Which Candidate Is the Most Qualified to Be President of the United States.

[David Zephyr]

Setting aside your personal loyalties, if you can, which of our group of good candidates is the most qualified to be the next president of our nation?

Listed in alphabetical order below, please weigh in with your judgment as to the one with the most qualifications for that office.

[yourout]

1. Even though I am an Edwards supporter....I think they all are qualified.

Some are more electable but all are qualified.

[saltpoint]

2. I may swtich to Gravel.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Its a tie

amongst all of them. They are all over 35 and all were born in the USA. There are no other qualifications. None of them has ever been president before so they are also tied with experience in that particular job. I don't consider qualifications or experience for political office. I do, however, hope that the mechanic working on my jet is qualified and experienced.

[hiaasenrocks]

4. In this order:

Biden
Richardson
Dodd

I wouldn't even rank the others in any order below the three who are actually qualified.

[Bucky]

5. As a loyal Biden supporter, I proudly claim his winning this poll absolutely proves...

That Biden supporters are the ones most likely to be posting on DU instead of spending quality time with our family members on Thanksgiving Day.

Woohoo!

[hlthe2b]

15. Now, now, I did the T'Giving thing earlier! I'm off duty.....LOL

[lostnotforgotten]

6. Dennis Kucinich - He Has My Vote In The General Election

eom

[hiaasenrocks]

7. Going to write him in?

[RC]

8. I will if Hillary's name is there.

The stasis quo is not an option.

[Perry Logan]

39. You'll get your chance. Biden is sure as hell not going to be the candidate.

[RC]

40. See Post #9

DU has more than its share of DINO's rooting for other DINO's. I am really afraid for the future of this country because way too many people just do not get it.

National elections is not a game such as football or baseball where who wins or loses determines whether thousands, 10's of thousands, 100's of thousand's, even millions of people get to live or die... It really does matter who we vote for and elect. When was the last time candidates in a national election ran on the issues instead of burying their competition in mud and slime? I don't care about pearls or diamonds, I want to know why a "Liberal" candidate would except money from William-Rupert Murdoch or why they are silent about the very real crimes of the present administration.

[lostnotforgotten]

9. Yes - I Will Not Vote For War Mongers or Republican Lite Posers

eom

[hfojvt]

10. according to the Constitution

the only necessary qualifications are: being born in the USA, and being older than age 35.

I get sick of incumbents talking about their 'qualifications'. Of course, the incumbent is always more qualified than a challenger (unless districts have merged), but if it is all about qualifications, then why not just have royalty - they are trained from birth to accept the reins of power and they can rule for life, just like our permanent incumbents. :puke:

Supposed qualifications don't matter to me as much as policies do. A qualified person who is a war monger is not as good as an less qualified person who is not. A qualified person who does not give a rat's a$$ about the working class is not as good as a less qualified person who favors the working class. A qualified person who thinks that $100,000 a year is middle class is not as good as a less qualified person who knows better.

Somebody who wants to talk about how they are 'ready to lead from day one' is not appealing to me if I do not like the direction they intend to lead us in.

[earthlover]

22. Not quite...you left out the 14 years residency, and the prohibition of more than 2 terms

Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

Term limit amendment - US Constitution, Amendment XXII, Section 1 – ratified February 27, 1951

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

[Demeter]

11. The Qualifications For Runnning Are Minimal

The requirements for winning are daunting.

The requirements for being a GOOD President are Oz-like: a heart, a brain, and the nerve to use them for all the citizens.

[Joe Bacon]

12. ...The one who isn't running...

AL GORE :cry:

[Kahuna]

19. Yeah. Him..

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[ms liberty]

44. You got that right. n/t

[thunder35]

13. Bill Richardson

[hlthe2b]

14. Biden clearly, but Dodd is very close.

And from the standpoint of returning constitutional protections, I think Dodd gets the nod.

That having been said, Kucinich may not have the same level of experience, but I'll take his positions and instincts (as well as proven track record, any day).

[AndyTiedye]

16. GORE!

draft gore

[nevergiveup]

17. Does it count how they voted

on the war and other big issues on their way to earning all these qualifications?

[Kahuna]

18. I've got to go with Bidey-man. The man has an excellent mind..

I actually think he's brilliant.

[ginchinchili]

27. Yes, he's very impressive.

And that would be a nice change of pace.

[CrispyQ]

76. He's quick on his feet.

He doesn't need a script. He's a straight shooter & tells it like he sees it.

I love Joe more & more.

[Eagle_Eye]

20. I have to go with the Democrat that can win the election - Hillary

[earthlover]

24. THE Democrat who can win the election? You mean nobody else can? OMG

Talk about an interesting viewpoint. It's a free country. You are entitled to your opinion.

Do you also believe that the Minnesota Vikings are the only team who can with the Super Bowl this time? HA!

[Eagle_Eye]

47. Sure there are other Democrats that can win

The odds are good that the Democrats are going to be in the White House in 2009, not because our candidate wins, but because the republicans lose badly.

I want a resounding victory that sends the message that Democrats are in charge, and the rules have changed back to Liberalism like it should be.

Hillary is our best chance, and Barack Obama is right up there with her. A Hillary Clinton / Barack Obama ticket would pretty much be a lock for us.

[earthlover]

60. Clinton is the one candidate most likely to LOSE! 50% would never vote for her!

Zogby Poll: Half Say They Would Never Vote for Hillary Clinton for President

"While she is winning wide support in nationwide samples among Democrats in the race for their party’s presidential nomination, half of likely voters nationwide said they would never vote for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows.

The online survey of 9,718 likely voters nationwide showed that 50% said Clinton would never get their presidential vote. This is up from 46% who said they could never vote for Clinton in a Zogby International telephone survey conducted in early March. Older voters are most resistant to Clinton – 59% of those age 65 and older said they would never vote for the New York senator, but she is much more acceptable to younger voters: 42% of those age 18–29 said they would never vote for Clinton for President...."

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1376

It is time to face reality instead of wishful thinking. A LOT of voters don't care for her. And it is not just the Republicans.

If 50% won't vote for her ever...we would have to get ALL of the rest just to tie!

Hillary has been ahead nationally among Democrats, but that is a far cry different than he winning in november.

In this poll, she was the LEAST likely to win. Every single Democratic candidate did better than Hillary. Bar none.

Maybe Hillary's new slogan should be: Sure To Lose

[Eagle_Eye]

68. We don't need to get 50% 'just to tie'

We need to get more votes than the republicans. We need to get more ELECTORAL votes than the republicans.

1992 Bill Clinton wins with 43% of the vote.

1996 Bill Clinton wins with 49% of the vote.

Why do we need 50%?

[ginchinchili]

26. Actually, Hillary is the biggest Democratic gamble.

Three days ago on my way to work I saw a truck with an "Anyone but Hillary" bumper sticker on it. I've gotten many emails with jokes making fun of Hillary. Saw an animated video clip the other day featuring Hillary "I can't wait until 2008." I even saw a catalog with a Hillary nut cracker on the front. There is none of this with the other candidates. There are simply too many people who don't like Hillary Clinton. And even if she did win the election, do we really want another divisive figure in the White House? Is that really what's best for America? She's not the most qualified candidate. It behooves us to choose someone else.

[Eagle_Eye]

46. It is called 'NAME RECOGNITION'

Hillary is getting advertising from all quarters, but is expending funds only where she needs to.

How much name recognition does Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, and Bill Richardson have?

John Edwards has some, but mostly for his hair cut.

The two Democrats with the best chance to win are Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. A Hillary / Obama ticket followed by an Obama / ??? ticket.

We could own the Executive Branch for the next 12 to 16 years if we do this right. We are not helping ourselves by trashing our best Democrats before the General Election. We need to be tying the republicans to george bush, and let bush be the millstone that sinks them.

[ginchinchili]

66. Sen. Clinton has too much baggage.

And to write it off as simply name recognition is naive. She is the only thing the Republicans have going for them in the next election, which is why they so badly want her to win the Democratic primary. They're already using her to excite their base. There are a lot of independents who want to vote Democratic, but are refusing to vote for Hillary. There is even a significant number of Democrats who won't vote for Hillary Clinton. And after 8 year of the Divider, is another divisive figure in the White House really the best thing for America at a time when we're involved in, not just one but, two wars? We have to put what is best for our country before our own personal preferences.

[Eagle_Eye]

69. "And after 8 year of the Divider" -- you intuitively know the answer

Hillary is not the key to republican victory but rather bush is the key to the Democrat victory.

The republicans running for the nomination are taking shots at their own sitting president in order to gain an edge over their competition. Just keep reminding the voters just who george bush is, who got us into this mess and that the only solution is to vote for a Democrat.

Hillary / Obama will win in a resounding manner.

[ginchinchili]

70. That's a dangerous strategy to depend on.

To suggest that any Democrat can win because Bush has been so bad is a weak and risky strategy. There are many voters who will be convinced that Bush is a fluke and that a strong Republican candidate, especially if the Democratic nominee is Hillary Clinton, is needed to clean things up. One always has to keep in mind America's political landscape. Don't assume that because Bush has been a failure that all of a sudden the country has swung to the left and want to embrace Hillary. I'm reminded of that fact on a daily basis. Hillary is excellent at raising money and as a political strategist, but the country is looking for, and needs, more than that in 2008.

[Eagle_Eye]

71. I intend to keep pressing the issue that "Bush is bad; Vote for a Democrat!"

[MethuenProgressive]

21. One hundred and eight votes - and Obama only has FOUR of them??

Democratic Underground Rocks!!
:yourock:

[Amanita]

23. Once again, Gravel is left out. Who needs CNN when you have DU?

[robcon]

25. They are all qualified... "qualified" is a silly criterion.

We need something beyond just qualified - we need someone with good judgment, trustworthy and interpersonal skills.

[Carrieyazel]

28. How is Hillary the most qualified? She's never held executive office.

Never managed anything larger than her offices. And the one time she was put in charge of executive policy (on health care reform), it collapsed in ruins. Which suggests that being an executive is not her thing.

[Clintonista2]

29. She was Bill's most trusted advisor

She knows the ropes better than any other candidate.

[IndianaGreen]

32. So it was okay to Hillary that Bill signed DOMA, and gave us "Don't Ask, Don't Tell?"

And it was also okay with Hillary that Bill pushed for NAFTA, media concentration, welfare "reform," not to mention that George Soros-inspired dirty little war in the Balkans?

[Clintonista2]

33. Cherry picking is nice, isn't it?

Especially when you cherry pick negatives.

[IndianaGreen]

34. Having been on the receiving end of Clinton's homophobic policies

I spit on him!

[mtnsnake]

42. You spit on Clinton, IndianaGreen?? How 21st Century of you

Disgusting

[Selatius]

36. Tell that to homosexual community. I'm sure they didn't feel cherry-picked out with DOMA.

But then again, you probably already know how hard it is for that community.

[Didereaux]

45. Wow! -THE- spokesman fro all gays! What an honor for DU! jeezus h christ!

[Selatius]

52. Well, sorry to bust your bubble, but for some DOMA is a pretty big issue.

I guess you're the one that didn't know. Shame for you...

[Clintonista2]

53. delete

[terrya]

30. You can say the same about Obama, Edwards, Biden, Dodd.

None of them held elective office. And yet, there you are.

[robcon]

41. How did you come to pick out Clinton?

Biden, Dodd, Obama and Edwards did not hold executive positions before entering the Senate, and Kucinich's executive position - mayor of Cleveland - was a total screw-up.

[David Zephyr]

31. "Qualified" is in the eye of the beholder. I purposely used this fluid term for the poll.

The term "qualified" is a loaded term and an abstract one at that, which is why I chose it for the poll because everyone has a different sense of what that 'qualification' would be for a job that lasts for four years and carries the weight of war and peace and more with it.

And I, must confess, that I instinctively knew that the question would have responses favorable to Joe Biden. I also feel that voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, as the point of decision gets closer, will ask themselves within their own framework 'who is the most qualified?.

And I think that their answers might mirror those here. I wonder.

[kad7777]

35. JOE BIDEN is the best AMERICA has

In these troubled and dire time we live in, Joe Biden, to me, encompasses all that we desperately need for our nation:

1) Intelligence
2) Experience in ALL phases of government
3) Strength
4) Respect from world leaders
5) Diplomacy
6) Command of issues
7) Solutions to problems that face our nation
8) Honesty
9) Integrity
10) Respect and trust from his peers
11) Respect and trust from the people who follow him
12) an EXPERT in foreign policy

Joe Biden certainly meets ALL of the criteria above.

I pray and hope every day that Mr. & Mrs. America, the people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina know in their hearts, that if we lose Joe Biden, we'll have lost one of the best Presidents our nation will ever have.

Please watch a video I produced to show my support for Senator Biden. If you support him, please send the link below to family and friends, and ask them to do the same.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OtGCaqOdIJ4

[AlertLurker]

48. Biden looks better the more I look at him, but...

I have a problem with his votes on the Patriot Act (and subsequent reauthorization) and Miltary Force Authorization.

He seemed to come to his senses regarding Kyl-Lieberman, tho...

He, and to a lesser extent, Dennis Kucinich, seem to be the only two with a sense of humour, too!

[jeffrey_X]

63. Does he smell good and is he clean?

just want to make sure.

[Think82]

72. according to the 100% NAACP rating, I'd say yes

[sutz12]

37. "Most qualified" Bill Richardson...because he has held executive office..

The others haven't IIRC.

Best? That would probably be someone else. :)

[Basileus Basileon]

38. Okay, I'll admit I voted wrongly here. I picked Biden. And while he's qualified,

Richardson deserves it more. Just a bit of ex-boyfriend mojo in skipping him over, I suppose; I used to be a Richardson supporter, before I felt betrayed by what I thought was a lack of adequate preparation for the debates and a poorly-run campaign.

[ms liberty]

43. Top three in this order: 1. Biden 2. Dodd 3. Kucinich... n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

49. No question about it ....... Biden

[inthebrain]

50. Kooch is the only REAL Democrat running

The rast are all Republican lite stooges.

[Armstead]

51. I'm not crazy about all his positions but I voted for Biden in this

I do think of all the candidates running, Biden is best prepared in terms of experience and background, followed closely by Dodd.

[Laurab]

54. I would love to see the real polls reflect this poll

I think Biden is by far the most qualified, and apparently, so do a lot of others, but he seems to be getting nowhere. I will vote in the primary for whoever is the strongest challenger to HRC, because I think she would have the most trouble getting elected, and if she were, it would be 4 years of bickering.

[mmonk]

55. Define qualified.

[PBass]

56. "Experience" is just one factor....

That's why I would never vote for John McCain, no matter how "experienced" he is.

Biden may have experience but his voting record bothers me, in a big way. For example, the Bankruptcy bill... Joe Biden didn't just vote for that, that bill was pretty much "his baby".

Blecchhh....

[1corona4u]

57. Yawwwwnnnn......

BK's are up since his bill. Obviously, it had no effect.

[Froward69]

59. Thank you, I did not know that.

when I was in college one of my Business classes actually taught us how to hide assets, and file for Bankruptcy, To bolster our bottom line. The "new" rules still don't curb that type of abuse.

Total propaganda. it still will not hinder Him in the GE.

[Froward69]

58. Thats misinformed...

http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=234426&&
or
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0312-03.htm

And that is a hindrance in the GE how? the truth is the bankruptcy bill was hammered out over decades. it wasn't "Bidens baby" at all.

[tritsofme]

61. The fact that a failed mayor/congressman who has never held state-wide

elected office is in second place above people that are obviously qualified and prepared for the responsibilities of the office speaks to the fantasy world that so many people on this site live in.

[1corona4u]

62. I agree....

One of my friends is from Ohio, and when I even say DK, she laughs....

[dfgrbac]

64. Mike Gravel is the most qualified to save our country!

He is the only candidate willing to empower the people so we can protect ourselves from despotism!

As a two-term U.S. Senator, he certainly knows how the government functions. And he understands the world today. View his videos if you don't believe that.

And I resent Mike Gravel's omission from this poll!

[1corona4u]

75. LOL...he's a lunatic......n/t.

[sandyd921]

65. Based on best resume: Richardson

n/t

[hedgetrimmer]

67. Mike Gravel Most Qualified N/T

[snowbear]

73. Let's see....

.... I'd say Richardson and Biden most likely.

Although, since when do Americans vote on qualifications?

It's all about who you'd rather have a beer and burger with..



Drink up!

[Thothmes]

74. Per Article II section 1 of the Constitution

All are qualified to be the President of the United States.

[bigwillq]

77. Biden

Then Dodd, Richardson, DK, Edwards, Clinton, Obama