The GOP establishment may soon have to swallow a very difficult pill if Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to stay the same or improve as they have recently in Iowa. After the recent presidential debate in Cleveland, there were many pundits, especially Fox News pundits, claiming that Trump may have met his Waterloo after his comments about Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.
Well it appears that the backlash in the conservative voter world was not targeted at the “Donald” but at Kelly, who many detractors felt had made her point to aim verbal attacks at him. But for many in the conservative audience that viewed the debate, the billionaire businessman actually has held his own.
According to a recent NBC Poll, Trump was still maintaining a clear 10 point lead above his nearest Republican presidential candidate rival. This certainly has to make many in the other GOP presidential camps wonder what Donald Trump’s political kryptonite is. He talked about illegal immigrants from Mexico and that didn’t hurt him. He talked about Sen. John McCain and other POW’s and that had little or no impact on his poll numbers, either.
It also appears that like Trump, another political novice and outsider, Businesswoman Carly Fiorina, is getting a bump from the Cleveland debates. So again, one has to wonder if there is truly something shifting in the political heartland of America. Are voters really deciding that what is broken about America cannot be repaired unless someone with no political wiles or experience takes the helm of America’s government?
Fiorina, who was debating on the 5 pm underclass debate stage, actually did herself proud by moving up six solid points from the lower-tier to fourth place in the top tier, according to Newsmax. The political insiders are now squawking about her chances at possibly being at the adult debate table in September if her surging numbers continue.
Another political outsider who actually has been in the top tier for several months has been Dr. Ben Carson. This world famous neurosurgeon may have a fighting chance to actually do some real brain surgery on congressional leaders if he makes it all the way to the White House. In fact, according to a recently released Iowa poll, he is in the number two slot, which kicked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker down to the number three slot in the state poll.
While there are still some who firmly believe that Trump is merely a summer time conservative voter dalliance and that when fall arrives, Trump’s popularity will wither, they may be in for quite a surprise. Trump is broadening his support base to include the very women’s voting population which some claimed he had openly offended by allegedly besmirching Megyn Kelly’s good name.
By the time the next debate rolls around, the Donald may still be in the national poll leader driver’s seat. In case that happens, look for a Fiorina or Carson to be joining him riding shotgun on the debate stage in the number two and three slot. And who knows, Cruz, who got a seven point bump in the overnight NBC polls, might be right there rounding out the top four.
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