during the early stage of pregnancy.

Judges should be appointed who will interpret the Constitution according to its original meaning. Any court decision that does not follow this original meaning of the Constitution should be revisited. That is particularly true of decisions such as Roe vs. Wade, which have expanded the reach of the Federal government into areas of society never envisioned in the Constitution. With the overturning of Roe vs Wade, laws regarding abortion would be decided by the individual states."
Source


Paul
Voted YES on No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
Voted NO on Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007
Voted NO on Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act
Voted NO on Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004
Voted YES on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003

“A popular academic argument for abortion demands that we think of the child in the womb as a parasite.but the same argument justifies infanticide, since it applies just as well to an infant outside the womb.newborns require even more attention & care. People ask an expectant mother how her baby is doing. They do not ask how her fetus is doing, or her blob of tissue, or her parasite. But that is what her baby becomes as soon as the child is declared to be unwanted. “

Perry
Signed bill mandating a sonogram be viewed before abortion.
Signed parental consent bill
Signed bill defunding Planned Parenthood

"Despite holding personal pro-life beliefs, Texas Gov. Rick Perry categorized abortion as a states’ rights issue today, saying that if Roe v. Wade was overturned, it should be up to the states to decide the legality of the procedure.

“You either have to believe in the 10th Amendment or you don’t,” Perry told reporters after a bill signing in Houston. “You can’t believe in the 10th Amendment for a few issues and then [for] something that doesn’t suit you say, 'We’d rather not have states decide that.'” Source

Romney
Vetoed S. 2039 stem cell research bill
Vetoed bill allowing the morning after pill to be distributed without prescription.

“On a personal basis, I don’t favor abortion,” he said. “However, as governor of the commonwealth, I will protect a woman’s right to choose under the laws of the country and the commonwealth. That’s the same position I’ve had for many years.” Lowell Sun Mar 20, 2002

“I was effectively pro-choice when I ran for office. When I became governor of Massachusetts, the first time a bill came to my life that dealt with life, I simply could not side with––with taking a life, and I came on the side of life. Every bill that came to my desk, every issue that related to protecting the sanctity of life, I came down on the side of life. I’m pro-life. I’m not going to apologize for becoming pro-life. I’m proud to be pro-life.” 2007 Des Moines Register Republican Debate Dec 12, 2007

“People have had a chance to look at my record and look what I've said. I believe people understand that I'm firmly pro-life. I will support justices who believe in following the Constitution and not legislating from the bench. And I believe in the sanctity of life from the very beginning until the very end.” 2011 GOP primary debate in Manchester NH Jun 13, 2011

Santorum
Voted YES on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
Voted YES on Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004
Voted YES on Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act

Q: Are you in favor of Plan B, the morning-after pill?
SANTORUM: It is an abortifacient in certain circumstances. If the egg has been fertilized and the pill is taken, it does cause an abortion. It’s inconsistent with his previous position and violated his principles.
Q: If you believe that life begins at conception, then why do you support exceptions for rape, incest, and life of mother?
SANTORUM: Yeah, I would vote for things like that.
Q: But by your standards, it’s the taking of a life.
SANTORUM: It is, there’s no question it’s the taking of a life. But it is an attempt for me to try to see if we can find common ground to actually make progress in limiting the other abortions. So yes, that’s what I would do.

Good job on the candidates Vepr,

More info in Romney:
http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/rep_bios.php?rep_id=64410102&category=views&id=20110610165116
and the others
http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/


Don't miss this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-UQG7k1uX0&feature=player_embedded

Tag

Great contribution to a thread that someone obviously put some effort into.

2008 Republican Presidential Primary Results by County


http://www.270towin.com/
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/2012_elections_electoral_college_map.html

Right now, it looks like Republicans can easily pick up FL, IA and IN. PA, OH, MI, NH, NC, NV, and VA could be competitive.

Latest Polling
Another good source for polling data

2012 Republican Presidential Nomination

Bloomberg9/9 - 9/12             Perry-26  Romney-22  Bachmann-9  Paul-8  Palin-8  Gingrich-4  Cain-4  Santorum-2  Huntsman-1

CNN/Opinion Research 9/9 - 9/11 Perry-30  Romney-18  Palin-15  Paul-12  Gingrich-5  Cain-5  Bachmann-4  Santorum-2  Huntsman-2

President Obama vs. Republican Candidate
RCP Average: 8/4 - 9/11 Obama 43.5 Republican 44.0

General Election: Perry vs. Obama
RCP Average: 8/16 - 9/12 Obama 47.1 Perry 43.1

General Election: Romney vs. Obama
RCP Average: 8/16 - 9/12 Obama 46.0 Romney 45.1

Florida: Romney vs Obama
Magellan: 8/16-18/11 Obama 39 Romney 49

Florida: Perry vs Obama
Magellan: 8/16-18/11 Obama 39 Perry 46

Virginia: Perry vs. Obama
Quinnipiac: 9/7 - 9/12 Obama 44 Perry 42

Virginia: Romney vs. Obama
Quinnipiac: 9/7 - 9/12 Obama 42 Romney 44

North Carolina: Perry vs. Obama
Magellan Strategies (R): 9/7 - 9/8 Obama 48 Perry 43

North Carolina: Romney vs. Obama
Magellan Strategies (R): 9/7 - 9/8 Obama 45 Romney 43

Pennsylvania: Romney vs. Obama
Quinnipiac: 8/2/11 Obama 42 Romney 44

Pennsylvania: Perry vs. Obama
Quinnipiac: 8/2/11: Obama 45 Perry 39

Ohio: Romney vs. Obama
Quinnipiac: 7/12-18/11 Obama 45 Romney 41

Ohio: Perry vs Obama
Quinnipiac: 7/12-18/11 Obama 47 Perry 35

Michigan: Romney vs. Obama
EPIC-MRA: 8/13-16/11 Obama 43 Romney 45