1. Why do you want to be President?

 

Mike Huckabee:

I am running for President because I am optimistic about the future of America, and believe our greatest days are still ahead.  I am the only authentic, consistent conservative in this race with executive experience (ten-and-a-half years as Governor) and a record of innovative leadership. 

When people ask why I want to be president and face all the tough issues confronting this country, I tell them that deciding what to do really isn’t that difficult.  When you review the alternatives, the right thing usually jumps out at you.  The challenging part is getting it done.  Doing the right thing requires competence and courage and conviction, all of which seem to be in short supply in Washington.  Instead, we have cronyism and corruption and cupidity, the sworn enemies of the right thing. I have the experience and the courage to confront these issues.

I have a very strong vision of how I want to fight the war on terror, secure our borders, fix health care and education, promote economic growth, become energy independent, and make globalization lead us to greater prosperity rather than into decline.   I believe that I have the communication and negotiation skills that make me best-suited to use the Bully Pulpit to explain to the American people what we must do and then work with Congress to get it done.   

John McCain:

I am running for president to protect our country from harm and defeat its enemies. I am running for president to restore trust in our government and to ensure it remains worthy of that honor. I am not running to leave our biggest problems to an unluckier generation of leaders, but to fix them now, and fix them well. I am running for president to make sure America maintains its place as the military, political and economic leader of the world; the country that doesn't fear change, but makes change work for us; the country that does not look longingly to the past, but aspires to even better days. I am running for President to serve our nation, a blessed country, a proud country, a hopeful country, the most powerful and prosperous country and the greatest force for good on earth. 

Ron Paul:

My concerns for the future of this country are deeply held.  The Republican Party has not fulfilled its promise to shrink the size of government and restore our Constitutional Republic.  Instead, deficits have exploded, entitlements are out of control, and our personal liberties are threatened.  We have strayed from the free society the Founders secured for us in our Constitution.  The other candidates only wish to address symptoms of the overall problem.  I believe that the solution to our societal woes can be found in allowing people to be as free and prosperous as possible.  In other words, we need a president who will hold the federal government to abiding by the rule of law - the Constitution.

 

Mitt Romney:

I am running because I want future generations to live in an America that is safe, prosperous and free. Ten years ago, there wasn’t much question about that: we had won the Cold War and our economy was surging. A lot has changed since then.  The problem is that Washington has not. Washington has proven itself incapable of solving the challenges of a changing world: the specter of terrorism and Jihadism growing, oil prices are soaring, our schools falling behind, health insurance eludes too many, illegal immigration continues to rise, and our basic freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are under assault. The challenges seem daunting, but Americans always rise to the occasion. But for our children to inherit the great and hopeful America that was bequeathed to us, we must change Washington.  That is why I am running for President. 

The source of America’s strength is the American people. Hard working, opportunity-seeking, risk-taking, family-oriented, God-fearing, education-minded, freedom-loving American people have always been the source of our strength and always will be. The right way to overcome our challenges is to strengthen the American people.

I am running for President because I am optimistic about America’s future. I have seen the oodness and resolve of the American people. Challenges make us strong. This next election will be one of the most important in our lifetime.  The choices are stark; the issues are real.  The person we choose to lead our party and our nation will need more than “electability” as a qualification.  They need to believe in the core values of conservatism and of America.  If I am elected our President, I will draw on my experience, my values, and this vision of American strength to keep America the hope of the world, and the promise of a bright future for our children.

 

Fred Thompson:

I love our country and am very concerned about its future and the challenges we must confront together.  As a father, I am more concerned today than ever with the kind of country our children and grandchildren will inherit from us.  I believe that the basic conservative principles of limited government, personal freedom and responsibility, lower taxes and spending, a vigorous national defense, and the rule of law have been the fundamental building blocks of American success and must remain the core tenets of our country.  As the only leading Republican candidate who has consistently supported these conservative positions throughout my political career, I am the candidate best equipped to defend and apply them as the next President of the United States.

 

Rudy Giuliani

As a matter of policy, Rudy Giuliani does not respond to questionnaires, but his campaign provided a letter summarizing his positions. Click the above link to read the letter.

 

Click here to return to the main Questionnaire page

All responses are listed in alphabetical order. The American Conservative Union provides these responses for public information only. ACU neither endorses these candidates nor their responses.