Hillary is our current front runner. Of all the candidates, is she the most qualified?

[ginchinchili]

If yes, how is she more qualified than the others. If no, are you still supporting her and, if so, why?

[cali]

1. no and no.

but that doesn't mean she's not qualified. I'd say the most qualified are Dodd, Biden and Richardson.

[yourout]

2. As far as being qualified all threee front runners are about even.

As far as electability Edwards and Obama leed the pack in my view.

[ginchinchili]

21. So, for example, Obama is more qualified than Biden?

How so?

[yourout]

22. Re-read my post.........of the three front runners.

[ginchinchili]

28. Right. Obama is one of the 3 front runners.

[Captain Hilts]

33. Richardson and Biden are more qualified. It's not even close. nt

[cuke]

3. Yes

she has a lifetime of experience fighting for women, children, minorities, and the poor

[josh_edwards07]

9. IS SHE QUALIFIED AND ELECTABLE???

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

John Edwards 08. Most supported by organized labor, the classiest candidate in the race, and has the plans to change america for the better. Plain & simple.

[Catherine Vincent]

12. Welcome, where do you come from? No man's land?

:eyes:

[cuke]

13. all hate, no content

nothing like reading a string of slogans

[Captain Hilts]

34. Yes, she is and yes, she is. nt

[ginchinchili]

23. Those are pretty vague reasons. What has she done for the poor?

[cuke]

37. Minimum wage, increased funds for Ryan White Care Act, SCHIP

As a law student, Hillary represented foster children and parents in family court and worked on some of the earliest studies creating legal standards for identifying and protecting abused children. Following graduation, she became a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund. She ran a Legal Aid clinic in Ark, she organized a group called Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. When she was just 30, President Carter appointed her to the board of the United States Legal Services Corporation, a federal nonprofit program that funds legal assistance for the poor. She organized a task force to improve education in Arkansas through higher standards for schools and serving on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, helping them expand and improve their services. She also served on national boards for the Children's Defense Fund, the Child Care Action Campaign, and the Children's Television Workshop. In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier, to expand early learning and child care, and she helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly. Thanks in part to her efforts, the number of children who have moved out of foster care into adoption has increased dramatically. She fought to make sure all kids get the immunizations they need through the Vaccines for Children Program. Immunization rates dramatically improved after the program launched. She helped pass legislation that encouraged investment to create jobs in struggling communities through the Renewal Communities program. She has championed legislation to bring broadband Internet access, which is so important in today's information economy, to rural America. In the Senate, Hillary has not wavered in her work to expand quality affordable health care to more Americans. She worked to strengthen the Children's Health Insurance Program, which increased coverage for children in low income and working families. She sponsored legislation to increase America's commitment to fighting the global HIV/AIDS crisis. She has also proposed expanding access to child care. She has passed legislation that will bring more qualified teachers into classrooms and more outstanding principals to lead our schools. Hillary is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act to increase access to family planning. Her fight with the Bush Administration ensured that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, will be available to millions of American women and will reduce the need for abortions.



Was that detailed enough?

[Captain Hilts]

39. Federal aid for Utica.....nt

[cuke]

41. What does that mean?

[Captain Hilts]

42. It's been a poor city since the mills began to move South in 1905. nt

[cuke]

43. Ahhh, I see

I'm fairly familiar with Utica. I saw the Grateful Dead there (twice I think) and a bank I worked for kept their computer room up in Utica. Poor and very, very grey is what I remember.

[Captain Hilts]

44. The countryside around it is really beautiful, but, yes, the city ...

leaves much to be desired - except for good, inexpensive, Italian food - that's why they make fun of it on "The Simpsons" a lot.

[cuke]

45. God's country

Nothing as beautiful as upstate NY, IMO. Spent many a summer there.

[Captain Hilts]

65. Agreed. I enjoy every trip up there. Even to Utica. nt

[aquart]

4. What a dim, painfully politically naive question.

Define "qualified." Then define "politics." Then tuck yourself in with your blanky.

[ginchinchili]

24. If you don't know the definition of politics, what are you doing here?

As far as qualified, what specific experience does she have over other candidates and how does that translate into a more successful president?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

48. OUCH

DSB

[Vincardog]

5. NO She is not willing and able to lead us in the direction we have to go to reverse 20 years

of radical Reich wing inroads on our government.
HRC's role will be to block the progressive reforms we must make to save our country from its' rush to total unfettered corporate control.

[Warpy]

6. No and no. If all you're looking for is qualifications

obviously the most qualified is Richardson, with a career in the House, a post in Clinton's cabinet, an ambassadorship, a lengthy list of successful international negotiations including the current deal with North Korea, and a current governorship.

Clinton is a one term Senator who was reelected a year ago.

And no, she is not my candidate. She is wrong on Middle East policy and she is dead wrong on health care.

[Colobo]

7. No, Obama is.

[ginchinchili]

25. Care to back that up?

[John Q. Citizen]

8. Yes, she's got the most money, the best name recognition, and the military industrial finacial

complex knows she can be trusted to advance their interests.

What other qualifications does a candidate need?

[ginchinchili]

26. Enough to keep those qualifications in check.

[John Q. Citizen]

67. If she kept them in check, she wouldn't get the checks.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. Experience doesn't matter.

Look who the repukes elected. If he can get in, anyone can.

[ginchinchili]

27. You think Bush is a good standard to shoot for?

[woodsprite]

11. No, she's not the most qualified an I'm not supporting her.

IMO the Clintons' are too 'in bed' with *co and to the Repubs it's like she's a done deal. It's time for a change in leadership, not the 'same old, same old'. I'm for Biden. HOWEVER, if she gets the nomination and I feel she's the lesser of the evils, then I'll vote for her. There is no way I'm not voting.

[RebelSansCause]

14. the MSM says so

so it must be true. who doesnt realize this? i kneel before you my lords of information. nothing is more sacred than your word.

[calteacherguy]

15. Depends what your definition of qualified is. nt

[ginchinchili]

29. How about experience, professional and personal, and training/education.

[Zynx]

49. Education matters next to nothing when it comes to experience.

Real world experience is infinitely more important. I've read about virtually every country in the world, but I doubt I am qualified to conduct foreign policy.

[muntrv]

16. No. Bill Richardson has the most experience of all the Demcratic candidates.

Plus, she hasn't exactly repudiated her vote for the Iraq war.

[illinoisprogressive]

17. how can someone trading solely on nepotism be the most qualified?

[cali]

20. ooh, what fun. another person who doesn't have

a clue what the word nepotism means. And your comment is sexist as well. goody. love that. she's every bit as qualified as Obama- and I think he's qualified too. She worked as a young woman for The Childrens Defense Fund, as a lawyer for the dems during the Impeachment of Nixon. she had a successful career as an attny. And she's in her 2nd term as a U.S. Senator.

[Captain Hilts]

35. I agree. Being 'experienced' isn't everything. Obama has a good, energetic attitude. HRC's...

scary smart.

Either'd be far better than GWB.

[mitchtv]

18. No Richardson is

Hillary got Obama and edwards tho. I'm waiting to endorse.

[incapsulated]

19. Then how come all you guys aren't actually supporting Richardson?

This is such bullshit.

I'll bet there are plenty of diplomats and policy wonks "more qualified" on paper than Hillary, as well.

They also don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected to anything.

[Double T]

30. No, HRC is not the most qualified. I WILL NOT support her if she becomes........

the Democratic nominee.

[cali]

36. that's your right, but don't tell me you give a shit about

a woman's right to abortion, children getting healthcare, stem cell research, the environment, the Supreme Court or the Federal Bench.

[Double T]

38. I do give a shit about dissolving our corporatocracy...........

which will then allow US to have all the things you mentioned. HRC represents the the continuation of our corporatacratic government.

[cali]

40. uh huh. sure you do

and that's why you don't give a damn if Rudy or Mitt or Mccain is the next President.

[Captain Hilts]

31. Richardson and Biden are the most qualified candidates in YEARS. nt

[Think82]

32. Biden is the most qualified and I am definitely voting for him.

Never been more sure about a candidate in my life. The fact that Hillary has said she is the most qualified is laughable. Biden, Richardson, and Dodd are all more qualified.

[ellacott]

50. I agree

Biden is the most qualified.

[gorekerrydreamticket]

58. You got that right....n/m

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[youthere]

64. Another Biden supporter here...no one else is as qualified.

[BenDavid]

46. HRC IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN WIN IN 08

[cali]

51. no she's not, and that ignores

the reality of all the current polls.

[LWolf]

47. No and no. n/t

[cobalt1999]

52. Yes.

The reasons have been stated here over and over.

[cali]

54. Well, that's the thing

you can't just state that the reasons have been stated here over and over, without at least providing a link. And though I think she has the qualifications, I don't see how anyone could seriously argue that she's more qualified than Richardson, Dodd or Biden.

[cobalt1999]

55. well, technically I CAN.

because I just did. :)

Work does tend to get in the way of a long post or searching for links today, although you've been around here long enough to have seen her qualifications.

Better than Obama and Edwards, yes easily.
Better than Richardson, Dodd, or Biden...maybe not, but it's close.

[cali]

57. I don't see that she has so much more

relevant experience than Obama. she has more years than he in the Senate, but he did serve for several years in the Illinois leg, and I don't think that can simply be discounted. She surely is running a better campaign than he is.

[cobalt1999]

59. That's the problem with this thread.

How you and I rate experience is subjective and we'll each give different weights to different experiences.

Generally, I'd give more weight to a governor over a senator, a senator over a representative, a representative over state leg. time. You probably weight them differently. Oh, and I include her time as First Lady, but that gets really subjective on how much credit she gets for that.

In any case, it's meaningless, because the better resume doesn't mean that person would make the better president.

[Tom Rinaldo]

61. Hillary was a defacto Co-VP for 8 years

Like I said below, not all First Ladies are created equal. No one would try to equate Laura Bush with Elaenor Roosevelt for instance. To count Obama's years in the State Legislature but discount Hillary Clinton's participatory front row seat to all the inner deliberations of an 8 year presidency when considering qualifications to become President stikes me as kind of dumb.

[Tom Rinaldo]

53. In the sense that George Bush Sr. or Al Gore...

...were more qualified than Michael Dukakis or George W. Bush respectively, Hillary Clinton is definately more qualified than either John Edwards or Barack Obama who make up the so called first tier of candidates. Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, and probably Chris Dodd can claim to be as if not more qualified as Clinton. Hillary Clinton's 8 years in the White House count, just like Elaenor Roosevelts time as first lady counted Hillary was no Laura Bush.

Of course I voted for Michael Dukakis over Bush Senior even though I knew that Bush was technically more "qualified" for the job. Qualifications aren't everything but they can't simply be dismissed either. I think I am pretty damn good on the issues but I'm not qualified to be President, and anyone who voted for me would be making a big, big, mistake.

[Alter Ego]

56. I support [insert Democratic candidate's name here] for President!

There, that buys me a little time.


















FYI: Not actually a newbie...I'm long-time DUer Arkana.

[bigwillq]

60. I would say Biden is most qualified

then probably Dodd then Richardson.

[rocktivity]

62. The Republicans like her too much for me to consider the best qualfiied.

They want her to get the nomination because they see her as being easiest to beat. And if she won the election anyway, her corporate ties would make her the easiest candidate for them to control.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Captain Hilts]

66. They don't like her. My uncle says she's a socialist and would much prefer Gore as the candidate.

He's very active in Republican politics.

[robcon]

63. "Qualified" is a strange criterion.

All our candidates (exception: Kucinich) are qualified. Hillary, to me, represents the best combination of judgment, experience and smarts among our candidates.