Game of Thrones fans, who would you follow

[Valmy]

He wants to convert the country to a new foreign, extremely intolerant religion.
What could possibly go wrong? 

Stannis will move the capitol to a new city called 'New King's Landing' but everybody will call it 'Stannisville'.

[Faeelin]

I'm not sure why Stannis is considered a bad ruler, other than he doesn't throw parties.

He wants to convert the country to a new foreign, extremely intolerant religion.
What could possibly go wrong? 

Did he ever say he would ban the old faiths?

[Solmyr]

I'm not sure why Stannis is considered a bad ruler, other than he doesn't throw parties.

He wants to convert the country to a new foreign, extremely intolerant religion.
What could possibly go wrong? 

Did he ever say he would ban the old faiths?

He burned the images of the Seven and their septons, which seems pretty much like banning.

[Solmyr]

In terms of the incest thing, which you've talked down in the past Marti, it is stated that it is considered a terrible crime and unnatural in Westeros.  The only reason the Targaryens are excused is because they aren't of Westeros, but of Valereyan descent, and have different customs and ways of doing things that are alien.

That, and it's good to be the King (tm).

[Siege]

I must support Jon Snow and the Night Watch.

So an abstention, then.  

Voted Stannis, as he is the rightful heir.

More than Daenarys?

[Siege]

The moment he learns the circumstances surrounding Cersei and Jaime, his ends change. It might be true that he is better off just keeping quiet and seeing his daughter made Queen, but that is no longer his goal. Thus your argument, while fundamentally sound, still misses the mark.

I think you miss the point.  Ned's ends didn't change.  He never had as his end to see anyone specific on the throne, or even anyone specifically "legitimate" on the throne.  Ned's ends were familial and personal; he wanted to serve his family and people, and he wanted to find out what happened to his mentor and friend.  Everything he did came from serving those ends.

Maybe you're right.

   Wow, I'm speechless.

[Siege]

Stannis.

Daenerys is a woman and cannot inherit.

[Martinus]

With regard to legitimacy of claims, House Baratheon is related to House Targaryen, and as such has their claim to the throne via those blood ties.  Add in the right of conquest for vanquishing the parent branch of the Targaryens, and you have them as the most legitimate house on two levels.  House Lannister has 0 claim to the throne of the Seven Kingdoms, other than Cersei's marriage to Robert.  Her bastards with Jaimie have no claim at all then.

It is stated that the Baratheon-Targaryen connection is disputed and probably invented just to justify Robert's usurpation.

[Tamas]

Stannis.

Daenerys is a woman and cannot inherit.

You are a disgrace to Jews

[Martinus]

Btw, someone said that Renly's decision to delay military confrontation showed him to be spineless/indecisive. But, wasn't that the best choice in his situation? Unlike the other pretenders, he was in a comfortable situation, without any direct military threat from the other pretenders, and with the best access to resources. He had a huge army and the whole Reach, the breadbasket of the Seven Kingdoms, at his command. Meanwhile, Lannisters' forces were split, having to deal with both the Stark-Tully alliance and Stannis; Stannis's hand was forced, as he could only hope to survive by winning a spectacular victory; and Starks were going for a direct confrontation with Lannisters (also, who is to tell that if Renly moved North with his army, the Greyjoys wouldn't strike at the South of the Reach, rather than Winterfell).

In purely military terms, time was on his side - so wasn't the decision to let others bleed each other out the best in these circumstances? If he wasn't assassinated, he could have probably first moved North to pick up whatever is left after Lannister-Stark confrontation, and then move on King's Landing, already weakened after Stannis's attack.

Btw, I love how a fratricide who uses assassins is considered a "honorable, righteous man" in all this. 

[Habbaku]

It is stated that the Baratheon-Targaryen connection is disputed and probably invented just to justify Robert's usurpation.

Where is this stated?

[Habbaku]

Btw, someone said that Renly's decision to delay military confrontation showed him to be spineless/indecisive. But, wasn't that the best choice in his situation? Unlike the other pretenders, he was in a comfortable situation, without any direct military threat from the other pretenders, and with best access to resources. In purely military terms, time was on his side - so wasn't the decision to let others bleed each other out the best in these circumstances?

No, I think it made absolutely perfect sense for Renly to have done what he did, albeit not in hindsight of course.  I view Renly's march on K-L to be akin to an election campaign.  He was steadily drawing in more people to his banner, collecting fame along the way, winning the support of the smallfolk, etc..  A quick rush to K-L would end with him as the king, surely, but with what sort of mandate and, as you say, what cost militarily?

[Habbaku]

Stannis.

Daenerys is a woman and cannot inherit.

Though, there seems to be some contention on that matter, as well, since the current Targaryen line descends from a usurped queen.

[Martinus]

It is stated that the Baratheon-Targaryen connection is disputed and probably invented just to justify Robert's usurpation.

Where is this stated?

Well, ok, the founder of the house was "rumoured" to be a bastard brother of Aegon the Conqueror. That's a pretty flimsy connection, even if it was true.

[Martinus]

Stannis.

Daenerys is a woman and cannot inherit.

Though, there seems to be some contention on that matter, as well, since the current Targaryen line descends from a usurped queen.

Well, if you want to be nitpicky, she was never an uncontested queen. Aegon II ascended to the throne after Viserys I and Rhaenyra was the challenger to the throne. She lost and was eaten by the dragon, and only her male descendants succeeded the childless Aegon II. So it's consistent with what he said (women cannot inherit but male descendants can inherit through females).