Hugh Hewitt: Biden Will Be Tough to Beat Because He's More Likeable

Joe Biden would be a more formidable candidate for the eventual Republican nominee to defeat than Hillary Clinton because he's just more likeable, conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt said Friday.

"I'd rather run against the former secretary of state, who has Libya and Benghazi fatigue," Hewitt told CNN's "New Day" host Chris Cuomo. "I'm so tired of Hillary and I think the rest of the country will be. But Joe Biden, everybody likes him."

Hewitt said Republicans will go after Biden on policy, but that he interviewed him and "I instantly liked him.... I don't know that anyone can dislike the vice president."

Meanwhile, he said that former Secretary of State Clinton's success in the first Democratic debate "was a false positive" because of the weakness of the other four candidates.

"She was a 7-footer in the zone against a bunch of 5'6" people," said Hewitt.

The talk show host also discussed the presidential candidates' financial reports that were released Thursday, saying that the main message was that former businesswoman Carly Fiorina got "liftoff money" by raising $7 million in the third quarter.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson raised the most in the Republican field last quarter, scooping up $20.8 million. He still fell short of the totals posted by Clinton ($29.5 million) and Sanders ($26.2 million).

According to The Washington Post, top-earning GOP candidates and their totals are:

• Carson, $20.8 million;
• Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, $12.2 million;
• Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, $5.7 million;
• Ohio Gov. John Kasich, $4.4 million;
• New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, $4.2 million
• Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, $2.5 million.

Paul's money means he'll have the ability to get through Iowa and New Hampshire, said Hewitt, but Carson is burning through money, raising $20 million but spending $11 million.

He predicts that whoever wins the GOP debate on Dec. 15 will take the money they've collected and spread it to win in Iowa and New Hampshire.