Polls show Donald Trump gaining strength with Republicans after Muslim remarks
The condemnation from Republicans officials for Donald Trump over his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country has been near-universal, with party leaders from House Speaker Paul Ryan to former Vice President Dick Cheney rushing to denounce him. But the polls released since his remarks on Monday show him gaining strength with GOP voters.
A FOX News poll conducted Sunday through Tuesday shows Trump with a commanding lead in the important early voting state South Carolina, taking 35 percent support to the runner-up Ben Carson’s 15 percent. More tellingly, the pollsters actually found an 8 percent uptick in Trump’s support in the two days after his anti-Muslim rhetoric received blanket news coverage.
Meanwhile, a poll conducted by Zogby Analytics shows Trump running away with the GOP nomination if it were held today, two days after he made his remarks. The increasingly controversial billionaire leads by 25 points, with support that exceeds the combined support of the next three closest rivals, Carson, Rubio, and Cruz.
The poll was conducted entirely after Trump’s remarks were made public. And while some have disputed the methodology, Zogby’s poll showed Trump’s support at the highest levels the firm has ever measured—in other words, a clear trendline in Trump’s favor after his comments.
There are signs beyond Trump’s own poll numbers showing that his remarks aren’t hurting him with the GOP base. A PulsePoll conducted by Purple Strategies showed that almost two-thirds of Republican voters surveyed agreed with Trump’s position. Meanwhile, the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling tested GOP views on Trump’s rhetoric on Muslims and found that a plurality supported him on the issue.
It’s possible that more nuanced data will emerge in the next few days showing that GOP voters are in fact becoming increasingly wary of Trump—which is clearly the party establishment’s hope, considering the reproving chorus directed at Trump from the GOP elite. Trump’s improved numbers come just hours after a Politico story quoting GOP congressional insiders aired fears of what a bombastic, potentially radioactive Trump nomination could do to the party’s congressional majority in downballot races.
But for now, the pattern in the GOP nomination race that’s held since July is intact. Donald Trump creates controversy by offending a large group of people, earns widespread condemnation from GOP leaders, triggers speculation from pundits that this time, he’s finally gone too far for GOP voters to follow him… and then sees improved polling showing a growing and dominant lead.
If there’s a difference this time, it’s that GOP leaders are far more strident in their pushback against Trump. Dick Cheney said it “goes against everything we stand for.” “This is not conservatism,” Paul Ryan insisted. Jeb Bush, with more than a whiff of desperation, stated, “I can guarantee Donald Trump won’t be the nominee.”
That used to be conventional wisdom. But as the GOP party elders scramble to define conservatism on their own terms, the party base has a different idea. And they look increasingly to give Trump the final say on what conservatism means in America.
William Dahl is a recent graduate of The College of William and Mary, where he majored in Government and studied abroad in La Plata, Argentina. He has worked for community foundations in Argentina and Miami dedicated to community engagement and prosecution for human rights abuses. A native Virginian, he moved to Baltimore in 2013 to join a financial research firm, where he enjoys being able to write on the side.
Should
American voters see any funny business in trying to dislodge Donald Trump from
his forward momentum in winning the Presidency–one whisper, one sleight of
hand, they will be looking at a mass departure from the GOP establishment. Any
wrongdoing by the Party of Ronald Reagan will need resuscitating equipment to
win this election. Trump has pledged not to abscond from the Republican Party,
but if he is bullied by the elitists he has several avenues to pursue? Why are
most of the hierarchies in the party so outraged with Donald Trump, because
dissimilar to them he is not stained by corruption as he beyond their reach and
cannot be brought and paid for by the rich and powerful donors.
Trump has a
god given right to be the nominee for President. And John Kasich like any of
the GOP hard liners ‘Can go to hell” as Lindsey Graham said about Trump.
Whatever Trumps character proclaims he has a far decent aura than the
personages who have led us into this mess. Former House speaker John Brohner
just gave Obama everything he needed, and including an extreme budget,
Obamacare and not trying to use the ‘Power of the Congressional Purse’ to end
Obamas pursuit’s of his executive orders to end the illegal alien invasion.
The money
placed into Super PAC’s not only enriches the politicians for campaigns as much
is used for personal benefits. The top of the league is occupied by Jeb Bush,
whose numbers has diminished and Hillary Clinton who seems to be bullet proof,
even though she has a growing compendium of potential criminal afflictions. The
rest are trailing behind, except for Ted Cruz who has a favorable progression
among his supporters. It seems to me money buys anything in Congress, including
a politicians vote on the floor–Democrat or Republican.
We shouldn’t
be forgetting that Donald Trump pledges to clean up corporate welfare, the
movement of large companies moving overseas or central and South America where they can use cheap labor and
we lose jobs. What is significant is
Trump is a free trader, but owing to bad previous negotiations–America does not have free trade. This is
one of the reasons why the GOP establishment hates Trump. All those so called
multinationals will be paying taxes, to bring their products into the United States of what the people get nothing, a 49
% tariff on everything from cars; parts to electronic equipment will have to be
equitable. Companies as Ford, Nabisco and thousand of other American companies
will arrive back here and all Americans will be gaining in jobs. Our country
will flourish and as Trump stated “American will be Great Again”.
We don’t
need a ‘Shadow Government’ of corporate and Industrial rich controlling
Washington or our politicians. A Trump Administration means that no foreign
countries influencing any elected official, or giving lobbyists an inroad of
privileges for special interests. People in high places as Hillary Clinton has
a sinister side to her, as her and Bill’s Foundation are involved in procuring
money whose sources are no so friendly nations. Regular Americans don’t live in
armed gated communities, high towers, and isolated properties or even on nearby
islands. We live on savings, society security or hard wages with little over.
My faith in
the mainstream media is zero, especially when it’s Corporate and owned by the
Leftist wealthy? Just as with the major political parties their opinions come
first before the real news. I depend on ‘One American News Network’ on cable,
which is free from the spin. Additionally I incorporate my search for the facts
at the Canadian Free Press. Since my bombardment of the net, cannot help notice
that my commentary is barred by the Liberal press. LA Times; Chicago Tribune; etc.
The other
very serious issue is to scrutinize illegal aliens voting. It’s a felony. But
it’s overlooked by the courts; a slap on the hand in most cases and very little
oversight by election committees. Fraudulent elections would have indefinable
consequences on our Democracy. Non citizens voting in tight races could have an
effect of an official losing when the votes are counted. People have cheated
the system by voting in two different counties, even states. We should all be
nervous specifically with absentee ballots and even manipulated electronic
voting machines
Obama thinks
that every preferential executive order is Constitutional, which just goes to
show his incompetent temperament. He has ignored the edicts of the
Constitution. Other than that his advisers, along with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi
need to be certified and place in an insane asylum. King Obama has failed to
name the ISIS terrorists, his refusal in sealing
our borders, using E-Verify so it’s a MANDATORY instrument. These are what both
political parties could have achieved. These are loopholes that would
eventually stop the hiring illegal aliens? How quickly foreign nationals will
leave when no jobs is available and company owners are punished? Both major
parties have a agenda to bring in either cheap labor or for Democrats more
future voters.
I don’t
trust Obamas government, as they seem aligned more so with different Muslim
organizations that has been exposed as dissidents. By intimidation they intend
to control our rights to weapons of any sort. I have taken some precautions for
my family’s protection by buying a handgun. As a sergeant first class from
prior wars never thought I would need a handgun, but that is in the works now.
I do have in my possession a couple of rifles and a shot gun, sitting in a gun
safe, but small handy pistol is more practical for household defense. Take into
consideration that this President released from prison thousands of illegal
aliens, who at this time will be protected in ‘Sanctuary Cities’, but still
walking the streets and not deported. Many are violent felons and committed numerous
heinous crimes and walking our streets of your neighborhood.
No matter how much Donalt Trump is attacked and vilified, the people know in their guts that he is right and will support him. Maybe today the majority of Democrats disagree with him. Once they realize what he says is commonsense they too will vote for him. I believe Trump will win the general election in a landslide, with nothing to compare with in the history of the USA. At the end commonsense will win and the only person who has the galls to sand up to PC fascism of the media and both parties is Donald Trump.
All those who today attack Trump do so at their own peril. The voters will remember their cowardice and lack of commonsense in the next election. Paul Ryan will be history in the next round.
This comment is satire, right?