Which airframe will do better in this CAS faceoff, the A-10 or F-35?

First, I have 2 points that I have to outright laugh at:
1. The F-35 will be able to perform high-threat close-air support in contested environments the A-10 could never survive, Welsh told reporters, although he noted the aircraft won't be fully operational until 2021 and beyond. - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
2. Still, Welsh noted the Air Force never intended to use the multi-role fighter jet as a direct replacement for the A-10, which is a single-mission platform dedicated to close-in attack. - HAHAHAHAHAHA, WHAT?!?! Then why have they been trying to do exactly that?

Now for the one decent thing he said: Welsh said he would like to see an A-10 replacement, often referred to as A-X, that can perform the low-threat CAS mission even better than the legacy Warthog. Service officials have recently indicated a notional A-X might be in the works. - This makes sense, and this is probably what the F-35B should have been developed with. The F-35A & C models actually had great potential as Joint Strike Fighters until the designers were forced to integrate all of the USMC's 'necessary' design features. Had the A-X program and F-35B been combined there is a good chance we could have gotten a decent plane, though neither service seems apt to take up that CAS role.

As technology keeps moving forward, my first question is will the F-35 be a better platform in the next 20 years for future weapons versus the A-10? That is what I would look at. Can the A-10 logistically still be supported, are the parts still out there, or are they dwindling to the point where it may not be a cost affordable option?

In the real world threat environment today, why not go cheap and off the shelf and just buy the A 29 Super Turcano? We are buying them for the Afghan's, so apparently the Brass thinks they work. They are simple and cheaper and we are realistically working in environments where anti aircraft threat is relatively minimal.

I've always loved the A-10. Never saw them in combat and never saw the F-35 in combat. However after I separated in '79, I used to drive an hour to work in rural Louisiana. Early mornings, I would be driving and all of a sudden my truck radio would become nothing but static. I'd look in my rearview mirror and see an A-10 out of England AFB doing "lazy eights" and following me. I would flash my lights on and off a couple of times as he followed me down the highway. After awhile the pilot would pass directly overhead and waggle his wings in acknowledgment before peeling off. Just a moment of fellowship between a pilot and a former maintainer.....

Did anyone ever consider somehow buying from the former Eastern Bloc countries the front foot jet that the Russians use that is very similar to the A10? You no it can also break the sound barrier and it also land on four runways. American fighter pilots only seen respect planes that can fly Super Sonic and this plane can once it's dropped its full bomb load since it basically has the same jet engines is it as the Mig 25

As much as I admire the capabilities of the F-35, the A-10 in my view cannot be beat for CAS.

May as well have asked which airframe is sexier. Or as which airframe is allowed to win.

I think a perspective that people should consider with the F-35 is common to a lot of weapon systems currently being fielded. Yes the F-35 is replacing a lot of air-frames that may have been better in a stand alone environment at a specific role. Yes F-22 are better in the air superiority role just like Seawolf are the best subs, DDG-1000 are the best ships, ect... but we already have the largest DOD budget of then almost all of the rest of the world combined so in place of more expensive weapons systems that we have developed and could produce should we need to we are making the trade off for what is good enough to maintain our superiority today.

F-35 for the F-22
Virginia for the Seawolf
LCS and DDG-51 for the Zumwalt
Refitting the Nimitz in place of more Fords
M1A1 for a more advanced Main Battle Tank
AAV for the AAAV

Yes we could have all of these super advanced better performing systems but in the end we the tax payer have to foot the bill. So in reality good enough is the answer.

A do everything aircraft only exists in a cartoonists imagination. I'm a mechanic, not a pilot, so my opinion means little. I do however think the Wart Hog is awesome and deserves to be in our inventory for CAS.

I don't know much about either one.