X-32A vs X-35A again

Lets just focus on the CTOL version and not the S/VTOL version.

I was recently reading this:
http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/cit-hadingham.html?c=y&page=5

which basically summarized that the Lockheed version won because of its better approach towards vertical take off and landing. However it also said the X-32A was a hotrod in other performance aspects.

had there not been a Marine requirement for s/vtol operations, would the CTOL version of the X-32 been the better choice?