Why the Fourth Most Popular Candidate in Iowa Is in First Place

Weekly Standard ^ | John McCormack | Jan 31, 2016

[Isara]

Des Moines - In the final Des Moines Register/Bloomberg poll, Donald Trump leads the field at 28 percent with Ted Cruz in second place at 23 percent and Marco Rubio in third at 15 percent.

What's remarkable is that Trump is leading despite fact that's he's a deeply polarizing figure among Republicans: Nearly half of likely caucusgoers (47 percent) view him unfavorably, while 50 percent view him favorably. Trump's +3 favorability rating is well behind the favorability ratings of Ben Carson (+50), Marco Rubio (+49), and Ted Cruz (+37). Polling analysts note this is highly unusual:

...

"It makes you scratch your head," J. Ann Selzer, the pollster who conducted the Des Moines Register survey, tells me. "The field is so big--that's part of it. You've got more popular candidates not getting the first-place vote."

The poll found that Trump would lose a two-man race against Cruz by 18 points--53 percent to 35 percent. Close to a majority of Iowa caucusgoers (48 percent) have become less comfortable with Trump winning the GOP nomination. And the largest percentage of caucusgoers (37 percent) said the nomination of Trump would be "not OK" with them. (Just 20 percent said the same of Cruz and 15 percent said the same of Rubio.)

...

[Isara]

Your handy, dandy Trump vs. Cruz comparison chart!

Simply click each policy or issue to read the back-story.

Policy or Issue	Trump	Cruz
In 2013, supported Amnesty for all 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S.	Yes	No
In 2000, supported an Assault Weapons Ban	Yes	No
In 2015, supported "touchback" Amnesty for every illegal alien in the U.S.	Yes	No
In 2000, supported Partial-Birth Abortion	Yes	No
In 2015, lied to gun media about his past support for an Assault Weapons Ban	Yes	No
Supports seizure of private property by the government using Eminent Domain (Kelo)	Yes	No
Supports Mitch McConnell's habitual lies to constituents and fellow GOP Senators	Yes	No
Currently courting and being courted by GOP establishment	Yes	No
Currently supports crony capitalism: billions in taxpayer ethanol subsidies	Yes	No
In 2000, supported Extended Waiting Periods to Acquire Firearms	Yes	No
Amount of debt owed to bankers	Many billions	$1 million
Amount donated to the bogus Clinton "Foundation"	$100,000	0
Endorsed by GOPe icon Bob Dole, who thought Ronald Reagan was "too fringe"	Yes	No
Number of bankruptcies declared by firms he led	4	0
Amount of debt defaulted on	$4.7 billion	$0.00
Number of times married	3	1
Number of "birther" conspiracy theories circulated	2	0
Praised/endorsed Communist for Mayor of New York	Yes	No
Spends virtually every waking moment on social media	Yes	No
Appears to shift his position on important issues literally overnight	?	No
A guy so stable, sober and poised that you want his finger on the button	?	Yep

[Isara]

Presidential Candidates Comparison (Cruz vs. Trump)

Please click on the dots for more details on the ratings of the candidates.

Budget, Spending & Debt
Civil Liberties
Education
Energy & Environment
Foreign Policy & Defense
Free Market
Health Care & Entitlements
Immigration
Moral Issues
Second Amendment
Taxes, Economy & Trade

More at Conservative Review: https://www.conservativereview.com/2016-presidential-candidates

[datura]

One last Twister!!!

Yay!!!

[SaveFerris]

I’ll bet there’s more tomorrow!

[jwalsh07]

Trump knows that his road to victory is the divide and conquer one. You will notice that he has ceased calling for 2% people to drop out. Trump is smart, I won’t deny that.

[Jewbacca]

I believe he gave $250k to Clinton. Five times what was given to vets.
He also owns strip clubs. Very moral

[Zenjitsuman]

BS total BS.

Trump won the Drudge poll 61 percent almost 900,000 votes.

Trump has the largest crowds, the largest Twitter followers.

The biggest crowds up to 35,000 for an event, they stand for hours in the cold and rain before an event.

Trump has the most loyal supporters the polls state.

Of Course when the whole MSM is out to get you they can raise your negatives

So, boycott FOX and Trumps positives will go up as their ratings go down.

Also, ask for OANN on your cable system, sattelite network. We need a real conservative news group not one run by an EX Australian mogul who supports the Soros and Saudi ideals.

[Bobalu]

The Cruz ground game swings into action!

The vote shaming mailer cost him 5 points IMO.... Hope he still manages 2nd place.

[TornadoAlley3]

Do you remember when
Things were really hummin’
Yeaaaah, let's twist again,
Twistin’ time is here!

[mrsmith]

“This lawyer always loses but I hired him because I liked him best.” said my cellmate.

[datura]

Unfortunately, the news no longer carries the campaign messages from any of the candidates, merely the attack lines.

That makes ratings and sells papers.

The Rats no doubt come here to get oppo research.

I’ll be glad when the primaries are over, no matter who wins.

[catnipman]

I agree, the ideal GOP candidate would be one who takes no positions on anything, that way they couldn’t “offend” anyone nor would they be “polarizing”.

[BlueNgold]

Anyone else find it interesting that the Weekly Standard and NRO are alternatively vilified as establishment GOPe tools and then quoted as on the spot depending on what they say about the candidates people prefer?

Of course the same can be said about Time, WaPo, NYT, etc...

[Oklahoma]

What if it wasn’t the Clintons that persuaded Trump to run but the moderate wing of the Republican party? The idea being to split the conservative vote.

Trump wasn’t supposed to do as well as he is doing and Jeb is doing worse. Sometimes the plans of mice and men......

[txnativegop]

nicely done

[Aria]

A moot point. Cruz in eligible. Even Obama managed to sort of produce an American birth certificate.

[HerrBlucher]

That was Bob Dole. He didn’t work out all that well.

[manc]

Agreed. I am sick of all this crap from the usual suspects on here who just want to attack and lie. Both sides do it and those who do only embarrass themselves.

[EDINVA]

Maybe voters no longer care about “popularity” and the BS about “who would you rather have a beer with?”

Maybe they just want someone they know will get the job done, someone who has a track record of accomplishment. After all, who ever really sits down for a beer with POTUS anyway?

[867V309]

... Hope he still manages 2nd place.

Me too. He's like Trumps broken wing man.