Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, came to national prominence as a successful CEO of companies like Staples and was credited for helping save the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics after being marred in controversy before he took over. He has labeled himself as a Washington outsider who can bring his management skills of resurrecting companies to the White House.
He has received criticism from those who feel he parses his words and is too busy pandering to special interest groups like the NRA and pro-life advocates. There is also concern in the Republican Party that his Mormon faith will not sit well with the evangelical wing of the party.

Health Care: Romney believes in a federalist approach to fixing the current health care crisis in this country. He also wants to deregulate insurance regulations, make health insurance a tax right-off to help those who do not have employer-based insurance, reform medical liable laws, and push companies to compete to offer simplified options with better care to Americans.

Social Security: Romney stands for privatization of social security accounts for future retirees, while keeping the same system for those who are currently receiving benefits. He also believes in basing social security benefits on the cost of expenses and not to wages.

Education: Romney’s plan puts more of an emphasis on state and local authorities, and less of a role for federal influences. He also believes in offering a choice of schools for families, offering tax credits for home schooling parents, and stands by President Bush’s No Child Left Behind.

Environment: While Romney does not consider climate change to be a major thrust of his campaign, he does speak openly about the need to wane ourselves off of foreign oil supplies. He believes this can be accomplished by increasing spending on alternative fuel sources, especially through nuclear power plants. He also believes that we should look to open our own oil reserves to lessen the demand for foreign oil.

Romney's Delegate Count before Florida Primaries:
67

John McCain

John McCain’s campaign emphasis is experience, as illustrated through his slogan “ready from day one.” He has served in the U.S. House of Representatives and more recently in the Senate as a representative from Arizona since 1982.

Early in his campaign McCain faced criticism for his continuing support of the unpopular Iraq war, a stance that differentiates him from many other candidates.

Healthcare: John McCain believes all Americans should have access to quality healthcare and will put power in the hands of families to take charge of their own coverage. McCain thinks information about alternative treatment options should be public and accessible and that preventative care is vitally important. He would allow states to develop care standards and increase the market for cheaper, generic versions of prescription drugs. McCain also highlights the importance of healthcare for veterans.

Social Security: McCain believes it is important to safeguard Social Security funds through bipartisan reform. He promises, however, to take executive action if Democrats do not support his policies. McCain would supplement the current Social Security entitlement system with private accounts. He believes this is not a problem that can be hidden from citizens and it must be addressed.

Education: McCain emphasizes school choice in his plan for education. He believes educational opportunities must include any school of “demonstrated excellence” including to childrens’ own homes. He believes public funding should follow the child to any school they attend and if a childs’ school is not performing, he or she should be able to choose a new school. McCain believes in accountability for schools, and supported No Child Left Behind.

Environment: John McCain cites Theodore Roosevelt, the president famous for his conservation efforts, as a hero and role model who has informed his environmental stance. McCain supports initiatives to preserve clean air, clean water and open space. McCain will introduce market-based initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and supports alternative power sources such as nuclear energy.

McCain’s Delegate Count before Florida Primaries:
38

Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee is a former Arkansas governor who is campaigning on a platform of “Faith, Family and Freedom.” His policies consistently reflect his Evangelical Christian faith and his role as a Baptist pastor. He has drawn strong support from the Evangelical community in the Republican Party as well as criticism from secular leaders for his polarizing religiously-infused politics.

Healthcare: Huckabee believes in market-based approaches to the healthcare crisis, as well as putting a great amount of power into the hands of the state. He sees preventative healthcare as vitally important to any program. Huckabee favors private consumer healthcare over employer-provided healthcare due to the belief that it will give individuals more choices and make businesses more competitive in the global economy.

Social Security: Huckabee plans to stop the federal government from robbing the social security trust fund, while also giving individuals the option to buy out of the system. He believes individuals with enough retirement benefits do not need Social Security in the long run and should have the opportunity to privately invest or save their money.

Education: Huckabee sees a reduced federal role in education with more decision-making power vested in the states. While he believes No Child Left Behind is useful as a benchmark, Huckabee wants states to set their own standards for achievement. Huckabee would create more charter schools and defend the right of parents to home school their children. He strongly supports music and arts education, and, as a musician himself, adamantly believes these programs must exist as an option for all students. He says the future of our economy depends on a creative generation.

Environment: While Huckabee disputes human responsibility for global warming and carbon pollution, he believes energy independence is necessary for success in the war on terror and the world market. Huckabee supports environmental stewardship as part of his Christian faith. He believes in strengthening the Superfund program as well as promoting clean water through watershed management.

Huckabee's Delegate Count before the Florida Primaries: 26

All information compiled by Trevor Jones, Casey Jean Chapman and Cate Kempf.