Posted on 01/26/2016 6:15:57 AM PST by kristinn
One week before the first votes of the 2016 campaign are cast, Donald Trump has solidified his standing nationally, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Republicans see Trump as strongest candidate on major issues and by far the most electable in the large field of GOP hopefuls.
The Republican electorate is in a sour mood as its members prepare to begin the process of picking a presidential nominee. Almost 9 in 10 say the country is seriously off on the wrong track, and more than 8 in 10 are dissatisfied with the way the federal government works, including nearly 4 in 10 who say they're angry about it.
Two-thirds worry about maintaining their current living standard, more than 6 in 10 say people with similar values are losing influence in American life, and about half say the nation's best days are behind it. Half also say immigrants mainly weaken American society, compared with 55 percent of the overall population who say immigrants strengthen America.
Amid this political climate, Trump has maintained his place atop the Republican field for six months. He currently receives the support of 37 percent of registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, almost identical to the 38 percent support he enjoyed a month ago.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas runs second in the national survey with 21 percent, surpassing his previous high of 15 percent in December. Third place belongs to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 11 percent, virtually unchanged from 12 percent a month ago.
SNIP
Trump's supporters appear more committed to him than do people backing other candidates. A majority (57 percent) of Trump supporters say they will definitely vote for him. For all the other candidates, 34 percent are as firmly committed, while nearly two-thirds say they could still change their minds.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I don’t know how people can be so committed so soon, with so much time left to go to further investigate the candidates, wait for them to expound and expand upon their views, policies, and means of achieving them, etc. I can go with either Trump or Cruz, though on a personal level I’d prefer Cruz. But at this point there’s no way I can be committed to any candidate.
A majority (57 percent) of Trump supporters say they will definitely vote for him. For all the other candidates, 34 percent are as firmly committed, while nearly two-thirds say they could still change their minds.
If this poll is correct, then the winning ticket is Trump/Rubio.
We’ve been hearing from them for 6 months. Trump has never wavered from what he said in June, but Cruz has been all over the map with illegals. If I was still considering Cruz, I’d be hesitant too, not sure what his final policy is.
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