The latest CNN/ORC opinion poll has Donald Trump soaring to 36% among Republican and Republican-leaning voters. This is, of course, good news for The Donald . It is also bad news, not only for his rivals but also for the Republican elite, including its leadership in Congress.
Even worse for the Elite are the rest of the poll numbers, for the runner up is Ted Cruz on 16% and then Ben Carson on 14%. Only Rubio of the remaining contestants reached double figures (12%). All the others, including Bush, Kasich and Christie are below 5%.
These poll numbers are only a snapshot and there are still some two months to go until the Iowa caucus and then the several contests in other States. Anything is possible in that time. But Trump’s lead is remarkable, especially given that his campaign has been limited to rallies, supplemented by TV interviews with hostile Mainstream Media inquisitors. He has so far spent nothing on TV, newspaper and radio advertisements.
It is generally agreed by all commentators that Trump, Cruz and Carson are the three candidates who are running against the Republican status quo. They are universally described as ‘outsiders’. In their speeches and interviews all three adopt a position of hostility to the Party’s performance in Congress during the Obama years. They also go to great lengths to separate themselves from the Party’s bureaucracy and its money-men.
For their part, the leaders in Congress have distanced themselves as far as possible from the three, Ted Cruz being treated by the Senate leadership as an outcast. Everyone knows the Party’s bureaucracy has been rooting for Bush, Rubio or Kasich. and that the bureaucracy dances to the tune of the money-men.
If we add together the percentages in this poll for the three outsiders, the total comes to 66% – two thirds of the Republican base! Even some of the other candidates have stumped on strong opposition to the Congressional leadership and the Party’s bureaucracy. We might venture to say that some 70% of the base is alienated from those who run the Party and lead it in Congress.
It is possible that some Cruz supporters and more Carson supporters would not transfer to Trump if their favorites dropped out and Trump proceeded to the nomination. Perhaps many would stay home on election day in 2016. But the specter of Hillary Clinton in the White House might be enough to galvanize even the Evangelical voters and drive them to the polling booths for Trump.
It is clear that some Party Congressmen and many Party bureaucrats and money men would welcome a Clinton victory if it meant a Trump defeat. But before indulging their distaste for The Donald they should ponder the consequences of detaching themselves from such a large portion of the rank-and-file. After their celebrations of a Trump defeat they may well discover their Party has a head and no body. Trump and his legion of militant followers would surely give birth to a new Nationalist Party.
It is early days and much can happen. The Muslim attack in San Bernardino was a blow to the open borders Internationalists, and a gift to Trump and Cruz. But other unpredictable events, such as a stock market collapse and economic fall-out, might shake things up in a very different way. The US may blunder into a military confrontation with Russia or Israel may nuke Iran. More domestic Muslim terrorism would surely cement Trump’s candidacy unless Obama declared Martial Law.
We watch the Trump rallies and note not only the staggering numbers of supporters, but also the development of his public character and style. In his uniquely casual and humorous way, he is becoming charismatic. Even more significant is the evidence that his crowds include many who normally have little time for Party politics. When the pollsters sift through their contacts for those who say ‘Republican’ or ‘Republican leaning’, are they missing those who consider themselves neither but are willing to vote for a Donald Trump they see as a man above Party?
Meanwhile, Obama’s considered response to San Bernardino confirms our view that he is a crypto-Muslim and determined to advance the Islamic infiltration of the USA. Loretta Lynch for her part reveals that she is on a mission to extract revenge for ‘people of color’. Anyone foolish enough to believe the MSM narrative of desperate Syrian/Muslim refugees seeking only safety anywhere in Europe, should research the goings-on at Calais.