Time to retire the "elecability" issue for these guys

[Speck Tater]

Lieberman is electable.
Kerry is electable.
Dean is electable.
Gephardt is electable.

That latest poll shows these guys are electable, so lets not hear any more crap about who is not electable. (Except, of course, those who didn't make the "electable" cut in this poll. You know who you are.)

"In Wednesday's poll, Bush runs behind the major Democratic candidates and potential candidates. Those polled favored former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean 47 percent to 43 percent for Bush; backed Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman 49 percent to 42 percent; Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry 48 percent to 43 percent; and Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt 46 percent to 44 percent."

[JaneQPublic]

1. In a few months, all 10 will be beating Chimpy...

...or so I predict.

We have a great team of candidates, and any one of them would be a vast improvement over the current resident of the White House.

By the way, do you have a link for that poll?

[Speck Tater]

7. URL

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=7&u=/ap/20031001/ap_on_el_pr/quinnipiac_poll

[rads]

2. It's a New York state poll

but the point is still valid.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. Believe the polls if you want but

you won't be able to convince me that Lieberman or Gephardt can beat Bush.

These are nothing but name-recognition polls.

Lieberman would be doomed by not presenting a clear enough contrast with Bush. Gephardt just has to much excess baggage of failed legislative efforts and poor leadership. Sharpton and Mosely Braun have the disadvantage of being black in a country that still has too many racist voters -- a hurdle that might be overcome by some candidate but I don't think either of them are the one. Kucinich may be viewed as too far out of the mainstream by the middle-of-the-road voters but I think he would have a chance. I think all the others would win.

[dpbrown]

6. Kucinich gets a lot of middle-of-the-road voters in his district

He takes 50% of the "Reagan Republican" vote in his district, which he took with 75% of the vote last time.

And it's easy to see why, when he tells us up front where the money is coming from for Universal Health Care, keeping the retirement age at 65, and making the Pentagon more accountable to the voters.

I think fiscal responsibility appeals to middle-of-the-road voters.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[loyalsister]

10. "in his district"

is the operative phrase. Gep has the same problem. He would even have a very hard time winning MO. The real appeal of representatives hasn't been tested.

[dpbrown]

12. With a population the size of Vermont's

And arguably more diverse.

And Kucinich has won more elections than Dean has.

And he's beaten more incumbent Republicans.

And he's got a national voting record.

And he's got a better idea for health care.

And he's fiscally responsible enough to tell us where the money's coming from.

And he's the only one ready to make the Pentagon accountable to the taxpayers.

Yeah, it's his "district" and what it says about him is that he wins elections.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[JohnKleeb]

13. dont forget this Dan

He wins pretty big as well. It is a big district not Vermont's size exactly but its like a city pratically, you what else I like about him he doesnt give up, he may not win this nomination but he will be back fighting for the people. Thats what hes all about, and why I am for him. He doesnt give up after defeat. He arguably has been in politics for the longest time, first running for councilman at 21 in 1967. What a guy, hes not perfect on the issues but overall hes my kind of candiate. I truly do as a person with Slavic blood like Dennis feel how the Irish felt and I and Dennis are also Irish felt in 1960 with Kennedy. He doesnt win big the first time as his first congressional election reflects but that man was one of Newt's Lieutants, and he won big in 98 and he continues too.

[el_gato]

4. in a free and fair election

a turd sandwich could beat bush

that's why i'm voting my conscious

[Skwmom]

5. It's still an issue.

The mudslinging by the Repubs has yet begun (with the exception of Clark) and some candidates have given the Repubs plenty to work with.

[AndyTiedye]

9. It is Best if there are Many Democratic Candidates Who Can Beat Him

If there were only one he'd be RFK'ed.

[gottaB]

8. Source: Let's retire the electability question altogether

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x8316.xml

They asked about Gephardt vs. Bush, but not about Braun or Sharpton, who outpoll Gephardt by one point.

Seeing how things are still in flux, it would be presumptious to rule out anybody at this point--except George Bush, whose popularity is plummeting.

[carpetbagger]

11. You left out Clark, 48-41 over Bush in NY.

Of course, you already knew that.

[DrFunkenstein]

14. This Is A Silly Argument

You are completely forgetting that Bush is amassing $200 to $250 million dollars dedicated to ripping to shreds the selected Dem.

Part of the "electability" issue, is how well a candidate stands to weather such an attack. If your candidate can be painted as a radical or unstable, or has no credibility with foreign policy, you are not going to have much of a chance.

Don't think Bush is putting together that money to play nice.

[JohnKleeb]

16. sure

Well Dennis can hold himself well and he has more foreign policy than Bush himself!

[dpbrown]

17. There will be plenty of money

And Kucinich isn't a fringe candidate. He is a traditional liberal Democrat. We've forgotten what those used to look like after Reagan, Bush, and Bush, and even Clinton's successful reversal of the negatives of the two Republican Presidents before him.

Kucinich is good for labor, he's good for the environment, he's good on foreign policy, he's good on health care.

I completely fail to see anything attractive in Dean, other than he's anti-Bush.

John Kerry will be my second choice, should that become necessary.

Progressives will come out of the woodwork to make sure the Democrat has enough money to compete, once the nominee is chosen. All this current flurry has more to do with trying to make sure one candidate is the nominee, over the other Democratic candidates. It's not the matchup against Bush.

[LizW]

15. I agree with retiring the "electability" argument

But I'm not ready for anyone to drop out yet. I know money is a reality that can't be ignored, but every candidate still adds something to the dialogue, and it's early.

I'm happy for everyone to stay in until South Carolina, although that's probably not realistic.

Plus, these polls are going to change daily as Bush plummets.

[Padraig18]

18. If I see one more 'electability thread'....

...I'm just going to SCREAM! This has been beaten to DEATH! :grr:

[dpbrown]

19. In cyberspace, no one can hear you scream

Hey, knock yourself out.

:hi:

[Padraig18]

21. It felt good to say it, at least!

:silly: :hi:

[dpbrown]

23. I just noticed there's no smiley for screaming

So we can't even "see" you scream.

But I'm glad you feel better!

:toast:

[dpbrown]

20. I say it's time to retire fiziwig's spelling coach

Since he or she obviously failed poor fizi somewhere along the line.

[Speck Tater]

26. aarrgghh!

I blew it. That's my curse. Fast mind, slow fingers.

[DJcairo]

22. Why? Because Kerry is more electable than Dean?

Kery consistantly does better than Dean in General Election match-up polls that sample from a pool of registered voters (Dems and Repukes). That's why you are hoping this issue will be taken off the table but it won't be since electability is what an election is all about at the end it is not? Can you ever make the claim that someone won and was not electable? hmm. I don't think so.

[dpbrown]

24. I thought it was because Kucinich was more electable than Dean

Certainly, if measured in number of contested elections won, that would be true.

[JohnKleeb]

25. Look at the percentages Dan

If you look at his elections since he was elected you will see a nice jump for Dennis.

[cprise]

27. DoveTurnedHawk where art thou? Fiziwig is dismantling Clark's altar

'Electability' is not being a Republican.