TED CRUZ MAKES HUGE LEAP, now just FOUR points away from Trump in new poll!!!

Right Scoop ^ | 12/22/15 | Staff

[VinL]

Ted Cruz is going to wake up to an early Christmas gift from the polling elves at Quinnipiac University, as their new results show him making a YUGE leap in popularity to gain on the front-runner Trump. For his part, he increased by one point as well.

Donald Trump’s perch atop the 2016 presidential polls is looking a little shakier this morning.

In the latest Quinnipiac University national survey released Tuesday, Trump leads Texas Sen. Ted Cruz by just four percentage points.

Trump’s share remained essentially unchanged from the university’s last poll, ticking up one point to 28 percent. Cruz, meanwhile, shot up eight percentage points to 24 percent.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio finished third with 12 percent, a five-point drop since late November, while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson continued his downward spiral with 10 percent, a six-point hit in the same period. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie registered 6 percent, his highest level of support in a telephone poll since late May. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush took 4 percent, while all other candidates earned 2 percent or less and 8 percent remained undecided. Of those who named a candidate, 58 percent of Republican voters said they might change their mind before voting in their state’s primary.

Cruz commanded pluralities of support over Trump among those describing themselves as members of the tea party (38 percent to 27 percent) and white, born-again Evangelical Christians (33 percent to 22 percent). Cruz also led Trump among very conservative supporters (38 percent to 27 percent), while Trump led at least nominally in every other demographic polled.

But it’s close. Among men, for example, Cruz trails Trump 30 percent to 29 percent, while among those with a college degree, he trails 24 percent to 21 percent.

In other results, it looks like Cruz does best in a head-to-head competition with Hillary, but he finishes even:

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I don’t know if I agree with that.

Cruz has a solid block of supporters, just as Donald does too, in fact. They are both strong.

I just think this is indeed a spike, and don’t think it is really realistic.

Again this is not to say Cruz is some sort of illusion. He is strong, particularly among his strong base of core supporters.

It is good that we’ve got a good competition between the two at the top.

Just that I think he’s not quite as strong as this poll indicates.

[servantboy777]

Cruz/Trump

[Jack Hammer]

The media are doing their best to torpedo the Republican frontrunner.

If Cruz ever passes Trump, they’ll go to work on HIM.

They can’t stand a conservative leader.

[C210N]

energy convincing themselves number two is a better position than number one.

Beats one candidate who insists happiness is being last.

[LS]

Internals: 64% Trump supporters say mind is made up, 63% of Cruz supporters say they can change their minds.

[basil]

I’m praying with you....

[bert]

-—63% of Cruz supporters say they can change their minds-—

now that’s interesting. there’s a plan B

Dr Ben might still pull it off

[Vaquero]

I guess Trump will have to ask him to be veep. (I prefer Cruz....but the Trump juggernaut is unstoppable.....I will go with Trump’s making America great again until that time it is no longer the case)

[LS]

Or Ben’s supporters did a pit stop at Cruzville on their way to Trumptown.

[bert]

: )

perhaps

[Dr. Sivana]

One poll, does not a reversal make.

First, it ALWAYS starts with "one poll". Beats the heck outta "no polls".

Second, this is not a reversal. Trump's votes are Trump's votes. They are his. He might get some more. We don't know. Cruz' rise has NOT come at the expense of Trump. Some has come at the expense of Carson, some from "and the rest", some from people getting engaged for the first time.

As long as it is Trump vs. Cruz, the Establishment has no options they care for. The Cruz strategists figured on a four "lane" race converging into two lanes: conservative, libertarian, evangelical, establishment. Trump decided to build his own lane. Cruz has the conservative and evangelical lanes and is laying a claim to the libertarian lane. The Establishment lane is turning into an OFF RAMP, making room for the Trump lane merging into a new GOP.

[VinL]

One of the most significant findings: who won the last debate?:

Cruz 40% Trump 20% Rubio 14%

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I (sort of) agree with you.

Cruz is not the other competitors. He has a solid base of support among those who are supporting him, as does Donald.

I just think this poll is overstating Cruz’s support. I will agree though, it is more solid than his other competitors.

(how’s that?)

[cripplecreek]

Ted Cruz has single handedly taken down 2 of the big names in the race.

Kasich when he went after Ted Cruz for opposing bailouts and Rubio for going after Cruz on immigration. Both were actually self inflicted but they took on the gunslinger and lost.

[montag813]

Cruz can win. Cruz SHOULD win. Cruz brings everything The Donald brings to the table and more.

Except 270 electoral votes

[Dr. Sivana]

I just think this poll is overstating Cruz’s support. I will agree though, it is more solid than his other competitors.

No problem. Even if it is an outlier, a definite trend is showing. When he's at 9%, he could be anywhere from 3% to 15%. At 24%, we know he is at least 18%. He is still showing upward mobility. Trump has been gracious, framing the debate as a match between these two, and the GOP-E cannot come up with an alternative scenario that people will buy. Rubio going pro-NSA before Iowa was strategically foolish.

[VictoryGal]

I *LOVE* that I have 2 excellent candidates to choose from, not a bank of RINOs and losers!

[papertyger]

Beats one candidate who insists happiness is being last.

I don't know. I can understand a single person deluding themselves about their own career prospects....

But a mass of football fans praising their team's "ground game" over an opponent whose passes connect...Every. Single. Time.?

[erod]

[demshateGod]

The bulk of Rubio and Carson voters will go to Cruz when they drop out. I'm talking voters, not poll respondents.