Carrying on from the discussion I started this morning, I asked whether electability was the central issue on voters minds. In 2000, Republicans just wanted to end the Clinton era and wanted to find a candidate that could win, and they found that candidate in George W Bush, and in 2004, Democrats craved a candidate who could keep George W Bush to one term, just like his father. But is elecability the most important issue for Democratic caucus and primary voters in 2008? Elisabeth McLaury Lewin in Iowa, fresh from working at her caucus, says no:
Read on for what issues people think are important this year.
Another commenter, Dave Shannon from Norfolk Virginia, was frustrated by the question. He felt that there were so many other important issues in this election, including "campaign finance reform, term limits and the last seven years, we've had a lot of whittling away of rights."
"Electability is stupid," he said. And he felt that false focus on such issues was driven by the media. Well, I'll let him speak for himself.
Party Hartwell in New York says that electability still is an issue with Democrats because, apart from Bill Clinton, they have had difficulty winning the White House. She gives a great overview of where Republicans stand and the race beyond New Hampshire.
