Posted on 11/19/2015 10:02:45 AM PST by xzins
In the wake of the Paris attacks, Donald Trump's poll numbers are surging. You don't get the real hugeness of that from this article. I have seen polls ranging from 36% to 51%. He is literally overwhelming the field here. No one comes close. The Beltway Boys keep thinking he's peaked and that people will grow up and choose a real leader like RINO extraordinaire Jeb Bush. That's not going to happen. Now they are saying he got a brief bump from the French massacre, but that it will hurt him in the long run. Au contraire, as Ann Coulter pointed out, the attack may have just ensured him the presidency. If more happen (and they will) and/or they happen in America (and they will), Trump could very well just march off with the nomination. He has already said he wants Ted Cruz as his VP. That ticket would win in a monumental landslide and usher back in the Reagan coalition.
Trump Paris
From The Hill:
Donald Trump has gained political strength since the Paris terrorist attacks last Friday, according to most of the polls released in the aftermath.
Trump's gains show him once again confounding Beltway wisdom, where the widespread view was that such a grave event would lead voters to look toward White House candidates who are purportedly more mature and sophisticated than the erstwhile star of “The Apprentice.â€
Instead, it seems that Republican voters have found themselves drawn to Trump's emphatic rhetoric.
“You have voters who are saying loudly and clearly that they want a strong leader to run our country, and that leader is Mr. Trump,†the business mogul's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, told The Hill. “Some of the other candidates didn't have that vision. ... They have not had the foresight to predict these problems.â€
Trump's approach, which tends to be vigorous in tone but light on specifics, draws plenty of criticism even within the GOP.
“Trump makes up for his shortcomings with his force of personality,†said one Republican strategist in New Hampshire who did not want to be identified but is not working for any of Trump's presidential rivals. “I don't think that, on the global stage, you beat [Russian President Vladimir] Putin by offering up your own Putin, in terms of macho charisma. It's far more involved than that.â€
But many Republican voters seem to welcome Trump's bravado after last week's assault on French civilians that left 129 people dead. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the massacre.
In a WBUR poll of Republican voters in New Hampshire conducted just after the attacks, Trump's support had risen 4 points from a similar poll released at the start of this month, and he was ahead of his closet rival, retired surgeon Ben Carson, by a 2-1 margin.
A poll conducted by Florida Atlantic University also found Trump way ahead of his Republican competitors in the Sunshine State. He scored 36 percent support, exactly twice the level of backing secured by second-placed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
And Trump's strength isn't just showing up in state-level “horse race†polls.
A Reuters poll on Tuesday asked voters which of the candidates was best-suited to deal with the threat of terrorism. Among Republican voters, 36 percent opted for Trump. The next most popular response was “none,†at 17 percent. Rubio was again in second place in the survey among actual candidates, but he lagged Trump by 20 percentage points.
Voters' views may yet shift as they absorb the implications of the Paris atrocity. But for now, Trump's rhetoric seems to be striking a chord.
In an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel on Tuesday evening, the real estate mogul insisted that U.S. mosques would have to be closed in response to the threat of terrorism.
“You're going to have to do something,†he said. “Some bad things are happening and a lot of them are happening in the mosque and you're going to have to do something.â€
In radio ads released Wednesday in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — which hold the first three contests in the presidential nomination process — Trump insists, “We must address Islamic terrorism and protect our country first. I will lead by example, as I always have, by vowing to defeat ISIS, stop illegal immigration and the Syrian refugee program, secure our border and bring real change to Washington.â€
At a rally Monday night in Knoxville, Tenn., he earned big cheers when he insisted, regarding ISIS that, “I'm going to bomb the s— out of them.â€
Even Trump skeptics acknowledge that this style has populist appeal at moments of public anxiety.
“It's true that his supporters see him as strong and they are not paying a lot of attention to the specifics of what he is saying,†said GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak. “I think people are fearful. They don't know what to believe but they certainly want a stronger response than [President] Obama has offered.â€
But Mackowiak, who writes for The Hill's Contributors blog, also argued that Trump and Carson would slide as the Paris attack, and possible dangers to the United States, remain in the headlines.
“My sense is that it disadvantages Trump and Carson over the medium-to-long term. Trump — you see it at the debates — he's not even an inch deep†on foreign policy,†Mackowiak said.
The next Republican debate is almost a month away — scheduled for Dec. 15 in Nevada — and beyond that, there is only one more clash set to take place before the Iowa caucuses at the start of February.
That means Trump's rivals may need to find other ways to knock him off his perch. On Wednesday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush delivered a defense-focused speech at The Citadel in South Carolina.
Bush did not name Trump, but the reality TV star was clearly in his sights when he said that the Paris attacks “remind us ... that we are living in serious times that require serious leadership.â€
But such claims will need to resonate more powerfully than they have thus far if Bush is to have any chance. In the WBUR New Hampshire poll, the former governor was mired at 7 percent support, less than one-third of Trump's 22 percent.
Little wonder, then, that Trump aides evince such confidence.
“If you look at the public polling as to who is strongest when it comes to defeating ISIS, Mr. Trump is the clear winner,†said Lewandowski. “These are not my assertions. These are what the polls say time and time again. People want a person who is strong leader.â€
Americans love a bad boy... they love a successful businessman...... they love a strong leader... they love a patriot... and they love to be entertained. Trump has all of that and more. As to his foreign policy, these pundits keep saying he has a shallow policy. Not true. Trump has provided more concrete plans than any other candidate and he and Ted Cruz see eye to eye on just about everything. He knows exactly what he would do in the Middle East and beyond. Trump has surrounded himself with the best and brightest military minds out there. He's done that in every field, you just don't hear about it. So keep on wishing Trump away. He's not going anywhere and at this rate, he will win the nomination. It's worth it just to see the politicos come unglued. No other candidate is speaking so forcefully to what Americans are concerned with. Bush is apathetic and not a leader. Rubio is Bush lite. Carson is a nice guy, but not as president. Ted Cruz is perfect, but may wind up on a ticket with Trump. On the Left's side, you've got an old, corrupt Marxist and don't even get me started on commie Sanders. Huge news for Donald Trump is huge news for America.
Defeating Hillary is an obstacle.
The goal is to restore this country.
Make America Great Again!
true words
Are you going? Post a report if you do.
“A lot of Yeb Bush for Pres commercials here in Ohio this week. “
I’m between Cleveland and Akron and have been getting Carson calls.
“I am really pulling for Cruz. But I could vote for Trump. I would not vote for Yeb. I’m not sure who I might hold my nose for.”
Concur. Cruz, Trump, no Jeb. I’m done holding my nose. I’ll write in Cruz if necessary.
Exactly, and either of those two teams will do it.
Polling is subject to be in error sometimes large errors. Yes polling techniques change
and have to be adapted to by all polling companies. For sure you are likely to get a
different demographic with online versus live calls thus the results will differ.
We’ll see how this turns out before much longer. Take care.
I hear that.
We’re in tough times.
“Just wait until the next debates, everyone’s going to see how shallow he is on foreign policy then! Yeah, that’s the ticket.”
And then it won’t happen (yet again) and they’ll go back to talking about how stupid the American voters are, especially Republicans. Those dumb voters just can’t see how superior Jeb is to that nasty old Trump.
Considering it. Bit of a drive and parking a problem.
World affairs can have an impact on the primaries. McCain was running in the back of the pack before some crap happened overseas a month before Iowa and New Hampshire.
All FReepers should know, Conservatives have been saying for years, and real patriotic Americans know, AMERICANS LIKE STRONG LEADERSHIP. Americans want real people that aren’t afraid of their own values, opinions and ambitions. Americans respect confidence. Above all, more than any other culture in the world, Americans are results orientated (maybe in competition with Germans). That has not gone completely yet. So the mystery of Trump’s success thus far shouldn’t be.
He talks bold and is unafraid to speak what he believes. His boastful tener has some validity as a business mogul. He has a reputation of both taking charge and producing results. He is a leader. He is not shy about it. He doesn’t pander.
THAT’S why he resonating so well with ALL voters, not just Republicans/Conservatives. Put aside his past (not Conservative) for a minute and just analyze the character. This is what we have been predicting would be the successful persona for America. Ironically, on the other side of the same coin, you have Bernie Sanders.
This post does not address Trump’s intentions (stated or otherwise) for the future of this country. I am not addressing his patriotism or liberal past. I am only talking about the character (passion, charisma, stature, confidence) that appeals to Americans. It’s been since Reagan that we had some one like this as an option. And more people are paying attention these days than in many decades.
“Why is the media giving 75% of the coverage to the most UNORIGINAL and MENTALLY UNSTABLE candidate? Why are they not mentioning his LONG LONG HISTORY OF IDIOCY.”
I’m sure if Trump got to know you, he’d think the same about you.
I think that concern could be why he might not pick Cruz for VP. As you say, not because he agrees with that necessarily, or likes it, but could not deal with the attacks.
yuge
Had a chat with a lib friend. He couldn’t believe I was for Trump. I informed him that I had been pushing, for many years, for a real businessman to be President. Myu friend said that he had no political experience. I told him that Trump understood politics and politicians very well! That he’d been buying and selling them, and bending them to his will for decades!
I was even a Perot guy for a couple weeks! I have this mental cartoon of Ross dashing around the Presidential desk squeaking, “Veto! Veto! We can’t afford that! Veto!”
Be careful you may be getting ahead of yourself here this result does not meet your headline. Trump is ahead but others are not that far behind. The only polls that truly matters are the actual primary votes. See below for PPP national result.
PPP’s first look at the Republican Presidential race nationally in six weeks finds that things haven’t actually changed all that much since early October. Donald Trump leads the field with 26%, to 19% for Ben Carson. Trump and Carson were first and second on our last poll as well at 27% and 17% respectively. Also getting solid amounts of support are Ted Cruz at 14% and Marco Rubio at 13%. No one else in the GOP field even gets more than 5%- Jeb Bush reaches that mark followed by Carly Fiorina and Mike Huckabee at 4%.
Where’s Geronl AKA Karl Rove?
I think that The Donald is the battering ram needed to blow down the doors. He can get democrat votes because of his celebrity status and name recognition. I am hoping he chooses The Ted as his VP and chief adviser. After four years of The Donald causing the media to have one melt-down after another, The Ted can take over the program.
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