If you could pick your opponent: Who would you want to see on the GOP 2016 ticket?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

Assuming you want the GOP to field their most vulnerable, easily-beaten candidate.

EXTRA CREDIT: Who would be the last/worst-case GOP candidate if they were to win?

[sinkingfeeling]

1. The Donald.

[Smithryee]

2. Ben Carson

so everyone else can vote Democratic and not be "racist".

[stevenleser]

3. Mark Foley. Of the folks who are running, Donald Trump. nt

[merrily]

4. Michelle Bachman and Sarah Palin.

[Vinca]

5. How about Cruz/Gohmert ticket? ROFL.

I don't know about vulnerable/easily beaten, but it sure would be amusing.

[shraby]

6. Any one of them will fill the bill, hands down.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. The Donald. Complete with wind swept hair and IQ equal to that of the temperature of frozen peas.

At least he would contribute to the entertainment factor.

[el_bryanto]

8. Rand Paul

But there's more than just easily defeated to consider. I'd rather it were a clear choice - making it clear what Republicans stand for.

Bryant

[BillZBubb]

9. You don't think Cruz makes it clearer?

[el_bryanto]

10. I like Rand Paul for it - Cruz is kind of a joke.

Rand Paul is similarly nutty, but his libertarian gloss makes him a better opponent to highlight the differences, I think.

Bryant

[BillZBubb]

11. I think Paul's pseudo-Libertarianism gives the republicans cover.

They can say, oh no, as a party we don't believe those things. For instance, Paul is more isolationist than the vast majority of the republican base.

Cruz is an extremist and fanatic, but his positions are the republican positions--or what the republican base really wants the positions to be. They just differ on tactics.

[qwlauren35]

12. Carson/Palin

They would lose. Too many racists in the party wouldn't vote for him. The Independents don't respect her.

It would be a slam dunk.

The only way it would backfire would be if all of the racists held their collective noses and voted for him to prove that they weren't racist. I think that's how Tim Scott won. Nothing else makes sense.