Posted on 04/07/2011 4:05:02 AM PDT by Scanian
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney appears to be the early front-runner in the largely unformed race for the Republican nomination for president, but real estate magnate Donald Trump may be a surprise contender, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
Among Republican primary voters, Mr. Romney captured the support of 21% in a broad, nine-candidate field. Mr. Trump was tied for second with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, with 17%. House Speaker Newt Gingrich got 11%, just ahead of former Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s 10%. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, considered a strong contender by political handicappers, remains largely unknown, with just 6% support. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota had 5%, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum 3%, and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour with just 1%.
Mr. Trump “may be a punch line but when he talks about the way to solve our problems, he makes a lot of sense to the average guy out there,” said Todd Mauney, a conservative Republican in Weatherford, Texas. “I don’t know if people can get over him being the butt of every joke but for me, he can be serious when it’s time to make real decisions.“
In a narrower field of five candidates, excluding Mr. Trump but including Messrs. Gingrich, Pawlenty and Barbour and Ms. Bachmann, Mr. Romney comes out with a comfortable 20-point lead, 40% to Mr. Gingrich’s second-place 20%. Mr. Pawlenty had 12% and Ms. Bachmann 11%. Mr. Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chief and chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has a powerful fund-raising network and a vast Rolodex of contacts, but he has yet to catch on with primary voers. He garnered 3% of the support of those polled.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
Trump would definitely be an act of desperation.
No doubt he was right just look at this mess.
That's basically true. Trump's popularity shows how desparate gop voters are. It's pathetic and sad, really.
That said, Gov. Mitch Daniels is an excellent candidate if he runs. His record in Indiana is excellent. He has the experience and tempermant to do the job. But he probably can't win. He doesn't have enough bells and whistles. The morons won't even notice him.
Let’s hope that the last election made the establishment Republicans realize that their party, as they know it, is toast if they don’t wake up and offer us a real alternative. I think the Pubbies were getting to be liberal-lite and liked it that way. Now the tea party backlash has them running scared since they are starting to understand that those of us who are actually paying attention want OUR party back.
It is what it. We are american idol public. Trump is the only guy who can break through this in 2012.
We need to beat obama. That is more important than anything.
Trojan Trump has fooled you also. Judge a man by his deeds and not by his words. He has supported the DNC for years.
Based on what happened in the last election, I’m not sure this is necessarily the case. People are waking up. For the Republicans, they have a chance if they just put up a decent candidate and not some lib-lite that results in their side simply staying home instead of going to the polls. The only good thing about Obama winning is that, I believe - had John McCain won, he would have done many of the same things this Bozo is doing - and he would have done it with an “R” behind his name. We need a real conservative - with the financial mess this country is in, four more years of Obama could be all it takes to drive this country into a mess it can’t recover from.
If Trump is the best we can do, then it really doesn’t matter.
I would vote for bernie madoff over obama if given the choice.
So which of the positions Trump has spoken of, do you oppose?
This statements we should be tougher on China regarding trade? (don’t see any other Republicans going there)
His demanding Obama show us his alleged birth certificate? (don’t see any other Republicans going there)
His business acumen?
What?
Enjoy your ride on the Trump wagon. It’ll be over shortly.
I see this as good news.
It shows the public is desperate to find someone to challenge Obama....Trump is just in the spotlight lately and is getting attention.
Do you notice they do not pit the likely GOP candidate against Obama?
I suspect the general public is fed up with the current administration and will be willing to elect anyone strong enough to mount a counter-campaign.
Support for Trump just shows that Republican voters are more than ready to rock. At a time when most candidates are keeping their powder dry, anyone who gets in Obama and Democrat faces will be supported.
I think you are both right.
Donald Trump? A pan-Islamist ignoramous who’s a failed tycoon. I’ll never vote for him.
You didn’t answer my question.
Same as what he says about OPEC. I'd tell them it's unacceptable, blah blah. Yeah, they'd laugh at you, and then what?
As for the birth certificate issue, it's entertaining, amusing, and totally beside the point of what is ailing America--which is debt.
As for his business acumen, he seems to be skilled at enriching himself, but if you look at his companies, they all seem to go bankrupt.
And last, he's not serious. He's going to make a mockery of the GOP, which they probably deserve. The birther issue is an easy cheap way for him to get a bunch of chumps on board.
America’s biggest problem is not the debt.
America’s biggest problem is our trade deficit. And the fact it happened, because we de-industrialized what was once the preeminent manufacturing base on Earth.
We are committing strategic suicide, and our side seems utterly oblivious. Stubbornly refusing to even see.
Perot ran as third party...don’t compare apples to oranges.
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