The proclaimed front-runners, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, have popularity and name recognition on their sides, but both lack a consistent conservative background. Giuliani lacks the support of social conservatives because of his pro-choice and pro-gay marriage stances, along with his stance in favor of more gun-control legislation and his fixation on Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Romney holds a conservative stance on the majority of issues, but his recent right turn on social issues and his federalist health-care plan has conservatives uneasy.

The fading stars, John McCain and Fred Thompson, have been on a steady decline. McCain sealed his fate when he co-sponsored the Comprehensive Immigration Reform with Ted Kennedy and President Bush, which most conservatives strongly opposed. Thompson’s long-awaited entrance into the race turned out to be a giant flop as he tripped out of the gates, in effect landing flat on his face. His unenergetic and dull speaking has his potential supporters running toward an energetic, charismatic candidate like Romney.

The vague candidates Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul are both potential powerhouses, but without funding or name recognition, they are nobodies. Huckabee has been finding support in Iowa and New Hampshire but still lacks the funding to compete with the top tier candidates. While you can usually count on him to make an amusing comment during the debates, there is little real substance to his statements. Paul has an incredible grassroots effort in his corner but many conservatives find it hard to take him as a serious candidate because of his libertarian views and anti war stance.

The only real conservative candidates, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter, lack exposure and funding. Tancredo, who was brought to campus last year by the Young Americans for Freedom, has chosen to focus on immigration issues. Hunter is a candidate who really stands out to Michigan voters, particularly because he is the only candidate who has truly addressed America’s “dagger in the heart” issue — our failing manufacturing industry. It is a shame that neither Tancredo nor Hunter have gotten the attention that their beliefs and characters deserve.

Given this, one might claim that Republicans are doomed. However, I see hope for the future. Conservatives and right-leaning moderates must remember the one goal they all have in common: defeat Clinton. To do this, I believe the Republicans must do three simple things. First, choose a candidate who is charismatic. Do not repeat the 1996 election and put up an old man against the Clinton machine. Second, stick to conservative principles. The majority of the country is conservative, and it’s time to bring them together as Reagan did. Third, remember whom we are facing. Consider the potential devastation Clinton could bring to our beloved nation. We need to expose the fact that she is attempting to turn us into a European-like socialist state.

Looking at those three points, Romney is my clear choice for president in 2008. Romney is a charismatic and energetic candidate whose positions, while questioned by some, remain the most conservative of any candidates who can legitimately beat Clinton. His strong free-market stances on the economic side, accompanied by his logical foreign policy concepts and family values, present the opportunity to expose the distance in ideology between America and Clinton. At times, ideology needs to take a back seat to what is best for America.

Eric Thieleman is a State News columnist and a member of Young Americans for Freedom and MSU College Republicans. Reach him at thielem4@msu.edu.