Your candidate: Best to beat Bush or best president?

[HFishbine]

If you had to pick one, which would you say is the most compelling reason you support your candidate?

Is it because he has the best chance of beating Bush or because he would make the best president?

(on edit: added "most compelling")

[RWPTRBL]

1. WOW!!!!

Clark id tied for first with 50% of the vote!!!

[brainshrub]

2. Dean: Both

Best to beat Bush, best President.

[Renew Deal]

3. Nice question... Clark is the only one that is both.

Clark has the most potential as a leader and the best chance.

Dean has good potential as a president, not as good against Bush.

Edwards to me might be neither. Others disagree and I respect that. Edwards has never taken off with me personally.

Kerry has good potential as a president. He worries me a little because he could be classic liberal Kerry or kick ass open minded Kerry. He has an OK chance agaisnt Bush. Kerry is a liberals liberal.

Kucinich has the second most potential to be a great president behind Clark. He is everything you would want in a person. Policy wise he is tough for a section of americans to like (Iraq, gay marriage).

I have not seen any polling for Kucinich against Bush*, but I imagine he is getting smoked. I don't think America is ready for a guy like Kucinich. I think he would have trouble in the swing voter area but would do OK with independents.

[cyclezealot]

4. Disagreed with Gore on Nafta

But look at his debate with Perot..Probably one of leading causes Nafta is draining us of jobs. Who would Have expected how poorly GOre debated the second time against the Moron.
Having heard Kucinich debate. His positions, his passion,the way he fires up the crowd. How he speaks to our needs such as medical security. Kucinich has a background/degree in Communications.
The moron would be needing Pampers if he had to debate Kucinich.Not a chance could Dubya up end DK, so says Studs Terkel...

[Badger1]

5. Unfortunate

Unfortunatly in America, very rarely is the "best" voted into office, the the most electable. This can best be explained in just four short words. Nixon,Reagan,Bush,Bush. I would vote Clark as most electable and Dave Obey (D. WI) as best president!

[flpoljunkie]

6. Kerry, both. "Don't just send them a message. Send them a President."

John Kerry would make the best President and has shown all his life that he stands up for what is right against the BFEE and special interests--and as President, he would do no less.

[sandnsea]

9. And he'll splatter Bush

No doubt in my mind. It would be a delight to watch. This past summer was just a little preview of what a Kerry-Bush campaign would be.

[democratreformed]

7. Clark - both n/t

[maddezmom]

8. Clark both n/t

[KittyWampus]

10. Clark Is Both

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. Handsdown...Clark is Both.

Not only would he wipe the floor with the mindless wonder, he would be one of our greatest presidents ....EVER! JMCPO

[yaledem]

12. Edwards is both.

[SheilaT]

13. We need to be able to vote twice

once for best President, once for best to beat Bush! I vote for Dean in both categories, but my vote only could go to one, so it wound up in best President.

[HFishbine]

14. That's the whole point

I started the poll because I see opinions here (mine included) that say things like, "I like Y, but I think Z has the best chance to beat Bush." The whole point is to guage, when only given two choices, which is the stronger motivator for candidate support.

[SheilaT]

15. Except that I see

Dean as best President and Dean as best to beat Bush being exactly equal. Several others have said the same about other candidates. Letting people have two votes would correctly tease out those who think candidate Y would be best President but candidate X is best to beat Bush. Right now your results are essentially the same old same old Clark vs Dean stuff with some support of the other candidates as usual.

[HFishbine]

16. But, they're not

I think the results are a little more than the same old Clark v Dean stuff. Look at the results so far:

82% of Clark supporters say the most compelling reason to support him is because they think he would be the best president. 18% because they think he is the best to beat Bush.

68% of Dean supporters say the most compelling reason to support him is because they think he would be the best president. 32% because they think he is the best to beat Bush.

67% of Edwards supporters say the most compelling reason to support him is because they think he would be the best president. 33% because they think he is the best to beat Bush.

80% of Kerry supporters say the most compelling reason to support him is because they think he would be the best president. 20% because they think he is the best to beat Bush.

90% of Kucinich supporters say the most compelling reason to support him is because they think he would be the best president. 10% because they think he is the best to beat Bush.

I think that offers a glimpse beyond the same old "who do you support" poll.

[diamondsoul]

17. Interesting poll!

I voted Kucinich Best President, mainly because when I started backing him that was my motivation. The longer things go, the more convinced I become he's the best shot we have against Bush, but that wasn't my primary reason for backing him to begin with.

[southpaw]

18. Clark... Able to Beat Bush

Don't get me wrong, I think Clark will make a great president. I would prefer Kucinich, from the standpoint of ideological purity, but I don't think he has a chance of winning the general election, so his liberal pedigree will serve him only in future House activities.

I honestly feel that Clark has a better chance of beating bush* than any other candidate. I am thankful that he is also a candidate I can support on most issues as well.

Imagine how we would feel if Holy Joe were the "candidate most likely not-to-get-trounced-in-the-generals."