America is not so much ready for Hillary as ready to vote against the GOP

By Richard K. Barry

A new poll by AP-Gfk indicates a number of findings that should give the Hillary Clinton campaign pause.

Here are three that stood out for me:

• Nearly four in 10 Democrats, and more than six in 10 independents agreed that "honest" was not the best word for her.

• Is she strong and decisive? Yes, say a majority of people. But inspiring and likable? Only a minority think so.

• Among Democrats, only 34 percent said they were excited by her candidacy while 36 percent described themselves as merely satisfied. Another 19 percent said they were neutral, and 9 percent were disappointed or angry.

I wouldn't be the first to say that a reasonably moderate Republican Party should be able to win the presidency in a walk in 2016, particularly after eight years of a Democratic administration. But there is nothing moderate or reasonable about the GOP, is there?

Having said that, if Jeb Bush is able to successfully navigate the primary process, and that is a big if, he could be a problem for Clinton. The reality, which we have said over and over, is that if Bush can maintain a veneer of reasonableness throughout the nomination process and win, again, a big if, he could make himself attractive enough to win the general election.

Maybe Marco Rubio or Scott Walker could manage the same trick.

What worries is that many of those preparing to vote for Hillary Clinton are doing so to block a Republican nominee who represents a party become too radical. That kind of support can melt away all too easily. Said differently,  not enough people are preparing to vote for Hillary, with an emphasis on "for."

Luckily, the Republcan Party is showing little sign of wanting or being able to take advantage of the opportunity.