As residents of 19 states head to the polls on Super Tuesday, two days after the Super Bowl, there is not much  hanging on the hope that one of your choices will be pro-gambling or in favor of repealing the UIGEA. Any Republican candidate who comes out and offers a pro-gambling stance will be committing political suicide while the Democrats have shown to at least comment on the issue.

However, we have seen before, as politicians grapple for positioning in these primaries, many of them will support the concepts of free trade and freedom of speech, but they won't lift a finger to see either of these ideals achieved in relation to gambling, online or otherwise.

The list below is by no means the bible on who to vote for in any of the upcoming primaries. This is simply a breakdown of what we have been able to determine is each candidate’s point of view on the issue of Internet gambling.

REPUBLICANS:
There is not a republican candidate who would come out in favor of gambling expansion, whether it be on the Internet or otherwise. Like it or not, the religious right currently controls the Republican agenda.

Rudy Guiliani
The general view is that of the big four Republican candidates, Rudy Guiliani is the most liberal of the bunch and thus may at least entertain the idea of Internet gambling regulation and repeal of the UIGEA. Guiliani has not come out and said this, but one could infer from his stances on other conservative issues that he would have the most open minded approach of the Republican field. I have to wonder what Rudy was thinking in ignoring the early primaries and caucuses – what is he doing with all of his campaign money……betting on Hillary? He goes for broke on Super Tuesday.

Mitt Romney
Late night talk show host David Letterman thinks that Romney is by far the best looking of the candidates, but looks will not influence his policy making. Romney would more than likely be the second Republican choice of gamblers behind Guiliani. Though he is a religious man and an active Mormon, some social conservatives and evangelicals criticize Romney for not being Mormon enough, regarding social policy. Internet gambling’s lone friend, Barney Frank, has been quoted as saying Romney, “is the most intellectually dishonest human being in the history of politics”. I think this means that Romney’s political principles flap in the breeze and can be swayed with the right arguments and influenced by heavy public opinion. He may be a gambling guy yet…..

John McCain
The Senator from Arizona has jumped to the front of the pack in recent weeks, fueled by wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Unfortunately, this is the same Senator who consistently voted with John Kyl, one of internet Gambling’s arch rivals. McCain, in addressing the Values Voter Summit in October last year, stated, “I'm a conservative Republican, and proud of it.  I'll match my record of defending conservative principles against any other candidate in this race." As far as the gambling cause goes – OUCH!

Mike Huckabee
This leads us to the last rung on the totem pole of the Republican anti-gambling platform – Mike Huckabee. I originally turned a deaf ear to his campaigning as he had a rock band and I thought that would make him cool. I was dead wrong! This ordained Southern Baptists minister states on his website, “My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them”. So, unless we are looking to play some bingo in the basement hall, gambling is 100% out for this candidate. Huckabee gained steam after winning the Iowa Caucuses but his campaign is running out of money and has not done better than second in recent weeks.

DEMOCRATS:
In the Democratic Party, millions of Internet gamblers may have a bit of a chance. The recent surge in bills introduced to regulate or at least study Internet gambling have all been sponsored by Democrats. In fact, of the four bills currently alive in the house, over 65 Democrats are co-sponsors while less than 10 different Republicans have lent their support.

Barack Obama
Obama is a confirmed poker player, but he probably will not go ‘all in’ to back Internet gambling. Obama holds moderate views and can work with representatives from both parties to get something accomplished. He supports a study of Internet gambling and is a supporter of regulation. However, he feels that regulation is needed not to combat fraud or illegal activities but to address abuse and problem gambling. He has pledged to ensure an open Internet. The Obama plan to open up government and make it more transparent appears to start with reversing the trend where public input is largely ignored by government officials. This candidate is perhaps our best hope to bring Internet gambling out of the prohibition era.

Hillary Clinton
She is the first woman to really have a shot at winning the party’s nomination and she is the only candidate who is commonly referred to by a first name – Hillary. She also supports a study of Internet gambling yet is the most’ establishment’ of the Democratic candidates. Though Hillary believes in traditional social programs, she has played both sides of the fence on more than one occasion and will not rock the boat to achieve controversial policy endeavors. One negative for Hillary is that she is the Senator from NY, a state that has consistently been a thorn in the side of online gambling. Still, she does vote with the party over 97% of the time and the party is certainly moving more in a regulation direction than their opponents.

John Edwards
In the 2004 election, I thought this guy was the psychic John Edward. He has the best hair amongst all of the candidates and probably has the whitest teeth……but his youthful appearance cannot carry him too far and his campaign is gradually losing steam. If he cannot win in South Carolina, he should just pack it in. He has stated that the Internet is a “a Wild West of illegal activity” and he may be right. But, his views to continue the prohibition will not change his previous statement. He stands alone amongst the Democrats in toeing the prohibition line.

Regardless of whom you are voting for or why, please do your duty as an American in 2008 and get out and VOTE.