Who's more Electable?

[pnziii]

That's the argument that is driving this Primary.
What I don't get is Electable to who?

A lot of people say Kerry is more electable because he is a veteran and has a good record in the Senate. That may be enough for Democrats/Liberals.

There are 40+ million independent voters. Some vote Republican, some vote Democrat, but most have voted for both. Why would they think Kerry is "Electable".

There are millions of Republicans that are disillusioned by Bush. I have spoken to a few of them. They want fiscal conservatism. Government out of people's lives. They could be swayed to vote Democrat if the right Democrat came along. Why would they think Kerry would be that Democrat?

More Republicans have been elected to congress or as Governors over the last few years. There is a conservative movement in this country. I think you have to play to that.

Kerry may seem "electable to you if you are a Democrat/Liberal, but for the Independent or Centrist Republican can he really connect?

I think this ABB is not going to work. America is split right down the center. I think for a Democrat to win he has to be appealing to a Republican voter also. Otherwise it will be the same as 2000.
An election too close for comfort.

If the Democrats can't get enough Independents and/or a few renegade Republicans then they won't be able to take the WH.



I think picking a candidate because he is "electable" is the wrong way to defeat Bush.

[displacedtexan]

1. Why not just work to convince more liberals to vote?

?

[DaisyUCSB]

2. Let me guess, you think Dean is better?

His platform calls for middle class Americans paying higher income taxes than Kerry. That doesn't make Dean more fiscally conservative than Kerry.

Not his platform anyway.

And independants will just be more likely to vote for a democrat if he is a war hero than if he skied in Aspen during Vietnam

[pnziii]

4. Let's talk Dean

True Dean has said he would eliminate the Bush taxes, which would raise taxes higher than they are now.
But if you only want to look at that and nothing else about the man then the rest of this post will mean nothing to you.

As the Governor of Vermont Dean raised taxes and lowered taxes. He cut social programs and implemented social programs.

He BALANCED the budget every year by making tough choices in a state that didn't have a balanced budget amendment.

He got Health Care for Vermonters and did it without breaking the budget.

So yes Dean is more fiscally conservative and as an Independent I like that. I don't want big government spending programs that the Dems keep throwing money at. That's why I have voted for a Republican in the past.

I want someone that has shown he can do it not some one that just talks about it.

[nancyharris]

6. It is true

"He BALANCED the budget every year by making tough choices in a state that didn't have a balanced budget amendment"

However, the budget for the whole state of Vermont is less than the budget for most large cities.

[DaisyUCSB]

7. And none of that makes him more electable than JK, WC, and JE

his proposal to raise income taxes on the middle class, in addition to many other reasons, make it clear that he is not close to as electable as the aformentioned 3.

Regardless of his record in Vermont

[windansea]

3. good points

there's primary electable and there's GE electable...not the same thing....Clark could probably win more swing voters than anyone which is why he is greatly feared by RW media and Rove...he nuetralizes the defense/terror issue and is not perceived as extremely partisan...a good thing for winning moderates over

[ModerateMiddle]

5. Let's see after NH reports

but the polls all say that Kerry actually has a BETTER margin among the Independents than he does among the Dems, particularly the ones who self-identify as "very liberal" - Dean has that group for the most part.

The Kerry forum has seen an influx of disenchanted Republicans coming on board lately.

Also, in both Iowa and NH, Kerry has broad support among most of the demographic groups. I think that's pretty telling.

[sangh0]

8. Lots of Dean "supporters" voted for Kerry

We heard that Dean had union support, but the union members in IA voted for Kerry

We heard that Dean had independent support, but the independents in IA voted for Kerry

We heard that Dean had anti-war support, but the anti-war Dems in IA (75% of Dems in IA are anti-war) voted for Kerry

[jean]

9. It's a complicated mix

Picking someone electable (and uprooting Bush) requires considering the whole electorate, especially those precious Independents and centrist Republicans, as you have said.

Regarding Sen. Kerry and his appeal to this group:

At a minimum the RNC can say he's a Liberal (not fiscally conservative) veteran who voted against the first Bush war but for the second.

They'll say he's a Ted Kennedy Liberal - they'll shout it (imagine all the images and sound bites), causing instant polarization. Will Indy's or centrist R's pull away? Probably.

Sen.Kerry's veteran status could be negated by his war votes, which could weaken the whole attack on Bush over lying and invading Iraq.

(Gov. Dean has already taken him down over this, questioning Kerry's judgment)

The RNC could compare John Kerry to Bill Clinton during Monica, now that Sen. Kerry has begun to parse words regarding his vote for the current Bush war. He has said he voted for the process. This turns everyone in my family off and we're all liberal Dem's. Imagine a TV ad with a split screen, Clinton/Kerry, mocking Kerry's explanation of his vote. The RNC mantra is to blame everything on Clinton - putting a Clinton (word-parsing) Democrat tag on Kerry won't help our cause.

I agree with you - we need to consider the entire electorate and use whichever guy best fits that mix. I think Sen. Kerry may be too easy a target for the RNC and could drive those Indy's and centrists away.

[economic justice]

10. Edwards

Edwards can will all over the country.

Dean: Acerbic and seen as arrogant.

Kerry: Another Massachusetts liberal. I like him, but he cannot win in November.

Clark: A walking "I have a scream" speech who just hasn't exploded yet.

[IndianaGreen]

11. Barney!

The fix is in!

Four more years of Barney cam.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Kerry had stronger support than any other candidate in Iowa

from independents and disgruntled Republicans. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/primaries/pages/epolls/IA/index.html

Watch the Kerry town meetings on CSPAN -- I haven't yet see one that didn't include someone standing up and saying "I'm a lifelong Republican and you've won me over"

In Iowa, Kerry gains believers, including some Republicans
The night before, Kerry was tripping over people on the floor of a packed Veterans of Foreign Wars post, and even Republicans were raising their hands and announcing conversions on the spot.
.
"I'll be very honest with you," said Shirley Cohen of Hollis, New Hampshire. "I was a Republican. I changed to become independent two months ago. I was very strongly leading toward another candidate. But you've very thoroughly convinced me tonight."
.
Other candidates may be talking about religion, but at almost every stop here in Iowa now, Kerry is making believers of large numbers of Democrats and others who say they are unimpressed by Howard Dean, unsure of John Edwards's experience and uninspired by Dick Gephardt.
.
After hearing Kerry on Monday night in Muscatine, Iowa, Ray and Sharon Kapteina, who caucused for George W. Bush in 2000, said they were re-registering as independents to caucus for Kerry. "He makes me feel like he's a leader," said Kapteina, 56, a contract analyst.

http://www.iht.com/articles/124980.html


Kerry also leads the pack of Democratic contenders among registered voters as the candidate who would have a better chance of beating President George W. Bush if the election were held today. A Kerry-Bush match-up would have Kerry up by 49 percent to Bush's 46 percent. A Clark and Bush match-up would be a close race, with Bush at 48 percent and Clark at 47 percent. Bush would have an edge over Edwards (49% to 46%). Yet, with a plus or minus margin of error, these match-ups result in a statistical dead heat. And the President would beat Dean (50% to 45%) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (49% to 45%).
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040124/nysa010a_1.html