I bet those conservatives out there were thinking that I'd forgotten all about them! Not true! In fact, I have been doing extra research over the last few days to fully get the feel for each candidate still in the running.

If you missed my article on the link, I assure you it's a good, solid, and fair assessment of each candidate

In the last article, I joked about Donald Trump, and said that I would probably not be very respectful when discussing him, on account of he's a giant tool. Well, I can't make any promises about how it's presented, but I vow to present accurate information about Donald Trump. I might also call him a douchebag, but you know, take all that with a grain of salt. Still, I'll address Trump in another article. This one is about Cruz and Rubio

While the democrats are evenly split between two popular candidates, the Republicans have an arguably more dire problem on their hands. They are at risk of allowing link to result in a candidate that the majority of conservatives don't actually want for their first choice. This is because they have five candidates that are vying for votes, guaranteeing that the winning candidate will probably score less than 50% of the votes.

So let's all look at the candidates, so you can decide who you're voting against as much as who you're voting for, and which one deserves your vote for the republican nomination.

Let's start with two of the front runners.

THE REPUBLICANS

Ted Cruz: The Lawyer



link, more commonly known as Ted, is "the son of two mathematicians/programmers." His father is originally from Cuba, and his mother is from Delaware. He was educated at private Christian high schools, and earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law. Ted Cruz ran a successful private practice and was involved in the impeachment proceedings for Bill Clinton, served as legal council for clients like John Boehner, and served as Deputy Attorney General under the George W. Bush administration. He won the 2012 senate election, and 2016 marks his first time running for president of the United States, but it was no surprise. Rumors that he would run go as far back as 2013.

Political Affiliation: Republican (very conservative) and endorsed by the Tea Party

link:

Abortion: Wants to defund Planned Parenthood on the belief that they sell body parts of fetuses (Sept 2015). Opposed public abortion funding and church organizations providing birth control (Oct 2012). Extremely pro-life, no exceptions.
Gay Rights: Vehemently opposes "unrelenting assault" on traditional marriage (Mar 2015). Believes in a business's right to refuses services to LGBT individuals (Mar 2015).
The Economy: Opposes bail outs for banks and wants to end "corporate welfare" (Nov 2015). Wants to lower corporate tax rate to 15% (May 2015). Believes Obama administration helped make the top 1% richer, while workers "went hungry" (Feb 2015). Endorsed by link in August 2012. (Club for Growth is "an advocacy group that focuses on pressuring lawmakers to vote like free-market, limited government conservatives.")
Education: Wants to abolish Department of Education (April 2015), opposes Affirmative Action, supports Charter Schools, opposes Common Core.
Marijuana: Moderate/Curious as to what happens with legalization in Washington State and Colorado before he takes a stance on the issue (Nov 2015).
Foreign Policy: Fighting ISIS a priority over fighting Assad (Oct 2015). US should not be involved in nation building in Afghanistan (Oct 2015). Supports harsh sanctions against Putin and assisting Ukraine against Russia (Jul 2014). Does not want to allow World Courts to "interfere with American sovereignty" (i.e., does not want to listen to World Courts). Very opposed to Hillary Clinton's performance as Secretary of State (Nov 2015).

Criticisms

It's been said about Ted Cruz many times that he's simply unlikable. His own link is extremely opposed to Ted Cruz and actively speaks out against him. "I would rather have anyone else be president of the United States," he was quoted as saying. It has come to the point where his unlikable nature has become the punchline of many jokes, especially after link at showing affection for his daughter.

Beyond the "unlikability" factor, Cruz has been blasted by the very same birthers who attacked President Obama. They claim that Canadian-born Cruz cannot be president, despite having been born an American citizen. Never one to miss an opportunity to hit below the built, Donald Trump has capitalized on this and has even link Cruz over it (to which Cruz responds: link)

Fellow opponent Marco Rubio has also criticized Cruz on his voting record to cut the defense budget, and made the dubious claim that Cruz "doesn't speak Spanish" (Spoiler alert: link).

In His Own Words



My Analysis

The junior senator from Texas definitely has the experience behind him as a lawyer, and the social circles to prove it. He has been in the political arena on the sidelines for a very long time, even though he has only been a senator for four years. He has staunchly conservative values that he has shown time and time again that he is not willing to compromise. The two main criticisms against him are that he is unlikable and not fit to be president because of where he was born. The President of the United States doesn't have to be likable, though, he just has to be a good leader. And if the whole birther thing with Obama has shown us anything, it's that these arguments about where you were born are all horse manure anyways.

However, as trifling as those arguments are, they could both seriously hurt Cruz in a general election. People want to vote for the most charismatic candidate as much as the one who aligns with their values. Cruz would chase away moderates in droves, especially because of his "unlikable" nature. Sadly enough, he might also scare away staunch (but xenophobic) conservatives who would otherwise vote for him just because he's half-Cuban and was born in Canada.

One thing can be said about Cruz: He seems consistent on all of his issues, is highly educated, and deeply believes in the Christian faith.

Should I Vote For Him?

Your vote should definitely go to Cruz if you are very conservative and believe in standing your ground on the issues. You should also vote for Cruz if you think political experience is important in order to be President of the United States. Cruz has plenty of experience in Washington politics and has made many friends there. Unfortunately, he's also made some enemies. But that's to be expected.

Marco Rubio: The Professor



link was also born to two Cuban immigrant parents. Though he was a US citizen by virtue of being born in the country, his parents (unlike Cruz's mother) were not American citizens at the time of his birth, although they became citizens later. Rubio grew up primarily in the Catholic faith, and continues to be a practicing Catholic. He attended public school in Florida and obtained his political science degree at the University of Florida. He graduated with his JD cum laude at the University of Miami School of Law. After that, he served in the Florida House of Representatives while also working at a law firm in Miami. He left the Florida legislature in 2008 to start his own law firm, and also served as adjunct professor at Florida International University. He received mostly positive reviews from his students, even those who disagreed with him politically. Rubio won a US Senate seat in 2010, and has served as the junior Senator from Florida since then. This is his first time running for president.

Political Affiliation: Republican (conservative)

link:

Abortion: Very pro-life, but concedes that abortion is "a complex issue" and that we must work to "reduce the number of them." (Aug 2015). Opposes federal abortion funding and judicial activism, and supports prohibiting embryonic stem cell research (Aug 2010) and giving legal protection to unborn children (May 2011).
Gay Rights: Vocally opposes gay marriage, but respects SCOTUS ruling (Apr 2015). Is against anti-gay discrimination, but wants to make sure religious rights are also respected (Mar 2014). Supported amendment to prevent same sex marriage (Aug 2010) and opposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (Sep 2010).
The Economy: Opposes raising the minimum wage (Nov 2015). Supports repealing Dodd-Frank as it "eviscerates banks." (Aug 2015) Disapproves of increasing the debt limit (Jan 2012). Opposes Obama stimulus package (Mar 2010). Wants to freeze spending for everything but defense at 2008 levels (Apr 2015). Pro small-business -- believes regulations favor big banks and companies (Aug 2015). Wants to lower corporate tax rate to 25% (Apr 2015). NOTE: This is compared to Cruz, who wants to lower it to 15% (see above).
Education: More vocational training, less four-year college grads (Apr 2015). Opposes Common Core (Oct 2015) and supported No Child Left Behind Opportunity Scholarships (Nov 2010), Very pro-charter school and pro-school choice.
Marijuana: Moderate position on medical marijuana but opposes recreational use (Aug 2015). Against legalization of marijuana, and supports enforcing federal laws even when states have legalized the drug (May 2014).
Foreign Policy: Supports foreign aid; believes it spreads "positive influence" around the world (Sep 2011). Supports American intervention to rid the Middle East of ISIS (Nov 2015). Supports sanctions against Russia for Ukraine aggression (May 2014). Opposes Obama's Iran nuclear deal now, but supported it in 2012 (May 2015). Vehemently supports Israel against Hamas in Gaza (Nov 2012).

Criticisms

Rubio has one big failing his opponents and pundits are capitalizing on -- when he's nervous, it shows. Rubio has obvious tells when his stress levels rise, including drinking more water, repeating himself, and sweating visibly.

Chris Christie famously link for memorizing and repeating a canned speech and Rubio responded by repeating the same prepared line four times -- sometimes, when it was a complete non sequitur.

He has also been criticized for his "truancy" in regards to his service as a senator, implying that he spends too much time at his other job as a Political Science professor and not enough as a senator.

In His Own Words



My Analysis

Marco Rubio has been described as a more likable Ted Cruz, and indeed there are many similarities between the two leading Not-Trump candidates. They both have Cuban heritage, they are both quite conservative, and they both have ties to the Tea Party. However, despite Rubio once being described as the "darling" and "crown prince" of the Tea Party, these days I would say he's a touch more moderate Ted Cruz (yup, I called him a moderate, but only compared to Cruz). Rubio holds positions that, while firm and very solidly conservative, seem to leave room for compromise and that could be a real asset when dealing with the moderates and democrats. Additionally, reviews from his students are positive.

When asked about how he feels teaching, Rubio responded, "It forces me to stop sometimes and analyze things." (link)

This is really telling, and maybe it's because I'm educator, but I can really respect this comment. Again, I think it shows a candidate who knows what he believes in, but is unafraid to examine those beliefs and defend them if need be. It also implies a willingness to listen to others.

Rubio is also younger than the leading candidates in all parties, and represents a rising generation of republicans. He has worked in both the Florida House of Representatives and the National Senate, and so he certainly doesn't lack for experience.

The criticisms about his nerves are certainly fair, and it could make or break big diplomatic meetings. A leader needs confidence, after all. But other than showing signs of stress, Rubio has shown time and again that he does have that confidence. He may have repeated his memorized line to Chris Christie, but he did it with commitment and enthusiasm, not with a stutter. Rubio is bold and confident enough that some may find his nervousness even slightly endearing, and not at all a hindrance to how he might lead.

Also, the senate job allowed for the time he spent teaching, and I highly doubt Rubio would hold his professorship while president. And Joe Biden also taught when he was a senator and it never hurt his job, so there's that.

Should I Vote For Him?

You should vote for Rubio if you are staunchly conservative, yet open to bipartisan cooperation. Rubio would also be a good choice if you are looking for a younger candidate with varied experience both in the political arena, law and education.

Coming Soon (If they don't drop out in the meantime)... John Kasich and Ben Carson