I've read Martin, Jordan, and Card. Out of all of them, Martin was definately my favorite, with Card bing a close second, followed by Jordan.
I chose Martin because he has a definate talent for keeping the reader emotionally involved in the story and of creating or destroying empathy for a character. He also shows a frim command of the English language in his writing and a degree of historical and mythological intelligence that is very refreshing in his books. Finally, he didn't tell the generic fantasy story (which is not necessarily a bad thing), instead writing a vivid and multifacted world without truly good or evil motives. His characters too, are uniquely human and fallible.
Eternally devoted and wed to my darling pet, Nagoyaka Aikouka.
"Your Grace, all that you say is true. On the Trident, Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought honorably, Rhaegar fought nobly, and Rhaegar died.