The following is an attempt at summarizing where the GOP candidates fit into being more qualified/less qualified for the job of President of the United States. They are in order of qualification:
1. John Kasich
By far the most qualified and in an ironic twist, probably not going to get the nomination. Reminds me of Jon Huntsman, the most qualified Republican and able to beat Barack Obama the last time around but totally dismissed by the Republican base which wanted someone more sanguine at the time and ended up with the squishy Romney. Kasich has it all - years of experience in serious leadership positions in the Congress, expertise on military affairs and foreign policy, about as good as it gets. And governing experience as the current governor of Ohio, a critical swing state. One of the very few who could hold his own in a debate with Hillary and also with the best chance of defeating her. But the GOP base is off chasing mirages so he probably won't be considered.
2. Jeb Bush
In spite of all the negatives, starting with his last name, Jeb is a formidable candidate for the job. He has the bad luck of having the wrong last name, but also, the GOP doesn't seem to be interested in someone who actually has the requisite talent to govern. He is admittedly a bit rusty, but just like riding a bicycle, he would get in the swing of it pretty quick. He also has access to a formidable team that served his father well.
3. Marco Rubio
Marco is the GOP's version of Barack Obama. Very promising but inexperienced. He has the chops to do the job and may indeed go all the way. Of course, this time, Hillary is better prepared so she will have him for lunch, but this is very good experience for Marco the next time around, Marco is indeed a rising star in the GOP. If he keeps out of trouble he will go far.
4. Rand Paul
The most knowledgeable statement of the night was when Paul correctly stated that a "no-fly" zone in Syria, favored by so many of the candidates trying to sound hawkish, would result in our threatening to shoot down Russian war planes. The people moderating the debate obviously had no knowledge of the world beyond a spreadsheet so they didn't even notice that most of them, in their zeal to sound tough, were proposing WWIII. (The knowledge base of the questioners is so important to these debates.) Paul has a lot of negatives, but he is basically a pretty knowledgeable guy and would make a decent candidate. I doubt the GOP base sees that.
5. Carly Fiorina
The only non-politico who has a smattering of a chance of beating Hillary. At the very least, Hillary could not use her uniqueness as a woman against her. But Fiorina has too many negatives. Her stint at Hewlett Packard will come around and bite her if she gets the nod. Of the three non-politicos she has a better understanding about how politics actually works, though.
6. Ted Cruz
Cruz is the embodiment of a too-slick lawyer. He is articulate, knows how to present, but what he has to say are vacuous clichés. It is no surprise that he is disliked by his Republican colleagues in the Senate. He is the reincarnation of Senator Joseph McCarthy. I am waiting for the day where an intrepid journalist will tell him to his face, "Have you no shame, sir?" Cruz has 0% chance of defeating any Democrat for the Presidency so we can all calm down now.
7. Donald Trump
I can't for the life of me figure out why this asterisk of a man is polling so well. Could it be that he bribed all the pollsters? I'm afraid not, as I have seen the manifestations of his fans, Fans because where other candidates have supporters Trump has fans - lots of them. Trump is the poster child for New York loudmouths. The kind of person the whole country hates, but somehow, in fly-over country, they love him, or at least significant numbers do. Trump is so petty that he engages in public feuds with people like Rosie O'Donnell. Trump is a monument to our reality TV, celebrity-obsessed age. That he has lasted this long when the man is as ignorant as a broken tuba is mind-boggling.
8. Ben Carson
I recently read an article written by a neurosurgeon explaining why it is possible for a prominent neurosurgeon to be stupid and ignorant. The doctor explained that brain surgery is best done by people who have very skilled dexterity technique and have lots of experience cutting into the brain. He equates it with similar skills such as welding, delicate wiring and other skilled manual labor tasks. No need to be smart or even that knowledgeable about science or biology. Think of a skilled race car mechanic. He can do wonders around a high powered race engine, but you wouldn't want him to be the leader of the free world. It was indeed shocking to me how ignorant Carson is of simple biology, not to mention his ignorance of government, foreign affairs, military strategy, and all the knowledge that goes into being commander-in-chief. Carson is clearly out of his depth and described himself best when he said that people who know him think he is an honest person. Very low bar, indeed.
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