Trump on Top (still)
The political circus is leaving South Carolina and heading for the next venue. As the dust clears, we can chalk up yet another win for the Trump Machine — capturing ALL of South Carolina’s 50 electoral votes.
The billionaire’s big wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina — and close call in Iowa — have Republicans of all stripes scratching their heads on this guy. *What is the deal? Why are the voters falling for this (multiple choice: (a) charlatan, (b) reality show start (c) egomaniac (d) nut job (e) Hitler / Mussolini wannabe)?*
The best way to understand this is to look at what the voters are SAYING. In South Carolina, roughly a third of GOP voters saw terrorism as the top issue. Trump’s ‘bomb-the-shit-out-of-them” rhetoric addresses that concern nicely, don’t you think?
Forty percent of SC voters said all illegals should be deported back to their home countries. Again, right in line with DJT’s position.
About three quarters of voters favored at least a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. Once again, right in line with a DJT position.
Just ten percent of voters said they had favorable feelings about the federal government. Forty percent said they are angry at Washington. About half — in line with findings in New Hampshire — say they feel betrayed by DC Republicans.
Cruz, Rubio, Kasich, and Bush ALL can be tied closely to DC Republicans. It’s harder to do that with Trump.
Look at what Gallup is showing nationally. About 40 percent of voters are seeing the economy as the top issue. A billionaire with a vast business empire is positioned pretty well to be seen as strong on the economy.
Gallup finds these issues as the ones right in line behind the economy: dissatisfaction with government, immigration / illegal aliens, terrorism, and national security.
Trump’s rhetoric about being a businessman frustrated 
with how government works folds nicely into addressing that whole “dissatisfaction” thing. His campaign has elevated three issues that follow right to the top of all their communications to voters.
So it all looks like it boils down nicely to some great marketing work. Team Trump is doing with their guy what so many successful businesses do every day in their respective markets — giving the people what they want.
Judging from the polling thus far, the trend in the GOP presidential race is expected to continue into the March 15th North Carolina primary. Polling from PPP, High Point University, and Civitas all has Trump on top of the field in the Tar Heel State with a lead of anywhere from 4 to 10 points over his closest rival (Ted Cruz).
Teams Cruz and Rubio need to study the polling from the primaries-thus-far and start contemplating HOW they are going to more successfully offer what the voters / market is/are demanding. That is, if they want to have any hope of catching DJT.
First of all Brent. Rubio and Cruz are not Constitutionally eligible to be POTUS. Second,Donald J Trump is a strategist. Third, he has been saying the same thing for over 30 years. He is extremely consistent Fourth,he is being guided and advised by top business and international people who have not been bought off by the special interests. Fifth,his father left him $200,000 that he in turn has become a self-made man worth billions by a father Fred Trump that taught him honor,respect,love and staying power to survive. Sixth,he is only expounding on the sentiments of the shrinking middle class. Seventh, he loves this country and the people in it unlike the bureaucracy of DC. Eighth, the sideshow is the power and abuse of the establishment. Ninth, he has bucked the establishment and fought back their abuses. Tenth, Cruz and Rubio have nothing to offer the American people but lies and deceit. Thank heavens Jeb suspended his campaign for now since the public has awakened and want no more dynasties now or in the future.
Trump is a pro-abortion liberal who pretends to be a conservative; a believer that the Federal Government should fund the child killing Planned Parenthood. A skilled marketer who makes his money on the backs of others ( Trump Air, Trump University, Trump Vodka) to name a few. He is an overgrown spoiled brat who could not debate one single issue – bombing the $@& out of ISIS is not a foreign policy platform, We Are Going to Make American Great Again is the new Hope & Change slogan – how did that work out for us?!?!
The GOP lost the abortion battle long ago and we need to move on. Same as we did with same-sex marriage. We do not need to keep fighting battles we cannot win.
If the overgrown spoiled is the only one that can defeat Hillary then we need to throw our lot in with him. Cruz and Rubio have failed to capture the imagination of the voters as has Trump.
We got to go with the hot hand if we are to keep Hillary & Bill strolling back into the White House.
You’ve obviously not been exposed to Mr. Trump and his position papers. He has published extensive policy positions. He specifically said that PP should only be funded for women’s health – NOT abortion. On the liberal side, anyone who says they want to defund PP is automatically accused of not being for women. He’s clarified the distinction.
Stop spouting the mainstream liars and do some research. He is NOT a liberal. He is a common sense pragmatist. We’ve been destroyed enough by ideologues on both sides of the aisle – current administration being one of the worst.
He is not pro-abortion. He is pro life and explains his positions. A lot of people used to be pro-choice BEFORE ultrasounds and other diagnostics proved that it’s a real baby. He’s no different in changing his stand than many others who evolved. Besides, he’s never been an elected official before and asked about in the distant past, he was speaking as a private citizen.
Personally, the most important characteristic is the fact that he intends to put America and Americans first in the decisions. Social issues should be way at the bottom of the list of considerations. If we are not economically strong through strong borders, strong trade deals and an America first approach, no of the other issues matter, because we won’t have a country left to defend anyway.
Just a short time ago, not only did Trump say he was not pro choice, but very pro choice. He also said, recently his sister, a pro choice activist, would make an excellent supreme court justice.
Good God, Frances!
“…he has been saying the same thing for over 30 years. He is extremely consistent” is DEMONSTRABLY UNTRUE in numerous videos that both Fox and the MSMs have been playing ad nauseum! After that, most everything else you claim (falsely) pales by comparison. You, Trump, Hillary, and Obozo could all win “Pants On Fire” awards from Politifact. But Trump’s real Achilles Heel is his consistent bottom rank in national unfavorability polling, where he scored 60% recently. What do you suppose that means in a general election? Riiight- Hillary still beats him!
Frances is correct. Go back and look at interviews he did in the late 1980’s and Congressional Testimony in early 1990’s. He is, in fact, a brilliant man.
Yes, he has been saying the same things for more than 30 years about incompetent government and all the bad policy decisions and the damage they have done to the economy with bad tax policy, bad trade policy and most importantly, bad immigration policy.
His Congressional testimony was quite enlightening and shows his pragmatic and thoughtful understanding of the economy and the engines that drive it.
As to his popularity, that has taken a dramatic turn as people get to know him better. Besides, I don’t care about someone winning a Popularity contest. Obama “mesmerized” his group of idiot voters and look what that’s done for us.
I want competence to get the job done and his personal success for more than 40 years is enough for me.
Hitler, Stalin, Castro, and Mao had the competence to get the job done. That is NOT what I am looking for. I am looking for someone who will fight for limited government and other conservative principles. Trump talks a pretty good game now, but he has not always done so.
Unfortunately for you, other than Trump, there are no small government Republicans running for office.
I don’t consider Trump’s position on ethanol a limited government position and I do not think many would.
Still ethanol is a less important issue than illegal immigration, and Trump has made the right noises, at least recently on that.
Politifact instead should win the pants on fire award from itself. It is a liberal spin site that does not care about facts. No conservative should believe a word they say.
How did a Progressive (yes we can have universal healthcare!!) Democrat end up as the nominee for the Republican party?
The same way Progressive Mitt “Romneycare” Romney became the nominee…
The majority of voters think they can trust the Progressive media to tell them who the “frontrunner” is… http://m.imgur.com/1M1OLma
Nice job. Again.
The rumor is that Mitt Romneycare is about to endorse Marco ”Gang of 8” Rubio, one of the two WORST choices, along with Kasich.
I had an opportunity to meet with Donald Trump with a group of forty Military Veterans, “Special Operations Speaks,” at the arrangement of former Congressman Paul Broun, MD, and local Lt. Col. Ken Benway, Friday evening in Charleston, South Carolina.
It was a very professional and productive 30 minutes in our interaction with Donald. He listened and asked very good questions. Nothing like one sees in the media.
Donald Trump is an experienced, tough minded manager and negotiator and will do us well!
He was coached to study his Constitution of which Dr. Paul Broun is a powerful believer!
Trump is our best chance against Hillary. There is something about Cruz and Rubio that does not bring enthusiasm to the voters.
I agree with this, if we want a Republican in the Whitehouse, Trump is the man to do it.
We have to stop Hillary
Interesting take on the 2016 field as a repeat of the 1968 field:
http://www.beaufortobserver.net/Blog-3931.112112-10572.112112-Deja-vu-it-is-the-1968-election-all-over-again.html
The establishment is uniting behind Rubio, who was a Mitch McConnell patsy in the Senate, and continues his lust for amnesty for illegal aliens. If we put up an establishment nominee like Rubio, stick a fork in us, we are done.
The insurgent candidates are Cruz, Trump, and Carson, and I could live with any of them. Cruz is the more consistent conservative, and so is my top choice. Sometimes I wonder if Carson fully understands issues, and Trump has a history of being of the wrong side of issues before he was on the right side, and he is still wrong on some. Still, I would take either over establishment hacks Rubio or Kasich, who are both BAD (Basically a Democrat).
Cruz is an ineligible candidate who happens to be a liar and a cheat. His behavior since Iowa is shocking. He has not path to the nomination. He was a one trick pony who stole Iowa.
The liar and cheat is Marco Rubio, the establishment’s current golden boy.
Those of us hoping to beat the establishment do not need to be bashing other insurgent candidates too much. Personally, I could live with Cruz, Trump, or Carson. I have concerns about Trump’s changes of position on some key issues, but I will keep my fingers crossed that he will stick to his current ones before I would support a Rubio or a Kasich. We really need to put a stop to illegal immigration before we are completely overrun.
The key is issues, and Trump is at least making the right noises on lots of them. I prefer Cruz’ greater consistency over time, but if Trump comes out the horse we need to ride to beat the establishment, I would get on board.
Cruz is the ultimate insider, pretending to be an outsider. Go look at the people he has on his team. Neocons and CIA agents conducting Psychological operations. It appears he’s a sleeper manchurian candidate who the Establishment purposely set up to give an “outside” choice. Cruz worked for George W and his wife Heidi is part of the Council on Foreign Relations, which is the group pushing for One World Government. She was one of the authors of the plan for the North American Union, which is intended to be one of the steps to achieve the NWO.
Rubio is just a pretty face with absolutely no depth to him. Anyone who doesn’t even show up to work at his Senate job has no business running for President. He’d be just as lazy as Obama.
We don’t need any Junior Senators.
I like Carson, but they’d run all over him. Nice guy, but not strong enough.
I wish I liked Kasich, but he really is a Democrat and the people of Ohio are very unhappy with him. He’s a big government guy.
Although, it’s irrelevant about Cruz and Rubio anyway because neither are Constitutionally eligible. They were put in there by the establishment to split the votes – previously intended for Bush. Now, they will garner them until they decide that Cruz and Rubio are no longer useful to them. While the establishment is behind Rubio, I don’t think they intend for him to win.My guess is they hope for a brokered convention and will probably want to give us Paul Ryan – ugh!
Better to go with the American candidate.
I just read where Senator Thom Tillis has endorsed Rubio. That will help Rubio in North Carolina for sure and it will definitely hurt Trump.
The pattern of politicians with ALEC affiliations supporting Rubio is becoming quite clear.
It would only help if there’s respect for Thom Tillis – and there isn’t. He’s as bad as we thought he would be.
One establishment turd who enables Obama policies endorsing another establishment turd who enables Obama policies. You know what they say about birds of a feather.
If the GOP nominates an establishment turd as our nominee, say hello Hillary. There will be more than last election’s four million staying home. After Boehner, McConnell, and Ryan, the base is absolutely sick of the GOP establishment.
“The GOP lost the abortion battle long ago and we need to move on. Same as we did with same-sex marriage. We do not need to keep fighting battles we cannot win. ”
DITTO!
We have given the so-called “establishment” Republicans a landslide in the last two elections! And what have they done? Bent over and grabbed their ankles for Obama and the Democrats!
You can tell a tiger by his stripes; and the congressional Republicans’ stripes are YELLOW.
Time to give an outsider a chance. He can’t do any worse than the spineless idiots who are already in there!
Announcing the endorsement of Cruz-Carson, Brannon and Brawley. The American public has been dumbed down and compromised too far to make wise choices but, as long as we are here, we can dream.