Like most others these days, my biggest concern is government spending. Less government is better government is more freedom is a stronger America. So I am likely to vote for the person who aims to cut government spending the most and stands the greatest chance of implementing their plan. You want to know who that is? Read their plans, or, their lack of plans. Michele Bachmann Rick Santorum Rick Perry Newt Gingrich Jon Huntsman Mitt Romney Ron Paul In synopsis: Michele Bachmann doesn't have a detailed plan, and only vaguely discusses the problem. Rick Santorum doesn't have a detailed plan, and only talks about his past achievements. Rick Perry has a very detailed plan: he wants to cap spending at 18% of the GDP. Newt Gingrich, surprisingly, doesn't really talk about spending. Other than promising to balance the budget, that's it. Jon Huntsman doesn't talk about spending at all. Mitt Romney has a detailed plan and wants to cap spending at 20% of the GDP. Ron Paul wants to cuts $1 trillion in spending during the first year and eliminate five cabinet departments. Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman, and Newt Gingrich are out. They don't have any detailed plans about reducing government spending. Who can implement their plan? Mitt Romney - he can likely implement his plan, but he created RomneyCare, and that required money from the federal government to work. Based on his history, he didn't cut spending as a governor. He just got creative with it. Rick Perry - he can likely implement his plan, and as governor of Texas, balanced the budget and in some ways reduced spending, but mostly relied on job creation as a means to finance the state forward. Ron Paul - not a leader in Congress and not influential in getting things passed, his aggressive anti-spending agenda is admirable and likely correct in its goals, but not really something he can muster the votes to pass. There's often a difference between being right and being influential, and Ron Paul more often repels his fellow Congressfolk than attracts them. In synopsis: Three Republican candidates of seven have detailed plans for cutting spending in a year where cutting spending is the highest priority for voters. 3 out of 7. Good god, that's dumb. Of the three that remain: Mitt Romney isn't very aggressive and doesn't have a history that indicates anything but smoke and mirrors. Ron Paul is aggressive, but doesn't have the proven capacity for leadership that he would need to pass his agenda. Great theory only. That leaves Rick Perry. In my opinion, it's not aggressive enough, but he has a track record for it that even the Washington Post had to acknowledge. So Rick Perry gets my vote. | 
