If Paul Ryan is the Republican nominee, who would you be more comfortable with, Bernie or Hillary?

[Yavin4]

If Ryan emerges from the Republican muck as the nominee, he will be damn hard to beat. I see the Republicans rallying hard behind him, and he just has to soft pedal his positions to get over.

I wouldn't be confident that either Hillary or Bernie could beat him, but I do think that Hillary would be stronger. Bernie's political past, his positions, and his age would be easy fodder for the Republicans to tear him apart. Yes, Hillary has her problems as well, but she would be better at fending off the attacks and taking him on.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

1. Both will easily beat him if all Americans are allowed to vote, but they wont be.

[Kalidurga]

2. Bernie

I see his age as an asset on several issues. Social Security is one it's not a bad idea just to have someone old enough to know first hand what Social Security is and does remind people that Paul Ryan wants to cut the program in draconian ways. His grandchildren are older so he has a ring side seat on how education is working or not working. And he is old enough that we can be pretty sure he doesn't have enough scandals to write about and fill a library.

[Yavin4]

6. But he does have a loooong history of being associated with fringe political parties in Vermont

He didn't back George McGovern in 1972. He was an elector for the Socialist Workers Party in 1980 that called for an alliance with Iran while they were holding hostages.

[Kalidurga]

9. Oh thanks I wasn't aware of that.

It's good to see he has never been an establishment type.

[Armstead]

14. Crazy like a fox

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/08/20/bernie-sanders-is-the-uncola-of-american-politics/

From a Daily Fix interview with Chris Graff, the longtime Vermont bureau chief for the Associated Press and author of "Dateline Vermont"

FIX: Describe Sanders time as mayor of Burlington. Is he viewed as a successful mayor? Why or why not?

GRAFF: Incredibly successful. The origins of almost everything great in Burlington today can be traced back to Bernie’s tenure as mayor. When he was elected in 1981 many city leaders feared he would care more about foreign policy (his team and his supporters were known as "Sanderistas&quot than city matters. But he was laser-focused on fixing potholes and economic development and rebuilding the waterfront and saving the downtown and providing arts and developing programs for children. Today Burlington ranks as one of the most livable cities in the nation. (Editor's note: He's right!)

FIX: Sanders has been in Washington for the past 24 years straight — first in the House and now in the Senate. How do Vermonters regard him? Still as an outsider to the establishment or part of the establishment?

GRAFF: Most love him. In every parade that Bernie marches in, he gets the biggest and loudest cheers – from Vermonters across the political spectrum. He remains very popular in liberal and conservative regions of the state. That’s not to say that he is universally loved. Some business leaders, Republican leaders and even some Democrats see him as the crazy uncle in the attic.

[brooklynite]

3. In all cases, Hillary

I'm not convinced that Sanders will have the financial resources or the organizational focus to run a GE campaign.

[Gwhittey]

4. Oh gee another post by poster

Who thinks only 27K people live and vote in WA state.

[Yavin4]

7. I updated and corrected my post.

230K voted in the Washington caucus.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Bernie, hands down.

[highprincipleswork]

8. Disagree heartily. Bernie's positions, Progressive, represent the majority U.S. opinion

Hillary Clinton and others can try to swiftboat him all they want, but this one essential fact remains the same.

Hillary, on the other hand, borrows heavily from every position he has taken (once they prove to be popular). At the same time, most people in their right minds know that she will swivel from these positions in an instant, when it suits her. Therefore, he commitment to these popular American ideals and principles is soft and untrustworthy.

Bernie is the far better, more electable candidate, as has been shown in polls for months now against every Republican nominee. Paul Ryan would be no different.

Now if you want someone to conspire with Paul Ryan, compromise with Paul Ryan, or govern more like Paul Ryan, I think we know which family to turn to, as in the video below.

[Broward]

10. Well, I'd rather not have to choose between two right-wingers

so I say Bernie.

[Doctor_J]

11. Not much to choose between Ryan and Clinton.their policies are similar

Many will come out to vote for Clinton because of her gender, but the limbeciles will show up to vote against her. Such an election might well be decided by the bernistas that the Clinton supporters detest. Ironic.

[Gothmog]

12. I would be far more comfortable with Clinton

Sanders has not been vetted and is very vulnerable to negative ads

[Rosa Luxemburg]

13. Bernie

Ryan is a lightweight as he showed us in the VP debate in 2012

[LexVegas]

15. Hillary. Bernie get destroyed in a GE. nt

[Armstead]

16. Bernie because it would be a clear contest between liberal and conservative

Both of them are ideologically oriented, and both are "clean" (I know Ryan's philosophically sucks but he is generally respected personally)

Wouldn't be a distraction of outsized personalities and weird corruption stuff

[HughLefty1]

17. They would both easily beat the GOP candidate.

Obviously I am hoping it will be Bernie. He does poll best against the current crop of GOP candidates.

With that said if the GOP pulls a power play at their convention against the wishes of their own voters I can see many of those voters sitting out the GE in November, which obviously greatly helps the Democratic candidate.

[tokenlib]

18. Bernie could take Ayn Rand and wrap her around Ryan's campaign like a noose...

...Hillary not so credibly...