Posted on 03/23/2016 7:35:15 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Donald Trump has inspired a gaping regional divide among Republican voters in Wisconsin, reflecting many of the fault lines plaguing the GOP today.
In an upside-down version of a traditional campaign, the Republican front-runner is immensely unpopular in the reddest part of the state — the outer suburbs and exurbs that ring Milwaukee.
These are the party’s bedrock counties: Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee. They typically dictate the outcome of GOP primaries like the one Wisconsin will hold for president April 5. And in fall elections, they’re arguably the best-performing Republican counties in America.
But GOP voters in these counties dislike Trump by a very large margin. In extensive polling by the Marquette University Law School, 25% view him positively and 64% view him negatively, for a “net favorability” — in his own party — of “minus 39.”
The picture is dramatically different at the other end of the state, in the small cities, towns and countryside of northern and western Wisconsin.
Here Trump’s favorability score is “plus 21” among Republicans: 53% view him positively and 32% view him negatively.
This geographic chasm reflects some of the key voting patterns seen in other states this year, including Trump’s strength in struggling white communities and his appeal to blue-collar Republicans.
It also follows the contours of the 2012 presidential primary map in Wisconsin, when Republican Rick Santorum won in the north and west while getting clobbered in the more populous southeast by Mitt Romney, the eventual nominee.
But the regional gap over Trump here is remarkable for its own reasons.
One is how dramatically attitudes vary from north to south in Wisconsin, shedding light on the kinds of Republicans Trump is turning on as well as turning off.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
“In extensive polling by the Marquette University Law School, 25% view him positively and 64% view him negatively, for a “net favorability” — in his own party — of “minus 39”
That looks about the same as the national statistics which have him viewed negatively at 60%.
Exactly what do they dislike about Trump? Is it his hair?
It’s not just the “establishment” that dislikes Trump. Lots of rank and file GOP voters do too.
And, since there’s a good chance he’s the candidate, the establishment should stop the attacks unless they prefer Hillary. Even if Cruz ends up the candidate it won’t hurt to have supported Trump for the last few months of the primaries.
They like the Goldmanchurian Candidate even less.
No that is the Establishment. Trump is doing poorly in ares where average income is $100,000 or higher. People who currently greatly profit from an existing system fear change. Trump represents change.
Newsflash, the uniparty has preferred Hillary from the beginning of this season's election charade. Jeb was the designated RNC loser. The RNC does not want to win the presidency in this cycle. It will oppose a strong candidate, and let a weak one be skewered by the DEMs.
His character, his policies (or lack of any substance), his liberal history, his incoherence in interviews and debates.
Wisconsin is in play, that's for sure, but those high negatives don't reflect the state as a whole.
Yes so many voters dislike Trump that he is running a big lead in the primary that cannot be overtaken. What a shame. :-)
This is why the media and the GOPe are more or less insinuating that Trump supporters are “white trash”. Easier to denigrate them than rich suburban families. Shameful.
Hi reaganaut1,
I’m curious to know if Scott Walker has tendered support for anyone. With his perpetual election success in Wisconsin, I’d think it would have some value there. Has he intentionally stayed away from endorsing?
Gwjack
Funny I never hear any specifics.
Many more “rank and file GOP voters” like him more than Cruz or he couldn’t have won twice the number of states as Cruz. Cruz might win Wisconsin though. I am certain establishment Scott Walker will endorse him in the coming days and Mitt Romney will bombard the state with robo calls telling voters that Trump is really Attila the Hun reincarnated. Finally the establishment has one of their own they think can beat Trump. So no more pretending that Cruz is an “outsider” which was always a bad joke.
What do you think “rank and file” GOP voters are?
You mean the debates he won even though Ted was the high school debate club champ?
Gilbert is a hack and the Marquette poll is bought and paid for by the left.
Mark Belling (occasional fill-in for Rush) on WISN is on a perpetual tirade against Trump.
He has/had a strong preference for the Memorizer Bunny; now he’s a Cruz fan.
I would never have thought him to that far “in the tank” for the GOPe.
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