Good question.

But let me start with who I am not voting for.

1) I am not giving my vote to someone who doesn't know that defense begins with defending the border. Period. Nor am I voting for someone who believes open borders is good policy; that amnesty is good policy; that providing incentives for illegal aliens to come here is good policy. And for that matter I'm not voting for anyone who has suddenly seen the light on this issue, but can't explain why or how this sudden inspiration for securing the border came about. We can't have self determination with open borders.

2) I will not vote for someone who doesn't understand that we are at war with Islamic fascists. Nor will I vote for anyone who doesn't thoroughly understand the threat posed by our enemy, no easy task, I admit, as it is a multi-headed enemy.  For that matter I am not voting for someone who believes in playing nice with people who held our citizens captive for 444 days and then as its next trick threatens genocide against Israel as a prelude to destroying the West. Sound like anyone you know? Give yourself a star if you said Iran.

3) Nor will I vote for someone who's first instinct, response, to economic issues is class warfare, identity politics. I am not voting for someone that believes redistributing property is the road to prosperity. I am not voting for someone who believes that we can tax ourselves into economic wonderment. Wonderment? hardly, try impoverishment. Nor will I vote for someone who believes choking trade gives oxygen to the working man and woman.

4) I will not vote for someone who doesn't know that limited government affords, protects, and secures our greatest asset, liberty. Government growth, regulation, chokes liberty, asphyxiates life, and depresses the pursuit of happiness.

5) You want me to vote for someone who believes that more government oversight in health care, in education, in energy will light my light bulbs, make us smarter, and miraculously spry? Nuts! And I don't mean me. Isn't it amazing how healthcare, education, and energy has a direct relationship to government meddling. And not a good one. The more it meddles the more it costs and the lighter our wallets get, but without the promised good effect.

6) Family. Yes family. If a candidate does not know that the family is the foundation upon which our social and cultural structure stands then that candidate does not have my vote. Remember marriage defines nature's arrangement. The word was created to describe the social condition devoted to present and future life. Life as understood in the nuclear family, extended family, and the family as understood in the community. We don't need government handing out condoms to our children, nieces, nephews, our friends' children. We don’t need doctors acting on behalf of the state demanding intrusive interviews with our children--and on and on and on. We don’t need government snooping into our lives excused by this or that BS ruse.

7) Life. I'm really not into a culture of death. Didn't go well for the Axis powers. Not so good for the Islamic Fascists. Not a great thing for our unborn. I know, we can't see the baby because mom is hiding the baby in the security and safety of her own body. Perhaps we can't get to where we need to go in one leap, but surely, everyone, anyone, can see that we are well past the point where a late term pregnancy should ever, for any reason, be aborted, save for the imminent health of the mother. Can we at least agree that it is disgustingly grotesque and inhumane to kill a viable baby. If you can't--then I can't vote for you. Yes, I believe all abortions save those for the imminent health of the mother are wrong, but lets start down the road to remedy with what can be done now. Overturn Roe v. Wade.
*****

Conservatism has been described as a three legged stool: social conservatives, limited government conservatives (fiscal conservatives), and patriotic conservatives (strong defense conservatives). There are two Republicans running this year who address all three legs of the stool and therefore stand heads and shoulders above the others: Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney. The others are attempting to balance on two or less legs. I'm not inclined to vote for a one legged candidate like John McCain or Mike Huckabee. I will, but only if my other choice has no legs, but only then. I would rather vote for Rudy Giuliani. That is he is my third choice.

So who am I voting for? Fred Thompson. Why? Because he has been at home with his conservatism for a longer period of time than Mitt Romney.

I very much admire Mitt Romney. But I see it as similar to two players on a team. One is a veteran and has learned the playbook so well he doesn't have to think how to react to a play, but is already making it before it develops. The other is learning the playbook, and although he makes the right play and gets into the right position his reaction is less sure and quick. In football parlance we call it playing speed. Get to the right position to make the best play possible.

Thompson's conservatism is so engrained it almost appears as instinct. Call it conservative prepossession. Why? because he has already thought it through. The philosophical ground of his world view is settled and affords him an advantage when addressing political, social, and cultural issues.

But don’t take my word for it, see for yourselves: http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Fred_Thompson.htm