Posted on 04/16/2011 11:30:25 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
A top adviser for President Obama dismisses him as a "sideshow." Former Bush adviser Karl Rove calls him a "joke candidate."
But that hasn't stopped Donald Trump, who has captured national attention with his outspoken skepticism of Obama's citizenship, from surging in early presidential polls. He leads all potential GOP presidential candidates by nine points in a Public Policy Polling survey released Friday. He trailed only Mitt Romney in a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released last week.
The real estate mogul and star of NBC's "The Apprentice" says he's encouraged by the polls, but won't make an announcement about his plans for a presidential bid until June. Yet he'll be in Florida this weekend to speak at a Tea Party Tax Day rally in his first political trip since he began making waves with talks of a possible presidential bid.
Despite Trump's early strong showing, many still aren't convinced of his electability and analysts say he will have to go beyond the so-called "birther" cause and define himself for Republican primary voters on social, fiscal and foreign policy issues.
Cary Covington, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, attributes Trump's high poll numbers more to a weak Republican field than to Trump's strengths as a potential candidate.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Only because people don’t really know him and they are responding to his demagoguery. I expect a big fall in the fall.
If polled i will vote Trump just to mess with Karl Rove.
We began defying “conventional wisdom” back in 2008 when we elected the Kenyan guy.
The logic is a bit hard to follow. If the field is weak a candiate taking on an issue the weaklings refuse to address would seem to indicate strength, strength which would make a good candidate. Isn't that what successful candidates do?
Are all the Presidential Contenders so completely dense as to not see that confrontational politics is the only way to get the people to pay attention. It is not if Trump is running for the office, it is that he is pointing out the way in bright colors. However, I won’t rule him out if the others are too afraid or stupid to go hard after Obama and his cabal. These are hard times and bold leadership is becoming a dear commodity.
Shows a lack of perspective. He is ignoring issues that can literally destroy the country.
The MSM is giving Trump air time in hoping people will think Trump is a nut case.
It is backfiring and they are getting nervous.
On the right the problem is with Trump peaking so soon, primary challengers are going to have to spend money to keep up while Trump gets free air time.
If Trump is such a joke, ignore him.
“We began defying conventional wisdom back in 2008 when we elected the Kenyan guy.”
You got that right!
Though I still like her and would vote for her, she is increasingly irrelevant. I would not vote for Trump any more than I would vote for Romney.
We can’t ignore him. We need to expose him.
I like his ball-busting, hard-assed, persona.
As long has he keeps the heat on the Kenyan Marxist I’m cool with it.
Understand that there is a pretty large gulf between liking the guy... and actually voting for him.
Even with all his warts, he has shot to the top of the heap. Why? Because the public is STARVING for a tell it like it is leader. They are willing to look beyond all of his negatives because he is so damned refreshing. The public is sick and tired of every parsed word, every lip bite, every ‘party first - America second’ candidate and The Donald is simply giving people what they want.
That is the way I see it.
Who is your pick that has a realistic chance to beat zero?
I wouldn’t say Palin back Trump. She support his right of free speech thats where the “more power to him” comes from
I want to hear him do some ball busting on important issue. Like slashing the budget, dismantling Federal Departments, killing entitlements.
Even if he is sympathetic to this view (there’s no evidence he does) apparently it’s not a passion for him.
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