Best Candidate or Best President

[politicasista]

Poll question: Best Candidate or Best President

Since we are in a debate about who is or isn't electable, and who has or doesn't have experience.

What matters to you about your candidate?: Is it all about who is best candidate or who will make the best president?

[JohnLocke]

1. Both (nt).

[citygal]

2. It's got to be BOTH

Even though, in my opinion, the democrats should be able to easily beat the republicans in the next election, it cannot be taken for granted. The party needs someone who is a strong candidate, meaning a true democrat (hopefully more progressive) and can get elected. If your elect-ability is low, what's the point? We have Kucinich to keep the debate honest during the primaries. Plus, regardless of experience, the presidency will present any candidate with issues he/she may have never before considered. While experience matters, the majority of candidates entering the race (from the Dem side) could handle anything placed before them with thoughtful consideration. (Remember how Bill Clinton's weakness was supposed to be foreign relations??)

[illinoisprogressive]

3. Both. the best candidate is the one that makes the best president in your eyes.

[NV1962]

4. President, hands down.

George W Bush has been delivering proof positive of how an objectively highly effective candidate has very little bearing on his aptitude as a President.

It's the country that which needs an awful lot of repair work - not the already fatally rigged "debates" and "talking heads driven conventional wisdom".

So what makes a successful candidacy? A reality-based approach, which means just that: having the main focus on the most important aspect of reality from the voters' perspective - not the swirl of smoke and mirrors presented to them.

Candidates don't make their image. Campaign handlers do. It's up to the candidates to not screw it up; if a candidate succeeds in presenting a personable, likable face, no matter this niggling thing called "agenda", it'll be a glide into the White House. Again, take a long and hard look at two-termer W for a dose of reality.

The key factor is (or: will be) who the electorate best imagines considers to be the best qualified President among the pack.

That projected perception of suitability for the presidency irrefutably drives the perception of the candidate; it's not the other way around.

Simply put, I believe that the most successful candidate is he (she) who succeeds in presenting the most credible presidential project.