McCain, Giuliani Fare Well Vs. Top Dems, Edwards Might Be Toughest Rival (Investor Business Daily)

Investors ^ | 1/10/07

[areafiftyone]

A new IBD/TIPP poll gives Republican front-runners Sen. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani an edge over top Democratic contenders and shows that John Edwards might be their toughest opponent.

In a potential presidential matchup, McCain led the former one-term senator from North Carolina and 2004 vice presidential nominee by 44% to 43% but had a more comfortable margin over the two Democratic heavyweights expected to run. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton trailed McCain 48% to 41% while Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was down 48% to 36%.

In a matchup against Giuliani, the former New York mayor, Clinton and Edwards both trailed by 5%, (48%-43% and 47%-42%, respectively) while Obama lagged by 13% (49%-36%). But as in the matchup against McCain, Edwards showed a bit better ability than the former first lady to pull in Republicans and independents.

Edwards Strong

While Clinton and Obama have been cast as the Goliaths of the Democratic field, "when you look at the numbers, they're not the strongest in the general election," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

The poll of 951 adults for IBD by TIPP, a unit of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, was conducted Jan. 2-4.

[MadIvan]

Hillary is completely unacceptable as Leader of the Free World. After her, I am most worried about Bill Richardson - I believe he would be the intelligent choice out of the declared Democrats (which is not saying much, but still).

Regards, Ivan

[StoneGiant]

Please let it be Edwards... He has that "prissy" style that excites the liberal base.


... along with the hairspray companies, no doubt...

[Wormwood]

I am most worried about Bill Richardson

Ditto that. He can appeal to mainstream democrats, hispanics, and moderates who are sick of the GOP status quo.

A very serious contender.

[NeoCaveman]

The voice, in her case, is a mirror put up to the soul. Nails on a chalkboard...LOL.

They don't call her Shrillary for nothing.

[veronica]

Not one person I know would vote for her. Even my Dem friends. They dislike her. Personally. You need the party behind you to win the nod. There has to be a consensus that you have a chance to win. Edwards and Obama have both outpolled her recently. I think her support is very soft. She won't wear well in flyover country.

[MadIvan]

Richardson will also be difficult to destroy - it's difficult to paint a governor who lowered taxes as a "tax and spend liberal". It's difficult to paint a Westerner as an "out of touch liberal". It's impossible to paint him as inexperienced as it is with Obama.

Yes, he was a disaster as Secretary of Energy, but I suggest the MSM will bury those scandals. He could really create problems if he picks someone like Gov. Phil Bresdesen (D-TN) as VP.

Regards, Ivan

[veronica]

I think Bill Richardson is too shlumpy to win in the TV age. He's too Pillsbury Doughboy. Maybe a Veep nod. Then again, that could work in his favor. He's not a pretty boy, he's real.

[MadIvan]

I read somewhere that he's on a diet. But even so, the old saying goes that politics is show business for ugly people. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[A'elian' nation]

Don't take this as being personally flamed, but simply some fact-pointers :
RFK never worked for one dime more than any of the other Kennedys. You can come up with all the 'coulda's' and 'woulda's' you want, and you have that right BUT . . .
the fact is that RFK had a strange history with the McCarthy's - both of them. He was tight with Roy Cohn and defended Joe McCarthy (with reason I happen to believe), and he shamelessly tried to steal Eugene McCarthy's anti-Vietnam thunder. Not exactly principled politics.
It would have been interesting to see what RFK would have done about the Vietnam War that he and his brother got us into.
The Kennedys were way more show than substance, and no Kennedy is ever going to pull any wool over my eyes.

[samtheman]

Edwards StrongFunniest 2-word joke of the day.

[defconw]

He did go out and earn his senate seat. granted the odds were stacked in his favor. I happen to think if Joe McCarthy had been more sober and less hysterical, history would have treated him differently. Bobby had to co-opt Gene McCarthy to win. I am not convinced that once given the power of the Presidency he would have surrendered.

[samtheman]

Oops. That's:

Edwards Strong

Funniest 2-word joke of the day.

[defconw]

I find it interesting that Obama, Clinton and Edwards ALL beat Romney. What does that mean?...... We better figure it out and fast.

[samtheman]

I happen to think if Joe McCarthy had been more sober and less hysterical, history would have treated him differently.

I agree. He was on the right general track, but not very efficient at picking specific targets. For example, regarding Communists in the State Department. Someone once said (I forget who) that if you listed all the State Department employees of the 50's on a wall chart, and blind-folded yourself and threw darts at the chart, you'd hit more commies that Joe did.

He had a good nose for conspiracy (and there definitely was a conspiracy) but he was Mr. Magoo in his attacks.

[dfwgator]

I still think the guy we need to watch out for is Bill Richardson.

He's a governor, and governors have a tremendous advantage over Senators.

[areafiftyone]

Its basically means that Romney isn't resonating with the voters at least not yet. The polls might change. It's early yet and not everyone has announced they are running.

[azhenfud]

We really need Edwards opposite the GOP contender.

[areafiftyone]

I hate to say this but I agree. We are in a lot of trouble!

[freespirited]

I don't understand the attraction to Edwards. He served only one term as Senator (I understand his election was a fluke) - he's completely inexperienced otherwise and belongs to one of the most despised classes in America: trial lawyers.

When tested against McCain, Edwards is probably picking up the lion's share of Democrats, the anti-war vote (which is large), young people (who can't see themselves voting for someone so old), and assorted folks who just can't stand McCain. There are quite a few in the latter category. McCain has quite a gender gap--and should women ever find out what he did to his first wife, Edwards would look even better to them.