From the films I've seen, the fan system of the Marine F-35 is far superior than the thrust vectoring of the Harrier. However, other than safety, my concerns about range and armenment (among others) is what drives my dislike for VSTOL or STOVL aircraft. The Harrier isn't particularly good at any of its roles, but the USMC is focused on driving towards a future aircraft that can adequately perform air combat and close air support missions. The Marine F35 is a step up, but it still lacks (greatly) when compared to the other F35 variants.
I can't argue with that, but I will say that the current tactical thinking (the "expeditionary war mindset") says that speed & acceleration kills more efficiently than mass firepower. In other words, better a STOVL fighter nearby than a CTOL attack jet that can't make the target without air tanking. This mindset is affecting everything from Armor (Stryker) to Artillery (Crusader). Change like this makes everyone a little nervous.