What do think is your candidate's biggest weakness?

[Fmr Gov. Polnut]

Honesty time people. Since we know Clinton, Obama and McCain all have various strengths, what do their supporters consider their greatest weakness/es?

[Alcon]

McCain:  Being a Republican.  Temper.  Being a Republican with a temper.

Clinton: Low ceiling.  Personality.  Somewhat ripe for schadenfreude.

Obama: He needs to improve his interview skills.  Needs "sharpness."  If he doesn't respond well to McCain hammering him on policy, he could flop.

[Aizen]

hillary clinton had one weakness - obama

[opebo]

He's black.

[Senator Franzl]

He's black.

I think race is overrated, to be honest, but I'd suggest that race has actually helped our candidate more than hurt him.

[The Hack Hater]

McCain: He's an old geezer, who reiforces that image with his "stay the course" rhetoric on Iraq.

Obama: Let's face it, it would help if he showed more signs of backing his words with actions.

[Chief Runs With Scissors]

McCain: He's an old geezer, who reiforces that image with his "stay the course" rhetoric on Iraq.

Obama: Let's face it, it would help if he showed more signs of backing his words with actions.

He's a conservative. He's all about staying the course.

[JSojourner]

McCain --  1.  Flip Flops   2.  Iraq

Obama --  1.  Experience   2.  His name, not that it bothers me...but the GOP will spin it so that it bothers Joe and Suzy Sixpack.

Clinton --  1.  Past Clinton scandals    2.  Perceived as a cutthroat c*nt

[Stranger in a strange land]

Obama --  1.  Experience   2.  His name, not that it bothers me...but the GOP will spin it so that it bothers Joe and Suzy Sixpack.

[Sibboleth]

I don't really have a dog in this race (I prefer the two demdogs to the gopdog obviously). At least the primaries in the '60's and '70's had candidates that I could easily cheer for.

But for the three still in the running:

1. McCain; the fact that's he's a member of the same party as the unpopular incumbent (quite how much that hurts I don't think we know yet), certain past ethical issues, the fact that he can get angry quickly. And there are some things that might be weaknesses but might not (or might be balanced out by something else). His age is one of those things, his likely lack of appeal to Bush's new voters in 2004 is another. I don't think that Iraq will be quite the problem for him as some assume (except insofar as it ties into the first point).

2. Obama; his tan is just a little bit too dark for a lot of people (read: old people especially), he has a "foreign" name, his cronies seem to have decided to scream "racism" at all criticism (this is actually far, far worse than the first two points), he has a disturbing lack of appeal to the traditional working class (both metropolitan AND non-metropolitan), he has a disturbing lack of appeal to Hispanics and his campaign has blown two very, very good chances to lock up the nomination. To this we can add the usual stuff about lack of experience (but see McCain's age on that), his windish rhetoric (which is increasingly irritating... but perhaps I'm in a minority on that), and a general perception that he's a bit weak on the policy front. In addition to that he'd be damaged a great deal if his image gets tarnished even a little. How much of a weakness that actually is depends entirely on how many skeletons there be out there.

3. Clinton; she is very, very, very polarising and has an absurdly negative image (the two are just different sides of the same coin really). This is the main problem and it dwarfs all others. She may also have problems with black turnout and the record of her husband in office is something of a double-edged sword. Her campaign has also demonstrated a certain level of incompetence at times.

[Nym90]

I think Al outlined everything pretty well.

The economy is a huge problem for McCain (the Dem nominee needs to have a commercial with McCain's quote about not knowing much about the economy juxtaposed with pictures of closing factories). He needs to walk a fine line between supporting Bush just enough to make the GOP base happy and opposing him enough to appeal to the swing voters, most of whom are pretty unhappy with Bush. He does have ethical issues too, as was previously noted. The Keating S and L scandal needs to be brought up again.

Obama has of course the lack of experience and the perception of ties to the radical black community which could potentially be very harmful. I think that's all been gone into pretty well.

Clinton has the problem of being tied to the status quo (all of that talk of a Bush-Clinton royalty and such). She really needs to show in a substantive way how she is the candidate supporting a new direction as opposed to McCain who represents more of the same....biggest issue I see with her is that McCain might actually be able to pull off being viewed as the "change" candidate rather than her.

[Jake]

He's running with George W. Bush and Co. tied to his waist.

[Fmr Gov. Polnut]

McCain: His choice to tie himself to Bush (and his policies), being a Republican, his age, his temperamental personality

Obama: Weak policy delivery, his supporters inability to see ANY weaknesses in him at all (which leaves him extremely unprepared for the real attacks later), inexperience. Weakness in key demographics.
 
Clinton: Divisive figure, establishment representative, viewed as having an abrasive personality.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

McCain : Extreme honor and patriotism.  I know that sounds crazy as a weakness but this man will do what he believes is right, no matter what.  Remember he stayed in a POW camp being tortured rather than go home and leave other prisoners behind.  If he believes Iran represents a threat and gets nuclear weapons, I fear his extreme honor and patriotism will lead us to military action without the support of any allies. 

Clinton : The most polarizing and distrusted politician of the last 20+ years.  She will not unite the country and we'll have 4 more years of nothing but fighting.  We've had enough.

Obama : Inexperience combined with a tendency to surround himself with academia ( like Dr. Susan Rice and Samantha Powers ).  He needs to have some solid foreign policy advisor's who understand the world both intellectually and politically

[ottermax]

Obama: Inexperience (especially with media attacks and scandals), lack of specificity on issues (no past votes), inability to connect with many blue-collar workers and Hispanics, and his connections with somewhat controversial figures.

I've thought about changing my support to Clinton, I've never hated her, but I still want to elect hope over bureaucracy.