If experience matters then a number of past candidates who ran would have been President ...

[bigdarryl]

would have been elected or reelected President like Bush vs. McCain/ Bush vs.Gore / Reagan vs. Carter /Bill Clinton vs.GHW Bush/ Kennedy vs. R Nixon/ so all this talk about experience is just that talk. likability is more of a asset than experience.

[Mass]

1. Experience matters. It is simply not the only thing that matters.

Intelligence matters, position on issues also matters. As long as people will think likeability is the only thing that matters, we will have the president we deserve: Bush and co.

But of course, if you think that electing Bush was a good thing, say so. In addition, Gore WON!

Not sure why you guys are so bothered by these issues and cannot simply make a case for your guy(s).

Tell us what he has proposed on the different issues (preferably more than a soundbyte).

[Coyote_Bandit]

2. The only thing that really matters

in the primary elections is the liklihood that the candidate will prevail in the general election.

There are a lot of candidates that are likeable and have a significant appeal. But just because somebody happen to like them does not mean they have a chance in hell of attracting the moderate and independent voters necessary to secure a win in the general election. Who cares if it is fashionable to supoort such candidates if they are ultimately defeated? Government and politics is inherently pragmatic.

Incidentally, Gore won. And he fought to secure that victory.