I’m an Edwards supporter and I’m now switching my support to …

[Cyrano]

I’m not sure, but it’s critical that we get a Democrat into the White House. It now seems that “Straight Talk” McCain is going to be the Republican nominee and many independents will vote for him. So the question is, between Obama and Hillary, which one of them has the better chance of beating him?

We all know that America today has too many bigots and Hillary haters. Racism is a reality best voiced by Oscar Hammerstein in his song from “South Pacific,” “You,ve Got To Be Taught.” And the hatred for Hillary was bought and paid for by the likes of Richard Mellon Scaife beginning when Bill was governor of Arkansas.

Another four or eight years of Republican rule will finish the job that Bush started of destroying our country. Under no circumstances can we allow this to happen. So for a moment, put your heart aside and think with your head. Who has the better chance of beating McCain, -- Obama or Hillary? And if you pick one over the other, tell me why.

[sellitman]

1. Mind if I listen in?

:hi:

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Can I also?

[flpoljunkie]

2. Hillary will unite the Republican party, while Obama will bring in Independents, even some R's to

create a working majority for change. Hillary cannot do this. Political cartoonist Mike Luckovich said it best this week...

[niceypoo]

21. Obama will bring in Republicans?

Do you have any evidence of this or is this part of the 'Unity' fantasy I hear so much of from Obama supporters? Republicans don't do unity.

[flpoljunkie]

25. Yes, Republicans who have become disaffected with their party.

[cali]

3. I'm convinced that Obama is more electable than Hillary

I also want to see an end to the Bush/Clinton thing. I want to move on. That feels strangely like standing still. I think he can get the American people behind him and I don't think she can. In addition, he's more liberal and less given to triangulating. There's a reason why the strong majority of progressives in the House are supporting him- along with 80 lawyers representing Gitmo detainees and George Lakoff.

[niceypoo]

23. Either of them will win, if nominated

Electability is the worst reason to bring in a candidate. Thats what got us Kerry.

McCain is running as a Bush clone who wants the Iraq war to rage for 1000 years, he hasn't got a chance in hell. This is the democrats time to take over, the repukes had their chance and blew it.

Whichever democratic candidate shows the most substance gets my vote. Thus far it is Hillary, but Either would be fine in the end. Obama must stop acting like a victim and stop running as an anti-Hillary and start running on the issues.

-Hillary pushes issues and goes after Obama

-Obama reacts to Hillary

Thats what I see thus far

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. I think Edwards will announce on Tuesday which one he endorses. nt

[redqueen]

5. I kinda hope so...

the republicans around me are starting to act cocky.

I might just do whatever Edwards says... since I can't seem to make up my mind enough between the two to go for one over the other (fair disclosure: I have preferred Hillary up to now).

:scared:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

29. I'm going to do whatever Edwards says I think nt

[Cyrano]

7. I'm not interested in who endorses whom.

I want to field a candidate who can win. Endorsements by other politicians are often made for reasons that are not apparent to us. But we have the final say. (Well, it didn't turn out that we had the final say in 2000, but perhaps we will this time.)

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. ...

:thumbsup: That is where I am.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

27. Have you been undecided since the beginning of this campaign? I supported Edwards. nt

[Shine]

6. I'm on the same page as you, Cyrano

I'm an Edwards supporter, too, and am now undecided.....hmmm...

[Cyrano]

16. Yep. It's a real dilemma.

[Abacus]

8. FWIW,

I always liked Hillary until she started heading right in '04; I think the tipping point was when she publicly knifed Kerry in the back over the botched joke. And it's only gotten worse from there. I'm not trying to start another flame war or convince you who to vote for, I'm just saying my reasons for not liking Hillary are my own, not Scaife's or anyone else's.

[FrenchieCat]

9. My take......here on one of the ways.....

Not counting OBama's youth, vitality, articulation, excellent GOTV talents, and such.

On McCain's forte; National Security, i.e., Iraq War, etc.

McCain’s position:
I’m am a big time War Hero. We were right to go into Iraq. Saddam gone is good. I know what to do to win this war. I wanted to send more troops at the beginning, and I urged for the surge when most were against it. I stood on my principles, and I was right. I want to leave Iraq, but we can leave victorious. It’s important to stay, because if not, there will be genocide, and Al Qaeda will be left to rule Iraq, and turn it into a terrorist state.

Clinton’s position:
Cannot argue about how we got into this war because her vote was the same as McCain's. She has also stated enough times that she wanted Saddam gone and that him being gone was good. She would be forced to move on to how the war was fought. She had a lot of problems with Rumsfeld and how the war was conducted, but she will only be in agreement with McCain, because he thinks that the war wasn’t fought correctly either. Hillary was against the surge, and if the surge is still being portrayed as having been successful, Hillary loses points, which weakens the rest of her argument to get us out of Iraq. McCain will look "resolute" next to her when judged by Repugs, Indies, moderates, and yes the Democrats who are also concerned about National Security.

McCain wins the Iraq War debate, even though most people want out...
He therefore gains the upper hand on National Security matters by defacto of having worn the uniform.

Obama’s Position:
Obama and forcefully argue that the War should never have been fought or authorized. He can point out that as much experience McCain is supposed to have with war, he voted for the debacle that will have ended up costing trillions and killed hundreds of thousands, while the congress was acting tone deaf as the public marched against such move.

Obama then can describe how the war was based on lies, and there were no WMD. That he, Obama, called it for what it was; a Dumb war, and those who supported it who should have known better. He would be speaking from a position of strength having stood against the conventional tide. He can claim the ultimate title of Maverick (McCain's strength), and point out that McCain is the one who supported the President's decision for an elective war, breaking the mold many years of Foreign policy wisdom.

Obama can stressed that well documented fact that there were no links between 9/11 and Iraq, but that McCain acted as though there were. He can then slides in the fact that our economy is now into a recession because we are being held hostage by the Chinese and other countries we have to borrow money from because of our forced expenditures in Iraq. And so, apart from everything else, Obama’s Iraq War opposition provides backbone to go into the economic platform that progressives demand, based on the reason that it is Republican stewardship that has gotten us where we are.

McCain will divert the economic issue by talking about Governmental pork....but Obama can point out that the war is the biggest porker, and roll out some stats. Obama can show without being forced to debate "what to do about Iraq now" on McCain's terms, and he can stress that he had superior judgment on one of the most important national security decision in our current times. He also can brings up McCain's statement of the possibility of our being in Iraq for 100 years.

That's when Obama can move, with an upper hand, on how to get out of Iraq. His argument will carry more credibility than McCain’s by this time...and Obama then proposes how we get out of Iraq.

Obama wins the Iraq War debate, and neutralizes McCain on McCain's strength.

[Yael]

10. Please take another look at

Mercer.

:evilgrin:

Me? John has my primaty vote. If that is the only voice I get to scream about progressive ideals, I am not throwing it away.

[Levgreee]

11. You should vote for Obama because he has a decisively stronger progressive voting record

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4304708

[never_get_over_it]

14. I really think you should flip a coin

I am so worried about what the swiftboaters will do with Obama and the Muslim jihad thing

and God only knows what they'll do to Clinton

I want to think I'm wrong but when I think back to 2000 and 2004 - nothing has really changed to stop election fraud - I'm just worried sick that neither one can win....

I think a lot of people think that things have been so bad under the freak in chief that the Dems are a shoe in and I would agree with that maybe if the freak in chief were running again - but truthfully I don't think we're a shoe in - I think the Dems are kidding themselves we're in a world of hurt....

[Cyrano]

20. I couldn't agree more. But these are our two candidates and

somehow, someway, we've got to figure out which one of them has the best shot at winning.

The majority of Americans don't pay attention to politician's positions. They vote for them because they're white or black, male or female, charasmatic or attractive, they're the same religion, or, ... well, pick it. Only political wonks like us tend to be pragmatic and go for the candidate who stands the best chance of beating the thugs.

[never_get_over_it]

24. I don't have a friggin clue

I think it will be bad for either of them....however I do actually give the edge to Hillary for fighting back - unlike Kerry in 2004 - but then since she is a woman she would be perceived as bitchy. I think Obama does have an advantage with the young voters but their actually track record of getting out to vote isn't that great - I'm also concerned that he is a little snarky and might blow under the pressure of criticism - his snarky you're nice enough comment AND the handshake incident did show bad form and actually I think both were pretty politically stupid....

Like I said I don't have a friggin clue - I'm just very worried - I can't take four more years of the repunks....

[never_get_over_it]

26. I don't know the answer but I had a thought

maybe those who haven't voted yet and are undecided should pick the candidate who is most likely to fight election fraud - just in case - I'm so so worried about it AGAIN....unfortunately I think that was most likely Edwards.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

15. Who's ahead in the polls against McCain? Obama or Clinton? Anyone know?

n/t

[Cyrano]

17. The polls are meaningless right now. They'll be different

next week, next month, and, most importantly, on election day.

[shraby]

18. The Kennedys endorsement of Obama

seals it for me.

[Arugula Latte]

19. Obama will inspire people to vote for our side; Hillary will inspire people to vote for their side.

Seriously, she is the ONE factor that can wake up the demoralized Republicans at this point. She's the only thing that gets them going -- to get out and pull the lever AGAINST her.

Obama has great cross-over appeal and is a charismatic figure. No, he's not perfect, but he'll be an infinitely better candidate in the general than Hillary.

I'm a white Democratic woman and she even rubs ME the wrong way. What's up with that? I WANT a woman president, but I can't seem to make myself like her. I just don't. I feel it in my bones. Whenever she speaks, I want to get up and change the channel. I'm not proud of that feeling, but there you are. Some people just grate on you; she seems to be one who grates on lots of people.

[Seabiscuit]

22. I call him "100 year war McCain", now tell me where and how are we going to get

more soldiers to fight this war for us? Any Republican in power would be a disaster to this country since their daddy is corporate america/military industrial complex. I have not gotten to the point of making up my mind who to vote for in the GE yet either so tonights debate is important to watch.

[TexasBushwhacker]

32. If I was young or had kids of draftable age ....

I'd be scared shitless of McCain. I mean, he scares me anyway, but I just know that if he gets elected it mean more years of feeding the military-industrial beast, going into Iran, and probably starting WWIII.

[TexasBushwhacker]

28. I'm in the same boat

I REALLY wanted Edwards. It wasn't just a matter of "anyone but Clinton" or "anyone but Obama". I have until March 5th to decide (if it still matters at that point) but I'm leaning to Obama. The amount of hate directed towards Clinton astounds me, and since the person I wanted is out, I've to support the Democrat who's the most liking of beating McCain or Romney.

I have conservative Republican friends who voted for Bush twice who said that they feel drawn to Obama. They don't want another 4 to 8 years of one party bashing the other. They feel that Obama is more likely to unite the country. Whether it's fair or not, I think that Clinton just has entirely too much baggage to be successful over the GOP.

[kelligesq]

30. I'm still voting for John Edwards on Feb 5 to give him the power

John Edwards has framed the issues all along - Single Payer healthcare, not

Universal, lobbyists out of the elections, America taking care of and giving a

chance for affordable college, taking care of our Vets, bringing home our

people from Iraq within a year without permanent bases in Iraq, restoring

America and every issue until Obama and Clinton "borrowed" his populist stance.

But "borrowing" words is not a commitment to carry them out whichever

one gets the nomination for the general election.

That is why we must must must continue to vote for John Edwards on Feb 5

The more delegates he collects even though he has "suspended" his campaign (I

suspect because of the MSM essentially boycotting coverage of him and the

failure of the feds to match funds until March) the more power John will have to

extract a written committment from either or both candidates to adhere to John's

and our populist issues .

This is how the corporate media and corporate control over this country picked your candidates for you

[cascadiance]

31. I'm still voting for Edwards in the primary...