Who do you want as president and why?

[michaelskis]

Who do you want as president and why?

*Out of those who are running?

So there are several possibilities on both sides who are running for president of the United States. We all know that Bush will not be president again, so don't even talk about him.

But I am asking who do you want to be president and what makes him or her better than all the other candidates on both sides? Let's limit this discussion to those who have already said that they are running.

[Snowguy716]

Bill Richardson

He is a very good negotiator and really pushes bread and butter issues like the economy/jobs and health care. He wants comprehensive immigration reform, to get us out of Iraq, and try to improve relations with world leaders.

He is immensely popular in New Mexico and he has done a great job there, and I think he'd do a great job on the national level.

[kayman]

I wouldn't mind Barrack Obama or John Edwards because both seem to possess the ability to reach out to brought sides of the aisle. They also seem to have progressive ideas that will pull this nation forward.

[Charlotteman]

My #1 choice is Edwards. He's a BRILLIANT man. He's honest, a plain talker, and I agree with him about 90% of the time.

My #2 choice is Richardson. Talk about experience! The man has a resume that won't quit. And he's apparently a very decent fellow.

My last choice: McCain

[torgo]

Ugh, I don't know. I don't like any of them.

[FromCityToRural]

I haven't seen anyone so far that I really like; Hilary, Obama, and Romney (the frontrunners, ironically) would be my least favorites. Out of the pool of candidates right now, Giuliani's my favorite. I used to like McCain, but he seems to have gotten off track since the 2000 election.

[atlrvr]

I've turned this into a poll....Michaelskis, if you want me to undo the poll, let me know.

[cityboi]

I want John Edwards as president. I think hes has great ideas for this country. Hes almost like a Bill Clinton in his message and is electable. I predict he will be the democratic nominee

Hillary Clinton may have some good ideas but she is too polarizing which doesnt make her "electable" we would just see the same voting results we saw in 2000 or probabally even worse.

Barak Obama as seen as a "rock star" for the democratic party and he is the first African-American that is taken seriously for a white house run. The problem is that he is too new to the political scene and people will say he lacks experience and they dont really know how he stands on alot of issues. Also, race will be a factor unfortunately.

Rudy Giuliani has some serious problem with the really conservative base and his personal life is not the good example for the leader of the country. so hes going to have some problems with republicans. The only leg he has to stand up on is with 911.

Mitt Romney is experienced but hes an unknown. However hes the kind of unknown that people can underestimate. hes a devote christian and the conservative evangelical vote could push him to become the republican nominee should Giuliani's social beliefs turn evangelicals off. It was the evangelical vote that got George Bush re-elected.

Bill Richardson, John McCain and Fred Thompson dont have a chance in my opinion. The other five candidtates are cleary the front runners

[Snowguy716]

I want John Edwards as president. I think hes has great ideas for this country. Hes almost like a Bill Clinton in his message and is electable. I predict he will be the democratic nominee

Hillary Clinton may have some good ideas but she is too polarizing which doesnt make her "electable" we would just see the same voting results we saw in 2000 or probabally even worse.

Barak Obama as seen as a "rock star" for the democratic party and he is the first African-American that is taken seriously for a white house run. The problem is that he is too new to the political scene and people will say he lacks experience and they dont really know how he stands on alot of issues. Also, race will be a factor unfortunately.

Rudy Giuliani has some serious problem with the really conservative base and his personal life is not the good example for the leader of the country. so hes going to have some problems with republicans. The only leg he has to stand up on is with 911.

Mitt Romney is experienced but hes an unknown. However hes the kind of unknown that people can underestimate. hes a devote christian and the conservative evangelical vote could push him to become the republican nominee should Giuliani's social beliefs turn evangelicals off. It was the evangelical vote that got George Bush re-elected.

Bill Richardson, John McCain and Fred Thompson dont have a chance in my opinion. The other five candidtates are cleary the front runners

[cityboi]

Well, the question WAS "Who do YOU want for President?" I realize Bill Richardson probably doesn't have a chance, but one can dream, right?

I agree with your analysis though. I think Barak Obama would make a strong VP choice. He has the power to really solidify the younger vote and would get young people to vote in droves. And it is important that we engage young voters rather than just ignore them like so many do. I think 2008 is really the Democrats' election to lose with the choices in the Republican party at present. McCain is pandering too far to the right and is probably too old. Giuliani has all those skeletons in his closet, and Mitt Romney just isn't strong enough to really garner strong support. John Edwards with Barak as a VP could really sweep the nation.

I also see an Edwards/Obama ticket doing very well in the south. The Democrats could easily pick up West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina, and with the way Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona are trending, it really could be a sweep.

[atlrvr]

Mitt Romney doesn't have much experience at all. He was governot for 1 or 2 terms, and that's it I believe. He was a career venture capitalist before that.

I'm not sure what Rudy's skeleton's in the closet are....I think his skeleton's are all out there for people to see, but I'm sure if things heat up, people will dig.

I hadn't really thought of Obama as a VP, but I agree, that makes a ton of sense, I'm just not sure that Edwards is strong enough to win....the press is already starting to pick him apart. I doubt he could win NC (his home state), Virginia, or Tennessee.

[cityboi]

Mitt Romney doesn't have much experience at all. He was governot for 1 or 2 terms, and that's it I believe. He was a career venture capitalist before that.

I'm not sure what Rudy's skeleton's in the closet are....I think his skeleton's are all out there for people to see, but I'm sure if things heat up, people will dig.

I hadn't really thought of Obama as a VP, but I agree, that makes a ton of sense, I'm just not sure that Edwards is strong enough to win....the press is already starting to pick him apart. I doubt he could win NC (his home state), Virginia, or Tennessee.

[tombarnes]

The $400 haircuts are doing nothing for Edwards' image. I haven't yet seen the I Feel Pretty video on YouTube, but I'm sure it'll turn up sooner or later. As noted in this article from the Washington Post, Edwards has crossed the line from mere grooming to primping. To further emphasize a point in the article, it really doesn't matter who paid for the $400 haircuts.

The Washington Post

[kayman]

The $400 haircuts are doing nothing for Edwards' image. I haven't yet seen the I Feel Pretty video on YouTube, but I'm sure it'll turn up sooner or later. As noted in this article from the Washington Post, Edwards has crossed the line from mere grooming to primping. To further emphasize a point in the article, it really doesn't matter who paid for the $400 haircuts.

The Washington Post

[Charlotteman]

If anyone thinks Guilliani could carry New York in 2008, please come see me..I have a bridge......

And by the way, what wealthy man doesn't get expensive haircuts? Should Edwards go into Supercuts and get a $15 haircut to show he's one of "the people"? He doesn't have to do cheap publicity stunts like that. He has POLICIES that favor "the people".

Edwards is a multi millionaire. Of course he doesn't go to Supercuts!!

And what is wrong with being a millionaire? I thought that's what everyone in the country wants to be.

[JDC]

And what is wrong with being a millionaire? I thought that's what everyone in the country wants to be.

[tombarnes]

$400 for a haircut is simply wasteful. I don't care how much money you have. Bush I was roundly criticized for not knowing what a grocery store scanner was. It appears that, merely because he's on the left side of the aisle, people are willing to make accommodations for him. I have seen nothing from this man beyond primping and posturing. We can surely do better.

[Snowguy716]

I agree, Giuliani would in no circumstances win New York. New York has been trending leftward for quite some time now and since Reagan the state GOP has been in terminal decline. Connecticut and New Hampshire are a different story where the GOP still has a little clout but is a shadow of its former self (considering that New England used to be the most Republican part of the country).

I am quite confident that Edwards could win both West Virginia and Arkansas as well as North Carolina and Tennessee. AR and WV are still quite Democratic.

I am also pretty sure that Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Mexico will go solidly Democrat in the next election.

[Miesian Corners]

As long as he's smart and can run the country, I really don't care how much money John Edwards spends on a haircut. I'd rather my government spend $1,000 per month on haircuts than $200 million per day on the Iraq War.

[Charlotteman]

The issue of haircuts and John Edwards being a fa**t is simply a diversionary tactic, because the Reps know they cannot beat Edwards on the issues. They have feared his electability for quite some time, and guess what: they have reason to fear. Edwards is getting a very positive response in Iowa. If nominated his centrist message will put whoever the Reps nominate in instant political hot water.

Instead of discussing something so meaningless as haircuts, why aren't people discussing Edwards' vision for America? His issues and policy statements seem lots more important than his haircut.

[monsoon]

$400 for a haircut is simply wasteful. I don't care how much money you have. Bush I was roundly criticized for not knowing what a grocery store scanner was. It appears that, merely because he's on the left side of the aisle, people are willing to make accommodations for him. I have seen nothing from this man beyond primping and posturing. We can surely do better.

[monsoon]

Mitt Romney doesn't have much experience at all. He was governot for 1 or 2 terms, and that's it I believe. He was a career venture capitalist before that.

I'm not sure what Rudy's skeleton's in the closet are....I think his skeleton's are all out there for people to see, but I'm sure if things heat up, people will dig.

I hadn't really thought of Obama as a VP, but I agree, that makes a ton of sense, I'm just not sure that Edwards is strong enough to win....the press is already starting to pick him apart. I doubt he could win NC (his home state), Virginia, or Tennessee.

[GRDadof3]

The $400 haircuts are doing nothing for Edwards' image. I haven't yet seen the I Feel Pretty video on YouTube, but I'm sure it'll turn up sooner or later. As noted in this article from the Washington Post, Edwards has crossed the line from mere grooming to primping. To further emphasize a point in the article, it really doesn't matter who paid for the $400 haircuts.

The Washington Post

[atlrvr]

Without taking any opinion on a $400 haircut, I think the issue was that he paid for it using campaign contributions.

I think the real issue is, that the media is already trying to annoint candidates. Best I can tell, they have Obama and Guiliani selected based on relative lack of negative press.

[ChiefJoJo]

I picked Obama, because I like his ability to lead and inspire others. Certainly this election, like all of them, is about issues such as foreign policy, health care, climate change, immigration, etc., but from a broader perspective it's more about who is the best leader of people; who can unite the nation most effectively, etc. I still see Obama as the best person in that sense, although he admittedly lacks the experience of Richardson... who is my #2 candidate.