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Last Men Standing: When Trump, Carson & Fiorina fade, Cruz and Rubio might be the GOP's finalists.
US News & World Report ^ | October 2, 2015 | Robert Schlesinger

Posted on 10/02/2015 11:32:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

It's possible, just possible, that the final battle to become the 2016 GOP standard-bearer will come down to a pair of first-generation Cuban-American, first-term senators. Yes, I'm talking about the same Republican Party that has proven so incompetent in reaching out to Hispanic voters that it followed up its 2012 post-mortem determination to get better at it by, arguably, getting worse. Not that a final showdown between Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida will necessarily help on that score, but more on that later.

How does this scenario play out? It starts with the assumption that the three current front-runners, according to RealClearPolitics' average of polls – former reality TV star Donald Trump (23.3 percent), neurosurgeon Ben Carson (16.3) and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (11.8) – will all fade.

There are good reasons to expect this both in general and specific to each candidate. Trump's have been repeated and recycled for months: He's an egomaniacal, serially insulting, loud-mouth and while that might not sink him in a GOP primary, his ideological incoherence and departures from standard Republican policy positions probably will. After being endlessly foretold since his announcement the great Trump decline appears to finally be under way: He still leads but his share of supporters has dropped from 30.6 percent on the night of the second debate to 23.3 percent, more than a 7 percentage point drop in two weeks. That is, as the man might say, yuuuuge.

Carson too, while presenting a contrastingly lower-key mien, has been a gaffe-machine, suggesting that prisons make convicts gay, comparing the U.S. to Nazi Germany....

(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Florida; US: New York; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2016election; bencarson; california; carlyfiorina; carson; cruz; election2016; fiorina; florida; iraq; jebbush; kurdistan; marcorubio; newyork; noflyzone; rubio; syria; tedcruz; texas; trump
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1 posted on 10/02/2015 11:32:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

In your dreams maybe!


2 posted on 10/02/2015 11:34:05 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Well, we can’t begrudge them their right to dreams.


3 posted on 10/02/2015 11:34:35 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

MSM trying their damnedest to pick our candidate at all costs................


4 posted on 10/02/2015 11:35:10 AM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

That’s what I am hoping for, a Trump and FioRINO fade and for Ted Cruz to pick up their support. Hopefully Rubio won’t pick up any.


5 posted on 10/02/2015 11:35:35 AM PDT by Angels27
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

USnooze shouldn’t be putting Rubio in the same sentence as Cruz. Rubio isn’t even in Cruz’s league, much less be one of the last men standing.


6 posted on 10/02/2015 11:36:53 AM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Not going anywhere but up again. Today's Reuters/IPSOS rolling poll


7 posted on 10/02/2015 11:37:14 AM PDT by Red Steel (Ted Cruz: 'I'm a Big Fan of Donald Trump')
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This is the second time I have read this opinion today. The first was from Scott Rasmussen. Wonder if these opinions are genuine or just an agenda driven anybody-but-Trump narrative?


8 posted on 10/02/2015 11:37:50 AM PDT by conservativejoy (We Can Elect Ted Cruz! Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I agree that Carson and Fiorina will eventually fade but Trump, Cruz, and Rubio will be the last three standing. It’s going to be Trump/Cruz or Cruz/Rubio as the possible tickets in my estimation.


9 posted on 10/02/2015 11:37:50 AM PDT by dowcaet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Don read 💩!
10 posted on 10/02/2015 11:38:02 AM PDT by Lopeover (2016 Election is about allegiance to the United States)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Fade?? Do these people know what a “trend” is?


11 posted on 10/02/2015 11:38:06 AM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Trump's supporters are solidly behind him. He cannot fade...but he can get stronger.

In 2012, voters kept running potential candidates up the flag pole, and one by one they would fall.

They've done that again this campaign season with one major difference. Trump sits securely atop the flag pole and it is the lesser candidates who are run up the pole. And they are sliding back down one by one.

12 posted on 10/02/2015 11:39:39 AM PDT by RoosterRedux (Trump: As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Fiorina is fading as people learn about her past
(and she makes ridiculous statements about Syria just like Hillary and McCain....the 3 stooges?)

but Trump and the doctor show no signs of fading...
the public loves them both....


13 posted on 10/02/2015 11:41:15 AM PDT by faithhopecharity (Brilliant, funny, and incisive Tagline coming to this space soon.....)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Rubio couldn’t finish taking a piss.


14 posted on 10/02/2015 11:41:41 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: RoosterRedux

As long as Fiorina and Rubio and Bush split the GOPe vote, the better it is for Trump, especially in the winner take all primaries. Trump has a floor of 20% to 25%. None of the other candidates are near polling that number.


15 posted on 10/02/2015 11:43:20 AM PDT by kabar
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To: MichaelCorleone
The media has been pushing Rubio all week long. They're desperate to get the voters to back someone Hillary can beat. It's so pitifully obvious.

Speaking of Hillary, Rush just had a caller who said she drove by a Hillary appearance and there was nobody there to see her.

16 posted on 10/02/2015 11:43:54 AM PDT by JennysCool (My hypocrisy goes only so far)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

So Trump has dropped 7 points in 2 weeks? Not sure I understand that.

I’ve wondered if Trump’s success was due to simple name recognition. I don’t know, but he’s been growing on me a bit.

Except for Cruz the rest seem so bland and dull and stuck in a rut. No guts, no challenging Washington.


17 posted on 10/02/2015 11:49:38 AM PDT by SE Mom (God, restore our beloved country, amen.)
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To: JennysCool
Jeb, I ain't voting for no stinking Mexican
18 posted on 10/02/2015 11:49:49 AM PDT by Kozy
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To: conservativejoy
Wonder if these opinions are genuine or just an agenda driven anybody-but-Trump narrative?

It's genuine that they very much dislike Trump from the day he announced his candidacy back in June. They wish Trump will fade, but since June, July, August, September, and now into October Trump won't fade despite the overwhelming negative media. WaPo spend most of their daily online print spewing anti-Trump stories. He's the overwhelming odds on favorite to win whole thing.

19 posted on 10/02/2015 11:50:11 AM PDT by Red Steel (Ted Cruz: 'I'm a Big Fan of Donald Trump')
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I think this is a very real possibility, that it will come down to Rubio and Cruz, and that Carson, Fiorina, and Trump will fade. My preferred candidate is Cruz.


20 posted on 10/02/2015 11:52:03 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson (Social and constitutional conservative)
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