Edwards and Clinton - "Popular, but Polarizing"

[Laura PourMeADrink]

http://www.affinova.com/optimize08/results2.html

Popular but Polarizing
John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Rudolph Giuliani generate strong interest from core supporters but lose overall favorability due to polarizing appeal

Half of the combined list of top tickets from the OPTIMIZE*08 study feature 2008 presidential primary candidates. These include New York Senator Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards on Obama tickets and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on McCain tickets. All five garnered recognition and core support from their primary campaigns.

Notable though is how Edwards, Clinton, and Giuliani slipped in their overall rankings due to polarizing appeal with the overall voter population. The landmark study providing these results used an evolutionary algorithm to determine levels of core support and overall favorability of 100 potential running mates for the 2008 presidential election.

On core support alone, Edwards would have placed first and Clinton second on the Democratic ticket but slipped to fifth and fourth place respectively on the more important overall favorability measure. Giuliani placed fourth on core support but traded places with Mitt Romney to take fifth place on overall favorability.

Beyond the impressive result of Colin Powell placing first on both Obama and McCain tickets, were three candidates whose name recognition and broad appeal landed them high on the top 5 lists. On the Republican side: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who was within the margin of error of a four-way tie for top Republican ticket despite her ongoing association with an unpopular president. On the Democratic side, former Vice President Al Gore and former Majority Leader Dick Gephardt tied for second despite having sat out the 2008 presidential nomination race.

Top 5 Obama Tickets
1 Colin Powell
2 Al Gore
2 Dick Gephardt
4 Hillary Clinton
5 John Edwards

Top 5 McCain Tickets
1 Colin Powell
1 Condoleezza Rice
1 Mike Huckabee
1 Mitt Romney
5 Rudy Giuliani

[DJ13]

1. Whats with the recent push to have Obama choose Gephardt?

The guy has been out of the national spotlight for years, he doesnt deserve this MSM/GOP fixation on him.

[grillo7]

36. I've never understood the appeal with Gephardt either...

I just can't see him generating many votes on a national--or even state--level.

[Frances]

2. No way will Powell be on the ticket

He is the past, not change.

[Skittles]

4. and his past is serving as a rightwing bush whore

:puke:

[chimpymustgo]

18. But Obama is about bringing people together - not playing footsie with the right wing.

So, it can be justified.

:puke:

[Skittles]

19. OMG CHIMPY

I CAN'T TAKE IT.....I.....I.....:puke:

[Evergreen Emerald]

3. I cannot imagine Powell on the ticket. He went to the UN and f'in LIED

He backed the Bush administration and their lies time and again.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. I know - guess this is just based on who the people like - Amazingly

people still like him. I don't think it's really become common knowledge that the whimpy spineless guy lied. Unfortunately

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Everyone knows that he cannot be vetted so it is nonsense.

and the poll is nonsense.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. This is a bunch of crap

made by republicans

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. except for the Gore part - I still like that one. And it shows people

like and respect him

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. No problem there with me but it is pure fantasy

just like the Powell fantasy.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. That would be the most logical explanation of this nonsense.

[gblady]

16. I agree.....

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Colin Powell? I don't think so.

[Thrill]

12. Obama is not going to pick one of those old Democrats that have been in Washington

Look for someone like Kaine or Schweitzer.

I mean give me a break, you can't be a change candidate and put friggin Gephardt on the ticket. The mention of him is a joke.

[DFLforever]

17. Not to mention his pivotal role in passing the Iraq War Resolution

[flush left]

13. I wouldn't blame Edwards for being hated by the media

That a candidate is polarizing doesn't mean it's his fault.
When Edwards was more moderate, around 2004, he was still called Breck girl and mocked. Some candidates are just loathed by the media.

[JoFerret]

14. Reverse the order and you have possibilites

This list all goes to show that popular opinion is not always that sensible as a guide to good decision making.

[Zavulon]

15. I'm witholding my contributions until I find out who the running mate is.

If he picks Hillary, the only thing he gets is my vote.

On the other side, I hope McStain picks Huckabee. A bigger combo of losers and assholes has never been seen on any ticket, the current administration included (although it is a thin margin of victory). It'd be good for a laugh.

[Beacool]

20. Ditto for me, but in reverse.

No Hillary, no money.

:shrug:

[Zavulon]

22. Fair enough.

Money from me, or money from you. Given that I lost my job a while back and am working lower-paying jobs to make ends meet, he'd probably be better off with you.

Good luck. :)

[Beacool]

25. You are probably right. LOL!!!

Sorry to hear about your job, I hope that things work out for you in the near future. I know how hard it is right now to find a good job. Best of luck!!!

:hi:

[Zavulon]

28. Thanks.

What I never knew was how easy it is to find a bad one. I've got two bad jobs right now.

See if you can guess why I lost my good job to begin with. Hint: he got help in 2000 from the U.S. Supreme Court to screw Al Gore out of the presidency.

[Beacool]

32. Well, you are not the only one.

Plenty of people have lost their job thanks to him. Only remember that it's temporary, repeat to yourself "this too shall pass' and it will. Maybe not right away, but one thing that is sure in life is change (no pun intended). Hang in there!!!

[Skittles]

21. are you sure you've seen the light? n/t

[Zavulon]

23. I've seen enough light to know that

if Obama wants to unify the country, he needs to go with someone not hated by half of Democrats and all of Republicans. Otherwise, it's just business as usual and me laughing at his repeated promises of "change."

The woman voted for Bush's war. No chance whatsoever I donate to a ticket like that.

[Skittles]

27. *yawn* n/t

[Zavulon]

30. You're a far more fogiving person than I am.

I can't get past her IWR vote and see no need to try. However, if you care to enlighten me as to what light I'm not seeing, I am listening.

She didn't score too many points with her RFK reference and her laughable Bosnian sniper fire story, either.

[Skittles]

31. actually

IWR was a deal-breaker for me....everything else was just plain politics and the MSM trashing Hillary because she was HILLARY

[paulk]

24. does "overall favorability" include Republicans?

Because if it does, this poll is useless, not to mention misleading.

Colin Powell?

Give me a break....

[Beacool]

26. Yeah, Powell as #1 choice????????

:crazy:

[papapi]

29. This has real repuke fantasy appeal. You could reverse the order and . . .

eliminate the bottom four and you might have a winning combination. Obama will choose Wesley Clark. The repukes won't expect it and Clark has broad appeal. If that's not it then Richardson but I doubt two minorities will have as much impact as some imagine.

[Tutonic]

33. Powell and Rice would both decline. Not too fond of McCain.

[TheKentuckian]

35. Powell of course sinned on a magnitude of Cain

but anybody that doesn't think he locks a ticket for the White House is too high.

I'd tend to bet that he's the most generally respected person in public life today.

Sure, the selection would make me puke because of the horrid scam job he helped the neocons pull off but we'd win and from a practical standpoint Powell is one of the more capable people in government. He also was one of the few people on either side of the aisle to even bother to tell Dubbya anything he didn't want to hear and that's publicly known.

Bringing Powell in could be a redemption story to beat the "prodigal son". He could help us win, he could help us govern, and he could help us to shed the "weak on defense" label. Those things wouldn't necessarily make up for the great evil he participated in but it would mean several wins for the good guys.

I say if we can land Powell, then by all means get him. We can do pretty fair spin control on the selling of the war and his general popularity would allow him to get by with most of the electorate.

On the other hand I'm near praying for a Condi Rice selection, despite my fears of the puma type folks jumping right on board. Iraq War pre-surge architect and foreign policy crafter labels would send that ticket straight to the crapper.
Between McSame and Bush's brain, they'd be done, if we did our job.

[Hoof Hearted]

34. Fuck that. Any "poll" that puts Colon as the top pick loses me entirely.

I'll take any of the other four.