Who would be the strongest candidate in a general election and why?

Because he is a straight talker. People can relate to him.

Biden's the guy.

Give him a chance like he's got now and he's gonna be big.

"The JOE"

He has wide appeal, can gather support from all different types of citizens, and will usher in an enormous wave of new voters.

Any excuses for his mere 9% in this poll?

and Clinton. Both can take on the RWers and fight like hell.

just IMHO.

I think Clinton/ anyone else would be beatable.

national election. He is a fighter.

Although I'm a Kucinich supporter, I think Biden could win over the independent & dissatisfied Repub vote.

He's very intelligent; up to speed on just about any topic out there, especially diplomatic affairs which will be sorely needed after the rubble that * & friends will leave us in; he's quick witted & witty; likable guy; very good analytical skills (sees through the BS); a good negotiator.

AND FINALLY........He's a guy that lots of folks might like to drink a beer with!!!!1!11!!!

He's just HUGH!!!1!!11!!B-)

And as much as I hate the "who would you like to have a beer with" question, Biden is that guy -- & more! We are fortunate that he possesses all the other top level skills needed to be the leader of the USA.

Biden rocks.

;)

I said BEST, not biggest. Though sometimes when he takes on the competition he DOES seem to have the BIGGEST!:7

Can run circles around any opponent.

I've been a John Edwards supporter up to now - even sent him some cash - but I think you are spot on. If I had to choose one candidate that I felt the most confortable with the day he took the oath - it would be Joe Biden. He seems to be on top of just about every issue of importance. And ya know what - it would be fun too.

We haven't had a Predident with his wit since John Kennedy. Its about time.

kind of style there - you're right. I'd never thought of it before.

The more you pay attention to Biden, I think the more you'll be assured that you're leaning in the right direction. He continues to amaze!

And welcome to DU! :hi:

While I been hanging around DU since 2002 - I've not managed even 500 posts to date.

I know - thats so unBiden :-)

OMG!!! That was classic!!

He is in his prime! And our best hope for bringing this country together. I honestly believe that if Biden gets the nomination, there will be enough of a landslide to overcome election shenanigans.

Biden will go down as one of the best presidents ever.

"if Biden gets the nomination, there will be enough of a landslide to overcome election shenanigans." Unfortunately, it comes down to that to some degree. Or to look at it in another way, a close election will go to the corrupt, undemocratic Republicans. Like you, I believe Biden can win by the largest margin, and that's important.

That's where we need a landslide to win -- in the primary. It's clear the corporate masters want Clinton as the democratic candidate.

This was a classic too;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XberX_t-WvI

Look what he's done to poor old Rudy! Imagine what he'd do in a general election.

AND the debates!!!

He's shown strength in the south and mid-west that no one else can.

And his birth place in SC dosen't seem likely either.

show me something that says otherwise. I been waiting to see it...

and they don't seem to care much for him.

Beat a popular, incumbent Republican in a red state.

I won't repeat the things I've heard, but they are VERY harsh and rather disturbing.

What I heard is available on the Internet. I'm not out to attack any Democratic candidate. I was just making a point that those who are more familiar with him in NC have a different perspective than most of the rest of the country.

I've seen too much fighting here and I don't want to start another one. I figure if people really want to know about the candidates' backgrounds and records, the information is out there. I wouldn't rely on hearsay or opinions. When I hear something, I research it. What I found about John Edwards made me uncomfortable with him as a candidate at this time. If he is the nominee, I will vote for him in the general.

know what you are referring to, but I think it's just BS. Just because a couple of comments get taken out of whack, does not make him a bad person. It's hard to be PC nowdays because the rules are always changing. It's hard to keep up anymore. Just this week, I found out it's no longer acceptable to say "buckwheat", even though Eddie Murphy made it famous, as did the original Buckwheat.(roll eyes)

And here I thought the poster was referring to the Rielle Hunter rumor? :shrug:

and in being the nominee of the Democratic party. John Kerry was a horrendous candidate-the worst nominee imaginable. In 2004 Edwards or Clark could have beaten Bush easily, Gephart or Dean could have made it a race. Kerry was a joke.

Obviously there's no way I can prove that Edwards would win moderate southern/western and midwestern votes that no other candidate could. He's never led the ticket so the proof doesn't exist. But any serious student of Democratic party politics and political history in general knows that John Edwards has the potential to be a generational leader.

>>But any serious student of Democratic party politics and political history in general knows that John Edwards has the potential to be a generational leader.

_____________

You base that on what? The fact that he is polling about 10 precent in SC?

He was born here ya know...

And hell yes he SHOULD be doing better.

practical experience studying politics and working in campaigns. I offer an informed opinion of a gay southern male, nothing more, nothing less. Perhaps you are in a position to offer something that will change my opinion.

My mind is certainly open. Is yours?

but I don't think that means he wouldn't be a strong candidate overall, or that he wouldn't be stronger in the south than the other candidates. South Carolina is a solid Repug state, and the fact that it's his birth state doesn't mean much. * didn't carry his birth state of Connecticut, and it's not as strongly Dem as SC is strongly Repug. As for NC, it's a pretty solid Repug state as well, though not as much as SC. If a candidate could do well nationwide (and I've seen polls that show Edwards doing the best in head-to-head match-ups against the R's) I'm not sure how much the home state thing is an issue. Obviously it is very desirable to have a candidate who is definitely going to take their home state, but I don't think it should be a disqualifier or anything. America has become more and more polarized, and some states, minus extraordinary circumstances, are just not going to vote for candidates of certain parties on the presidential level. Think of some of the states that have governors of the minority party in that state. Despite the governor's popularity, there is little likelihood of the state going for that person if they ran for president simply due to their party. This is true of both "red" and "blue" states.

Obama would be strong too, but I don't think with the same grit of the other two when it comes to handling the rightwing smear machine.

If we don't have a candidate who can counterpunch the repukes, we won't stand a chance.

In my business I meet with a lot of young couples getting married. Always, of course, the question comes around to politics. I've done a personal poll with many of them over the last couple of months:

Obama, everyone knows who he is, and they all have favorably things to say about him.

6 votes for Obama

Clinton, everyone knows her, of course, but most don't like her.

1 vote for Clinton. (She is the only candidate, other than the pugs, and we don't talk about them very much, that I have had both women and men say to me "No way I'll vote for her. Or, anyone but her.

Edwards, about 2 thirds of the people know him so far. The ones that know him like him.

5 votes for Edwards.

This means nothing, but my anecdotal evidence tells me they do not like Hillary. They know and like Obama. Not many of them know Edwards, but the ones that know him like him.

instead of telling us some tall tale about how your none of your clients like Clinton.

I've never lied to you and I'm not lying now. I'm simply just reported what has happened.

C'mon now bud, friends don't call each other liars.

Biden - no, because he's got a voting record 10 miles long that the GOP will tear through.
Clinton - no, because she's polarizing and basically a gift to the GOP. She's strong, but not the strongest.
Edwards - no, because he's going to have a hard time moving back to the center credibly once he gets the nomination.
Richardson - maybe, because he does have everything but base consituency.
Dodd - no, see Biden.
Kucinich/Gravel - uh, no.

Obama - there's a question of experience, sure, but who is really ready to be president if they haven't ever done it before? People want character, and I believe Obama shows people his character is strongest of all the contenders I only question whether he'll be able to withstand the GOP attacks as well as Clinton could.

So in order of strength, I'd rank them like this...

1. Obama
2. Richardson
3. Clinton
4. Biden
5. Edwards
6. Dodd
7. Kucinich
8. Gravel

They're going ot tear obama apart witht he experience card just as easily as a voting record.

Rudy he'll have for lunch.

Edwards 2008!

Whoever the nominee is for the repubs - the Vp will be Huckabee.

That will help them with the evangelicals and he'll be from Bill's home town

"Will you stand up for the brave young boy in the refugee camp?

Will you stand up for the working men and women in our labor movement who have to fight for decent working conditions and living wages?

Will you stand up for the young man who knows that education is his way out of the cycle of poverty and yet it seems beyond his grasp?

Will you stand up for that hungry eight-year old girl so she doesn’t give up on her life before it’s even begun?

Will you stand up for all the American families whose loved ones are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Will you stand up?

Will you stand up for America?

Because if we don’t stand up, who will?

If we don’t speak out, who will?"

http://johnedwards.com/news/speeches/dnc-winter-meeting/

Edwards Clinton

She has a huge organization and the skill to make this a successful campaign.

i am speaking, of course, of hillary clinton

i can only hope that those in iowa and new hampshire are not so foolish

In fact, that's just another argument for Hillary - let THEM be the haters - let them hate on the 8 years of Clinton peace and prosperity all over again. It only helps us. It's a lot better than US coming across to Mr. and Mrs. America as the haters -- their Clinton hate would trump our Bush hate: Mr. and Mrs. America knows at this point that Bush was a pretty lousy President. But hate against him? When just about half of them voted for him twice? When he can't run again, and when none of his circle are running (they can't because he's been so lousy - no Condi, no Jeb, no Cheney of course, no Rumsfeld even?)

Let them be the haters! Bring It On!

i am tired of the hate and the bickering. it's time to grow up and stop this nonsense. i don't want somebody who "knows how to play the game." it's not a game it's real life, and we need somebody who understands that.

I think it would depend on which Republican the Democratic nominee was up against and what kind of campaign both ran. I know that's a cop-out answer, but that's really what it comes down to. I think Biden and Edwards would probably be the most likely to be the strongest candidates overall; both have different strengths and weaknesses. I like Obama, and I think he could potentially either be the very strongest candidate or one of the weakest; it would all depend on how the election played out. I think right-wing attacks could hurt him worse than the others, but he also could potentially have the most appeal to independent voters. Clinton I think it would be a close election either way; I don't see her winning by much of a margin if she did win, but I think she's strong enough with the Democratic base that she wouldn't be totally demolished even in defeat. I like Kucinich a lot, but I don't think he would perform that well in a national election. I haven't given much thought to how Richardson or Dodd would do.

he has a huge crossover appeal and attracts a large amount of independents. He is the kind who is attracting from all sides and is very respected by them, if not the blind democrats who cannot see this with their own eyes.

Although I would love to have another 8 years like 1993 -2001 :hide:

He'll make the GOPs sack of shit look to the voters like what it really is, a stinking sack of shit. The man knows how to listen and how to communicate.

:toast:

by much larger margins than any other candidate, including "invincible" ones.

That's a metric ton of baggage!

Although I think that Biden would beat the GOP nominee, Edwards has better appeal to the working class than the others, plus he wasn't in the Beltway long enough to become a professional politician.

She's just the best of all the candidates, Dem or Republican. It's too bad her "Bill's wife" credential is her biggest political asset. Still, most of the candidates have some big, invalid reason for being where they are.

Hillary has poise, charisma, a keen mind. We already know the Clinton crowd can run the country exceptionally well, so that is a major plus. The Clinton name is an internationally loved brand, so there is our international stature coming back full force the second Bush leaves. Except for the huge debt, piles of bodies, horrible economy, geo-political shambles, etc., it will be like Bush never existed.

The disillusioned and dissatisfied people, and the real lefties who feel unrepresented by the Democratic Party, and the left independents who would otherwise vote for Nader.

I'm not supporting him in the primaries because I don't like his politics, but it WOULD be fun to see him tear Rudy a new one.

Tough to sling mud when all you have is "he saw a frikkin UFO, or something"

As for height, good luck with that. Chimpy himself is barely 5'11". Kucinich is 5'7" and a four inch difference only matters when you're screwing. As I recall, Kerry was 5" taller than *.

edwards didn't even carry his home county in 2004.

what makes anyone think that the only person in the race that
has actually lost a national election is going to suddenly become
the "most electable"?

Despite the efforts of DUers to really distort reality on the part of their candidates. It really does get nasty around here near an election. Strange how little is being said about the elections that will make the most difference to people: House and Senate. Not gonna matter who wins President if we don't take back the Senate and House, because we really don't control it now.

Biden will rip the repubs to shreds.