Posted on 12/22/2015 4:10:09 AM PST by 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:
One can find a poll that says whatever he wants.
You can find more than one if you want to do so. But oddly, polls don’t mean much to people who swear by them. This group tends to only open eyes to polls that agree with it’s existing view.
So whether I hand you polls saying something or not, I don’t think it will matter. I’m not here to convince you or anyone...just to express my opinion.
My opinion is that Trump pulls from traditional Dems as much as Rs. My opinion is also that you are the type who only sees his view and refuses to ever consider anything different.
You’ll ask again for me to hand you polls you won’t believe. I’m not going to do that for you. You’ll say that’s because they don’t exist. They do, but you’ll refuse to look. If you really wanted to find polls that said something besides what you want, you can easily find them.
Have a Merry Christmas.
If Cruz gets the nomination, it’s going to be brutal for Hillary in the debates. I just hope he will go after her the same way Trump would.
Don’t have any confidence that Ted will build the Wall!
that shows problems for Trump.
*********
Trump’s propensity to alienate the supporters of other conservative candidates is his major problem. Yesterday, he said:
“Ask Jeb Bush if he enjoys running against me. Ask Lindsey Graham, did he enjoy running against Trump? Ask Perry, ask Gov. Perry. Ask Bobby Jindal,” Trump said. “Ask all of these guys that have gone out, do they enjoy running against Trump?”
He took out Carson with a personal attack. How could Trump then reasonably expect Carson’s voters to gravitate to him, when they had Cruz as a conservative alternative?
In his comments yesterday, there is no earthly reason to continue to attack Perry and Jindal— they’re gone.
These personal attacks may bolster his base, but they limit his appeal to the supporters of the conservative candidates that he insults on a personal level.
His attack on Carson was inexplicable— and now he continues with Perry and Jindal. That’s his problem.
What states that Romney lost can Cruz win?
I still remember screaming at the television when those economic figures were “corrected.”
“That’s not correction: THAT’S FRAUD!”
I’ll tell you what — whether or not you like Cruz, that dude has run an absolutely brilliant campaign! His decision NOT to attack Trump in the early stages of the primary season has paid off fabulously. His commitment and hard work to establish a national ground game with local conservative groups and leaders has well positioned him to get some early wins and high finishes in the early states as well as the “SEC primary”.
IMO, this strategy and implementation represent highly intelligent thinking and planning, just the sort of qualities I believe are desperately needed in our next President if we have any hope of righting the disastrous course of the republic.
This is true, but I must tell you, I like Cruz, but I wouldn’t spend ten minutes waiting to hear him speech or stand in line for him. Trump brings in the crowds.
I know what it “says.”
What I want to know is who are the Cruz voters who go for Hillary when presented with Trump?
“What states that Romney lost can Cruz win? “
Well, I will say, those 4 million conservatives, who sat on their hands at home rather than vote for Romney, might make a difference in several states.
Too bad he’s not constitutionally eligible.
You are gonna have to think again, mate. From the same poll:
Cruz is running even with Hilary Clinton, same as in the NBC and Fox polls, but Trump is getting killed by Hilary Clinton by 7% in this poll, by 10% in the NBC poll and by 11% in the Fox poll.
Cruz’s view on abortion would be a bold color difference compared to any other viable candidate vs. clinton.
We need the bold colors of Reagan, not the pale pastels of the GOPe and Trump on abortion.
Has any noticed the polling that shows the country has been steadily moving towards the prolife position for a while?
It’s the MSM, the WXLYGBT movement and the left that worship abortion rights and want all, to think the world does too.
Cruz is a gifted orator that can compassionately defend his position against a barrage of hate.
The planned parenthood videos only serve to bolster and support the pro-life position as well.
HUGE DITTO!!!!!
Jeb Bush took 4 percent, while all other candidates earned 2 percent or less...
Bush is going to have to move up in the polls in the new year or he will be dead before the Iowa caucuses. How can he keep raising money with an approval rating of 4% ?
That is a BS poll. Cruz, I do not believe, can beat Hillary.
How is going to do that? If Trump is not the nominee, then millions of people like me will stay home and not vote.
I look at Cruz and see the GOP version of Obama, nothing of accomplishment and a first term senator with no real world experience or leadership abilities. He says the right words and people fall all over themselves and he is the savior.
Shows problems for Cruz. 2/3 of his supporters aren’t solid. 2/3 of Trump’s are.
Second, if you're gonna play that game, in poll after poll CARSON does better against Hillary than anyone . . . so we should nominate him, right? Sorry. Try again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.