With Big Lead, Is Clinton Beatable?

Sept. 3, 2007 — -- As presidential candidates kick their campaigns into high gear, every national poll puts Sen. Hillary Clinton on top of her Democratic rivals by a good margin.

The former first lady has raised millions of dollars and some wonder whether anyone actually can beat the New York senator.

Many New Hampshire voters believe Clinton can go all the way.

"There is nobody who can beat her because nobody else has what she has," said New Hampshire voter Noele Clews.

Yet, Clinton's staff hasn't dared to call her win inevitable.

"This is not a campaign that's overconfident," said Clinton adviser Mandy Grunwald. "We worry about everything. We try to win every vote."

Grunwald said the campaign knows sometimes the front-runners fall flat.

The Challengers

Among Clinton's competition for the Democratic nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama seems to have the best chance to challenge her.

Another hopeful, former Sen. John Edwards recently ramped up his talk about Clinton.

Many thought a statement he gave late last month was a swipe at Clinton.

"The trouble with nostalgia is that you tend to remember what you liked and forget what you didn't," Edwards said during the speech.

Edwards said that he believes Clinton is beatable and that his campaign has a good chance because of its momentum.

"What I am trying to do is make sure people know they have a real choice," he said on "Good Morning America" today.

In the last few days, the United Mine Workers and the United Steel Workers unions have thrown their support to Edwards.

"The reason they support me is that I want to see this system that doesn't work in Washington change," Edwards said.

He said he believes voters want a change in Washington and Clinton doesn't.

"I respect Sen. Clinton, but she and I have a definite disagreement about this," Edwards said. "The problem is most Americans don't feel like they're represented there."

Even without Edwards and Obama trying to cut down Clinton's lead, some critics believe she has a likability problem.

"She is deeply controversial [and has the ] highest unfavorable rating by far for any candidate who has a chance to be the nominee," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

But former President Clinton said questions about his wife's likability are misleading.

"This electability issue is a canard," he said Sunday during a rally. "It doesn't amount to a hill of beans."

Some Clinton supporters argue voters who dislike her are Republicans and wouldn't voter for her anyway.

They believe she can win without those votes.

Securing the Nomination

Securing the nomination doesn't guarantee a smooth road to the White House, however. Clinton said even if she heads the Democratic ticket, she fully expects a knockdown fight.

"The idea that you're going to escape the Republican attack machine and not have high negatives by the time they're through with you, I think, is just missing what's been going on in American politics for the last 20 years," Clinton said during a debate on "This Week" last month.