Pre-Iowa Caucuses Top Three Choices: Who's on your top 3?

[Colobo]

My top three right now:
1) Barack Obama
2) Joe Biden
3) John Edwards

Basically unchanged from last survey I did, but note that Edwards and Biden have fought hard for my top 2 spot, with Biden staying with it because of his performance at today's debate.

[XemaSab]

1. Obama, Clinton, Biden

:)

[democrat2thecore]

2. Mine

Much the same as yours (as far as the top 3) just a change at the top. We have some good candidates - no doubt about it.

1. Joe Biden
2. Barack Obama
3. John Edwards

[gateley]

3. Biden, Obama, Clinton.

[asdjrocky]

4. That's difficult-

1. Edwards
2. Tie: Biden/Obama

I can't really make a third choice.

[jefferson_dem]

5. Obama, Edwards, Biden

Hillary has always been my #2 but i'm done with her...maybe for good.

[Colobo]

8. I'm glad you are.

[emilyg]

9. Hugs for you anyway.

[Colobo]

11. Hey Emily, how are you? A hug for you too!

I mean, our political disagreements are not big enough to harm our friendship. You are very special and I'll always be very thankful for being so nice with me. :hug:

[melody]

6. 1) Edwards, 2) Obama, (3) Biden n/t

Changed my mind :)

[emilyg]

7. Clinton, Biden - no third yet

[Lucinda]

29. Clinton, Biden, Edwards for me

[surfermaw]

10. Edwards and Biden, Edwards was better at the debate today

plus he has and will be my candidate choice

[Bullet1987]

13. Mine are...

1. Barack Obama
2. John Edwards
3. Bill Richardson/Joe Biden

[SaveElmer]

12. Ok...

1. Hillary
2. Biden
3. I don't care

[Colobo]

16. You should take a closer look to Obama.

There is still time.

[SaveElmer]

17. Every time I do...

He moves further down the list...

[Colobo]

19. Honestly, why?

[SaveElmer]

33. Several reasons...

1. I simply do not think he is experienced enough at the federal level. And I know Lincoln had about the same experience...but getting a Lincoln was a one in a million shot. Obama will spend the first year learning the ropes. He is not used to dealing with issues as they play out between President, Congress, the courts, the military, and most importantly the federal bureaucracy. He doesn't have an experienced cadre of people he has worked with for any length of time to allow him to have an efficient and effective team in operation from day one. I think his foreign policy statements have been naive and ill-considered.

While I understand judgment is also important as he says (though I do not agree with his criticisms of Hillary in this area), having someone effective at manipulating the levers of power at the federal level is of equal or greater importance. Obama simply does not have that. He has not had to wield them, nor is he surrounded by people he has worked with for many years who have wielded it. I don't think we can afford to wait a year while Obama gets used to it. It will harm the party in the 2010 elections, and it will delay the roll back of Bush's most egregious actions.

2. I think of late he has run a dishonest campaign, has distorted the positions of other candidates, made claims about his own platform that are simply untrue, and is triangulating in the basest way. Triangulating is not necessarily a bad thing, but when it leads you to consistently appeal to the base opinions of people for their support, and to bash fellow Democrats in ways that will simply give Republicans ammunition in the fall... I don't like it. I think his McClurkin performance, using him to appeal to that section of the Democratic electorate that is anti-gay, was sad, and I think his attacks on Krugman are intellectually dishonest, to name two examples.


3. I think he will struggle in the general election. There has been no demonstration that he can win in any southern red state, he will have a tough fight on his hands in the northeast if Guiliani is the nominee. The only red state that I have confidence in him overturning is Iowa..and he would probably lose New Hampshire...not to say he would lose...but it is less certain he will win I believe, than Hillary, Biden or Richardson. I think he would fare better than Edwards however. His poll numbers along with his inexperience against truly tough Republican competition give me serious pause, and leave him open to untried and scurrilous charges from the Republicans. While I think Bob Shaheen was wrong to air those concerns publicly, and understand the dismay with that(thought the reaction here has been way overboard)...his essential point is correct. Obama's record is an unknown to most people, and any made up "swift boat" type attack is going to work for a while...as it did with Kerry. Kerry's response was inadequate and he has alot of experience...so that worries me with Obama as well.

4. While I think most of his positions are in line with my thinking I was disappointed in his health care plan which I believe is inadequate...

The Obama of the 2004 convention was very impressive, and it led me to consider supporting him last year if he were to run. And though I know it is a dumb consideration...the thought of an African American heading the ticket was very exciting....and Obama seemed to have the right combination of temperament, skill, and ideology to be an effective nominee. But his campaign has disabused me of all those notions.

Having said that Obama is still preferable to Edwards...whose pseudo populist schtick I find extremely hypocritical, self righteous and obnoxious. He has pulled it before in 1998 and is trying it again.

Of course if Obama is the nominee I will work my ass off to make sure he is elected and just hope that the promise of the 2004 Obama reappears...

There you go...since you are one of the good guys around here I wanted to give you a serious answer!

[Colobo]

37. Thanks for the honest reply, Elmer.

Your points are valid, even though I disagree with you. Glad to know you'll be on our team if Obama wins, though.

[Tom Rinaldo]

43. Excellent post. Thanks for taking all the time you put into it

I agree with what you wrote as much as I agree with anything I write, maybe more lol. Same for your top three slots. Though I could put Dodd in number three his chances are too small to measure. And I could find reason to feel hopeful about any of our possible candidates, it's just a lot harder with some than others.

[Tellurian]

23. Good!

1.Hillary
2.Biden
3.BC

[CTyankee]

14. Edwards, Biden, Clinton.

Edwards because of his passion and his ability to persuade.

Biden because of his obvious experience in statecraft, so needed.

Clinton because of her technical knowledge and a certain savvy to the workings of the right wing.

But that said, I like all of our candidates. WE must be proud of them!

[PresidentObama]

15. Edwards, Obama, Biden.

Richardson, Dodd, and Clinton have previously been in my third place slot.

But Joe Biden is increasingly impressing me.

[Adelante]

18. Obama, Biden, Richardson/Dodd nt

[waiting for hope]

20. Edwards, Obama, Biden

[robinlynne]

21. Edwards, Kucinich, Biden or Obama.

[frogmarch]

22. 1-Edwards 2-Biden 3-Obama n/t

[rurallib]

24. I'll say Edwards, Dodd, Richardson

[wellstone dem]

25. biden richardson edwards

[democrat2thecore]

26. Biden is in EVERY single post! Anybody else noticed this? -nt

[DrFunkenstein]

31. I Think He'd Make A Great Secretary of State

n/t

[WheelWalker]

38. Biden-Obama-Clinton. I hate giving any psychic engergy to another than Joe, but

I'll follow the rules just this once. It's just such a great panel to choose from, I have to applaud them all for giving America such an opportunity to find its best.

[frogcycle]

27. Biden, Edwards .. uhhhh... Clark? Feingold? ... ok, Dodd

[AspenRose]

28. Biden, Edwards, Dodd

eom

[DrFunkenstein]

30. Obama Biden Edwards

Although Kucinich would certainly go to the top of the dream team ticket.

[surfermaw]

32. Edwards

[IA_Seth]

34. Clinton, Biden, Dodd n/t

[Armstead]

35. Edwards., Obama,Biden

[Czolgosz]

36. Kucinich, Edwards (with Edwards rising), followed by ??? Used to be Biden, now -- maybe Dodd?

[Kucinich4America]

39. Kucinich, Richardson, Undecided

Richardson has really impressed me lately. And unlike others who claim to have experience, he actually does. Dennis is still my preferred candidate though, because he's right on ALL the issues. I don't know who I would pick for a third right now.

[harmonicon]

46. OMG! You're the only one so far without a crook/criminal in your list! Way to go!

[youthere]

40. Biden, Obama and Dodd or Richardson

[1corona4u]

44. Ditto.

[BringBigDogBack]

41. Mine are identical with yours, Katz. n/m

[ZombieHorde]

42. Hmmmm...

1) Kucinich

2) Biden

3) Not Republican

[LWolf]

45. Kucinich is #1.

Biden, Richardson, Edwards tied for #2.

[Occam Bandage]

47. Biden, Obama, Edwards.

Then Richardson, Clinton, Dodd, Kucinich.

[Occam Bandage]

48. Wow. Biden is really popular here.

[Yukari Yakumo]

49. My list

1. Obama
1. Clinton
3. Biden