Posted on 09/15/2015 9:42:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Only once since the beginning of August had any poll showed Trump leading by less than double digits, and that poll had him up seven. Today’s four-point lead over Carson is the slimmest advantage he’s had since Trumpmania started to break big six weeks ago. In fact, with a six-point margin of error in the new NYT/CBS survey, it’s possible that Carson has already passed Trump for the lead nationally. How’s that for a pre-debate aperitif?
Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, whom many thought would be the last two men standing for the nomination, are at eight percent. Combined.
Mike Huckabee has three times the support that Walker does. For shame, conservative America.
Toss in Carly Fiorina’s four percent and you’ve got 54 percent combined for the three amateur/outsider candidates versus 37 percent for the field’s many professional pols, with another nine percent who don’t know yet. Proof that we’re destined for an outside-the-box nominee this year? Don’t be so sure: Per the Times, fully 63 percent of those polled say they haven’t made up their mind yet about whom to support. Even within the phenomenon of Trumpmania, 46 percent of Trump backers say it’s possible they could eventually switch to another candidate, meaning that only 14 percent or so of Republicans polled here are firmly committed to the Donald. Last week’s Quinnipiac poll showed Carson easily winning the largest share of Trump’s voters as their second choice, so if he has a good debate tomorrow and Trump gets hit hard, you may see him and Trump flip as 1-2 in next week’s surveys.
And what if Trump hangs on all the way into next summer and wins the nomination? Bill Kristol, doubtless speaking for many in the commentariat, tells CNN Money that he’s prepared to go third-party:
“I doubt I’d support Donald. I doubt I’d support the Democrat,” Kristol told CNNMoney in an email. “I think I’d support getting someone good on the ballot as a third party candidate.”…
So who would Kristol like to see on the ballot?
Former Vice President Dick Cheney and freshman Senator Tom Cotton, Kristol said, “would be an excellent independent ticket!”
I guess that party loyalty pledge that Trump signed only runs one way. Kristol raises an intriguing possibility, though. Given the angst about Trump among conservative ideologues, is it possible that a prominent conservative would jump in and run as an independent if Trump is the GOP’s nominee? It’s hard to see how, say, a Jim DeMint could be convinced to throw the election to Hillary Clinton, especially with Trump pounding the table about stronger borders as his signature issue, but maybe Trump will move so far towards the center that conservatives will feel no choice but to offer an alternative.
If we’re going to elect a fan of big government, might as well stick with the Democrat and keep the GOP’s brand free from the association, right? Besides, Rick Perry’s critique of “Trumpism” may resonate with enough righties that they conclude it’s the lesser of two evils to keep the presidency in the hands of a mainstream Democrat than as aspiring strongman who’d do God knows what with the office. Again, though, who are you going to convince to run? Who’s a big enough name to pull enough votes from Trump to guarantee his defeat and has enough dough in the bank to pay for the sort of massive operation that’s required? I got nothing.
And playing the DemTard card as the faux victim.
Now this is certainly not scientific, not so by any meaning of the word, BUT, I spent the morning with a friend at Togus VA hospital in Maine.
Each time he went in for test, monsanto didn’t get him in Nam but they sure are still trying, anyhow each time he went in for a test, I would chat with the other older vets stitting waiting to be called.
The conversations all were about Trump. Not one of the vets said they were supporting Ben Carson. Not One. Every last one I talked to was supporting Donald Trump.
I talked to probably twenty guys.
With this being the New York Slimes who dump on Trump with hate on a daily basis month after month, it doesn't take much to skew polls they want to hear and the Establishment.
Yeah, it's totally hinky. Carson may have come across as the gentle nice guy during the first debate, but anyone taking a closer look would see he's pretty clueless as far as real world experience. That lack of knowledge is reflected, IMHO, by some of his more liberal ideas.
The white house is full of Ben thinkers.
For the past two months Donald Trump has received billions of dollars of free advertising time from every aspect of the media to promote his candidacy.
If a company like Coca-Cola, for example, had been given such an extraordinary advertising bonanza to promote Coca-Cola as the cure for every ill in America, as Donald Trump has been doing for himself, does anyone doubt that Coca-Cola would be flying off the shelves and people would be waiting in supermarket parking lots to cheer on the arrival of new Coca-Cola supplies?
Yet after two months of unprecedented self-promotional media opportunities for Donald Trump to sell his candidacy, he’s only receiving 27% support in Republican polls.
Meanwhile, another candidate, Ben Carson, who has received almost no free advertising time in the media, is neck and neck with Donald Trump.
Every Republican who has not been in a coma for the past two months knows who Donald Trump is and whether they like him enough to support his candidacy, and the vast majority — 73% — do not.
Now it’s time for others to come in and give their opinions, and, hopefully, William Kristal’s tiny moment in the spotlight that the media has allowed him between hours of Donald Trump coverage will result in many new subscriptions to ‘’The Weekly Standard’’ from those who share his views.
I do not believe the poll. If you hear Ben Carson talk you will soon fall asleep. He is another who wants millions of illegals to take your job or lower your wages. He is a plant used to siphon off votes.
Who is pushing Carson, he doesn’t have a shot at winning anything!
The difference is that these polls are of the narrower population of "Republican Primary Voters," but the arenas are filled with crossover general election voters.
-PJ
well we know one fact with certainty....... you are wrong
I heard him speak to an overflow crowd from the stage of a Forbes 400 company in February. The company is a-political except they recognized in Dr Ben the traits that would make a good president
He told stories, great stories..... he told of living in the roach infested Deeetroit projects. he said it was necessary to be very careful at breakfast with the raisin bran. you had to check to be sure the raisins were not roaches. that was his background point
then he said he shouldn’t tell that story because his colleagues on the Kellogg board might not appreciate it. that was his current status point
he definitely has strong support in high places
Then there is me..... I’ve heard him he will make a great president
I agree, there appears to be BIG money promoting him.
I am sure he is an amazing man, he just isn’t going to be President.
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