AlterNet: Pundits Say Hil or Obama, But Edwards Is Best Bet to Beat GOP

[marmar]

Pundits Say Hil or Obama, But Edwards Is Best Bet to Beat GOP

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. Posted December 16, 2007.

The conventional wisdom has it all backwards.




Two polls released last week say much about that exquisite mixture of issue-free fluff and mind-numbing stupidity we call the presidential primaries and, if you're into dramatic statements, about our democracy itself.

According to the CBS News/ New York Times poll taken Dec. 5-9 (PDF), 63 percent of likely voters believe Hillary Clinton "has the best chance of winning in November" -- the dreaded "electability" question that haunts candidates like Dennis Kucinich. Following Clinton, 14 percent thought Barack Obama was the best equipped to take on the GOP, and just one in ten gave the nod to John Edwards. Of the rest of the field, only New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson got even a single percentage point.

Despite having the highest "unfavorable" numbers of all the top candidates in both parties, Americans think Hillary is the most electable. Go figure.

But according to the CNN poll (PDF), taken Dec. 6-9, a starkly different picture emerges when voters are asked about head-to-head match-ups in November; when the leading Dems are pitted against the top Republicans, it's John Edwards -- not Hillary and not Obama -- who simply wipes the floor with the whole GOP field. "Edwards is the only Democrat who beats all four Republicans," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director, "and McCain is the only Republican who beats any of the three Democrats."

Compare how Edwards and Clinton do in head-to-head match-ups:

Edwards 54% (+10)
McCain 44%

Clinton 48% (-2)
McCain 50%

Edwards 53%(+9)
Giuliani 44%

Clinton 51%(+6)
Giuliani 45%

Edwards 59%(+22)
Romney 37%

Clinton 54%(+11)
Romney 43%

Edwards 60%(+25)
Huckabee 35%

Clinton 54%(+10)
Huckabee 44% .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/70781/

[glowing]

1. This is why Lieberman is going to endorse McCain... He's the best

shot at beating anyone. They tried Rudy.. but indescretion and 9/11 lies have caught up to him, they tried mittens...but the mormon thing isn't working (who knew, r-wingers weren't bigots), they even let the Huckster poll out... but he started talking about the Feds and taxes, so, they aired his dirty laundry.. Thompson threw his hat in and his biggest asset is looking at his wife. Now, they'll make the old man wake up and feed his coffers.