According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, Clinton has bled support in a couple of key swing states:
FLORIDA: - Bush 45 - Clinton 42 (in the Feb 3 poll, it was Clinton 44 - Bush 43)
OHIO: Clinton 46 - Paul 41
PENNSYLVANIA: Paul 45 - Clinton 44 (in the Feb 3 poll, it was Clinton 53 - Paul 34)
It's a safe assumption that the GOP is at least viable in both Florida and Pennsylvania. Why might this be important (assuming you credit polls this far out from election season, which, let's face it, many here do)? Well, as Quinnipiac notes:
The Swing State Poll focuses on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states.
I must admit even I didn't see the weaksauce
eGhazi Nothingburger causing such a dent. It's been my belief all along that...
(1) the real tanking will come throughout 2016 when Clinton is in the clear as the Democratic nominee, not now.
(2) this will be a result of millions, if not billions, of bucks funneled into trying to dig up 25 years of dirty laundry.
(3) if no legitimate dirty laundry can be found, it will be manufactured with an assist from the best advertising money can buy, Clinton fatigue, and Clinton's inevitable gaffes in handling the bad publicity.
Having said that, I'm not convinced that other proposed Democratic or Democratic-leaning candidates could outperform Clinton in the general election, as much as I wish it were so.