I have/had no problem building a sizable GE position with a 20+ year horizon. During the crash, I started buying it at $20, bought it down to $12, sold a bunch of 12.5 LEAPS puts back in early '09 when premium was out of control, and then bought some more at $10. (The puts expired worthless a year later, so I kept that juicy premium too - otherwise I'd have been put the stock at around $9.90. Oh, gee.) My average cost basis on GE is insanely low now....so at the very least, there's not much downside to worry about.
It, along with a few other positions (including T and VZ) I've built in this manner, are not for next quarter or next year but for the next decade or longer.
And yes, I have considered some of the GE preferreds or secured debt. Again, I am not looking near-term, and in these categories of equity, boring is fine by me.