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Will ‘Electability’ Sink Trump?
Roll Call ^ | Jan. 3, 2016 | Stuart Rothenberg

Posted on 01/03/2016 8:53:05 PM PST by justlittleoleme

Most national polls show Republican frontrunner Donald Trump trailing likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and faring worse than other GOP hopefuls against her.

That raises an obvious question: Could doubts about Trump's strength in a general election derail his bid for the Republican nomination, or would GOP caucus attendees and primary voters simply ignore poll numbers that suggest Trump would be a risky bet in November?

SNIP

But Quinnipiac University's Dec. 16-20 survey showed Trump's image with all registered voters at 33 percent favorable/59 percent unfavorable - dismal numbers, and the highest unfavorable rating of any GOP hopeful.

Trump trailed Clinton by 11 points, 49 percent to 38 percent, in the mid-December Fox News ballot test, while Cruz and Clinton were tied at 45 percent and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio held a 45 percent to 43 percent lead over Clinton. The Quinnipiac poll found Trump trailing Clinton 47 percent to 40 percent, while Cruz and Clinton were tied at 44 percent and Rubio trailed Clinton by a single point, 44 percent to 43 percent.

But not every survey showed Trump trailing Clinton so dramatically in hypothetical match ups. For example, a Dec. 17-21 CNN/ORC survey showed the two candidates separated by only two points (Clinton 49 percent, Trump 47 percent). Of course, Cruz held a 2-point lead over Clinton and Rubio a 3-point lead in that survey, seemingly confirming that Trump is a weaker nominee against Clinton than at least two other Republican hopefuls.

But even if additional surveys between now and the Iowa caucuses show Trump's relative weakness in the general election, it is not yet clear that GOP voters - and Trump voters - will care. Opinion about the importance of "electability" as an issue for voters has been divided over the years.

(Excerpt) Read more at 3.blogs.rollcall.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruzisright; election; elections; ezsleazylawyerted; immigration; nocharismated; stalewhitebreadted; trump; trumpaintright; trumpwasright; trusted
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To: editor-surveyor; onyx

Hey Onyx! Didn’t realize you were organizing bus loads too LOL


221 posted on 01/04/2016 7:53:52 AM PST by hoosiermama
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To: editor-surveyor

You think twenty thousand people are ‘bused in’? You gotta be kidding me.

Unions are having a hard time busing in a hundred people for the Clinton fiascos... You overestimate how much money unions have for this kind of thing... Also when unions bus in people there are actual BUSES in the parking lot.

If the MSM saw something like that they would report it in a New York Minutes. They do NOT cover for Republicans ONLY for democrats.


222 posted on 01/04/2016 7:54:59 AM PST by GOPJ (The MSM's the thug arm of the Democrat Party. They'll keep a lid on anything that might hurt Hillary)
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To: editor-surveyor
You think twenty thousand people are ‘bused in’? You gotta be kidding me.

Unions are having a hard time busing in a hundred people for the Clinton fiascoes... You overestimate how much money unions have for this kind of thing... Also when unions bus in people there are actual BUSES in the parking lot.

If the MSM saw something like that they would report it in a New York Minutes. They do NOT cover for Republicans ONLY for democrats.

223 posted on 01/04/2016 7:55:17 AM PST by GOPJ (The MSM's the thug arm of the Democrat Party. They'll keep a lid on anything that might hurt Hillary)
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To: Amntn

That one is on auto scroll over, don’t matter the subject.


224 posted on 01/04/2016 7:59:54 AM PST by going hot (Happiness is a Momma Deuce)
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To: GOPJ

.
What do 6-8 large buses mean sitting outside the rally venue?

You’re in deep denial.


225 posted on 01/04/2016 8:01:33 AM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Jim Noble
At this point in 1980, Ronald Reagan was 30 points behind Jimmy Carter. He won 45 states on Election Day.

To be fair the country was still 90+% white at that point.

226 posted on 01/04/2016 8:02:05 AM PST by riri (Obama's Amerika--Not a fun place.)
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To: GOPJ

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The MSM are the totality of Trump’s support.

They report what will keep his name up front all the time.

That is their objective.


227 posted on 01/04/2016 8:03:37 AM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

Twenty thousand people and you think 6 busloads would make a difference? Are you putting me on?


228 posted on 01/04/2016 8:03:45 AM PST by GOPJ (The MSM's the thug arm of the Democrat Party. They'll keep a lid on anything that might hurt Hillary)
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To: editor-surveyor

OK, name someone in the MSM that’s backing Trump. Mika on “Morning Joe” said journalist covering Trump feel like their skin is crawling when they cover him. You can look at their scrunched up little hateful faces and see it...

I know you’re not a Trump fan - that you back Cruz... but this is really too much editor. You must know the MSM doesn’t like Trump... elites hate him.


229 posted on 01/04/2016 8:09:34 AM PST by GOPJ (The MSM's the thug arm of the Democrat Party. They'll keep a lid on anything that might hurt Hillary)
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To: Amntn

I guess those labor unions have really been busy. LOL!


230 posted on 01/04/2016 8:11:29 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

Again, forest for the trees....

We don’t live in a simple winner take all democracy, we live in a democratic Republic, in a place that has the Electoral College.

I have no doubt Cruz will win red states by bigger margins, than Romney or McCain, but that doesn’t equate to one more single EC Vote. I think Trump or Rubio will also likely win every red state from 2012. Where Cruz and Rubio fall apart however, is I have ZERO confidence they will win many states that were blue in 2012.

The south is getting more conservative, as the blue dogs are abandoning the Democrats... and Democrats to their credit have built a coalition that can win the EC without the south... so they just don’t care.

If you win NC by 1% or 15%, you don’t get 1 more EC vote... So, to win you have to win by winning more states, not by larger national margins.

If Candidate A wins 35 states by a 1% margin on average, and candidate B wins 20 states by a 5% margin, who did better?

So I ask you, and everyone else, what states do you think Cruz or Rubio take that Romney didn’t? What is your path to 64 more votes? Even if you are given the two big guns of OH and FL, you are still 17 votes shy... so where do you find them? With Rubio or Cruz, there are only a very limited number of options/paths.... VA? Wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.. but maybe... but you still need 1 more state? IA? CO? NM? And what if no VA? VA has become a bastion of liberalism thanks to DC Sprawl... SO if you don’t get VA as well, who do you get? You have to take all 3 of the others to make it happen...

That’s way way way too skinny of a path. What state, other than those listed, do you honestly think a Rubio or a Cruz would have any chance of flipping?

Now, take Trump, What red state do you see Trump losing that Romney won? Only one I see as a possible loss would be Arizona at worst, and I am not fully convinced Rubio or Cruz would hold that one either... but lets just give up AZ to make the exercise more interesting... So Trump needs 75 not 64 like a Cruz or Rubio... But what states come into play?

I assume FL and OH still go Red, the same possible battleground of VA, IA, CO, NM are in play, but I also see states like PA, NY, NJ, WI, MI and others (to a lesser extent) going into play (MA possibly). The path to victory becomes far broader. Nearly any of those states replace AZ and some of them make victory almost certain.

The election is still 11 months away so we will see, but honestly, I see Trump as the one who opens up the map and gives a large victory... I see Cruz frankly as unelectable, I don’t see a path where he is going to flip 64 total EC votes. I do think he will win red states by larger margins, but I don’t see him flipping 64. Rubio probably has a slightly better chance of getting 64, but I don’t see a wide map for him either..... This analysis isn’t based on how much I personally like or don’t like any candidate. Rubio’s amnesty stand makes him a non starter for me, and I do think it will weaken his overall turnout vs others, particulary in red states, but I don’t think it will cost him any of the 2012 red states either.

Trump, as I see it is the only one who opens up the map, and shakes up the entire paradigm and that, is why the GOPe and DNC are petrified of the guy IMHO. If Trump wins, he won’t just win, he’ll win in a big way... no it won’t be 1984, but it will be big, he will take away many states that dems think, and under conventional opponent would be, safe.

Time will tell if I am right, but that’s how I see it.


231 posted on 01/04/2016 8:13:02 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: Cobra64

.
The smart people are the majority here, they just don’t buy into Trump’s BS.


232 posted on 01/04/2016 8:16:07 AM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Caipirabob

.
We need not worry about Hitlery, Cruz will easily take care of her if Trump doesn’t go turd party over his but hurt.


233 posted on 01/04/2016 8:18:01 AM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Amntn; Jim Robinson

Bump to post #27. :)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3379366/posts?page=27#27


234 posted on 01/04/2016 8:20:21 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

I guess they have.

I don’t think there are enough union members in the southern states to make a dent in the Trump crowds.


235 posted on 01/04/2016 8:20:37 AM PST by Amntn ("The only special interest not being served by our government is the American people" - Donald Trump)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

You obviously haven’t been listening to Trump to be asking those questions.


236 posted on 01/04/2016 8:20:49 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: dalereed

.
Trump and Bush are twins separated at birth.

They both embrace the globalony socialist crap.


237 posted on 01/04/2016 8:22:49 AM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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"Iran is not getting rid of any of its nuclear plants.
They're not getting rid of anything."

Donald Trump



click the pic
donate to the most conservative online site!


238 posted on 01/04/2016 8:24:17 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: onyx

I loved the pictures you showed up, you look like you were in heaven!!!

Trump is going to take IOWA and LANDSLIDE right into the OVAL OFFICE!!!

GO.TRUMP.GO!!!


239 posted on 01/04/2016 8:28:25 AM PST by HarleyLady27 (.."THE FORCE AWAKENS"!!! TRUMP; TRUMP;TRUMP;TRUMP 100%....)
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To: editor-surveyor

<< “Trump and Bush are twins separated at birth.
They both embrace the globalony socialist crap.”>>

Oh, BS.

Trump being interviewed by Blitzer in 2013; trashing Bush and others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAVYjIfU3eA


240 posted on 01/04/2016 8:29:18 AM PST by Nita Nupress
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