Who was the more conservative nominee and why?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Ok guys, so between 2008 and 2012, which of these two nominees was more conservative? I personally tend to think John McCain is.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Romney ran to McCain's right in 2008 and the Republican Party of 2012 was well to the right of what it was in 2008. Romney moved even further right to compensate.

If you're looking at 2008 in isolation, left-to-right: Giuliani, McCain, Huckabee, Thompson/Romney, Paul.

Giuliani is barely welcome in the party anymore. McCain has moved slightly right; Huckabee is consistent; Romney moved right.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

Are we talking about their entire records or just the campaigns they ran?

McCain is more conservative on the first score, Romney more conservative on the second.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

The 2012 Republican campaign was arguably one of the most conservative in history, if not the most.

[Bojack Horseman]

The 2012 Republican campaign was arguably one of the most conservative in history, if not the most.

A record that will probably be broken in 2016, I might add. I voted Romney.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

The 2012 Republican campaign was arguably one of the most conservative in history, if not the most.

Well yes, basically you HAD to portray yourself as the most conservative option to win the nomination this go around, Romney normally isn't that conservative so when he tried to portray himself as a conservative he did it in a way that made him look extreme on issues like immigration, aka 'self-deportation'. Romney IMO got the nomination because he was against a very weak and fractured conservative opposition.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Romney was tea partied by Rick Perry on immigration, by hiring an illegal immigrant. And from there, he had to be tough on boarder control, and run away from his more centrist record as gov of Mass.

[Libertarian Socialist Dem]

McCain was more sincerely to Romney's right but Romney was a dishonest hack who on the surface was more to his right but personally may have been slightly to his left if his past record was any indication.

[TJ in Oregon]

McCain was more sincerely to Romney's right but Romney was a dishonest hack who on the surface was more to his right but personally may have been slightly to his left if his past record was any indication.

^^

This, voted McCain. He had actual views, for one.