Posted on 12/01/2015 12:34:50 PM PST by conservativejoy
USA Today has released its GOP Power Rankings today, and for the first time in the 14 weeks of the ranking this cycle, Ted Cruz is solidly in second place behind Donald Trump. The ranking is derived by polling political experts, and the purpose is to determine which candidate has the strongest position/campaign.
Here's the skinny from USA Today:
"The biggest news of the week was Ted Cruz's surge in Iowa," said Emory University professor Andra Gillespie. "One of the interesting features of this cycle has been the crowded evangelical field, where no one candidate has dominated and (Donald) Trump has held his own. Social conservatives may have found their candidate in Ted Cruz."
Trump remains No. 1 in our survey, with 17 first-place votes. While he has continued to toss out comments that are considered poor taste or inaccurate, he is the unquestioned front-runner.
But Cruz and Marco Rubio are gaining ground. Rubio actually took more first-place votes in our survey (seven) than Cruz (four), but Cruz scored higher in total because 19 of our experts put him in second place.
Cruz is solid and has been surging in the polls, and Rubio's steady campaign remains at the top of every list. It has become increasingly clear since the last debate that Trump, Cruz, and Rubio are the three real contenders in this race, despite the concerted and seemingly inexhaustible effort on the part of the GOP establishment to convince voters of the viability, if not inevitability, of the just plain unpopular Jeb Bush.
Here are the top ten. Visit USA Today for the full list and the previous 13 weeks of power rankings.
Well, I don’t know. It may be that they are democrats or independents that would vote for Hillary if Trump hadn’t shown up.
You should understand that a lot of people will vote for Hillary based on Bill’s record. To many people who didn’t or don’t pay a lot of attention to politics, he was a very charismatic president and the country had a good economy then.
This board and others like it represent a very small portion of the country. Most people don’t pay much attention to politics except what they see on the nightly news. They are starting to pay more attention now with the country is such bad shape, with the economy and Obamacare and things like Ferguson.
I can tell you if Trump is not in the race, I won’t vote for any of the other candidates but that doesn’t mean I’d vote for Hillary either. I will not vote for more of the same.
Yes indeedly, remember that back in 92 and Mr. Purple pill McDolegenothing in 96.
Remember Billy wagging his finger at the nation with his stern look on his face “ I didn’t have sex with that woman “...
If he is talking about his wife Hillary or Hellen Thomas he might be right.
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