Free Republic

Months ago, during the Summer of Trump, Republicans looked at the appearance of this gross, comic, orange interloper among them with a mix of shock and disdain. Fox News tried to discredit him as a serious candidate; nobody else onstage knew quite what to do with him. Since then, Trump has created facts on the ground, making himself an indispensable element of the party. He now seems completely normal. Part of it is that Trump has gotten better, more polished. His cartoonish facial gestures come less frequently. He is less outrageous (and less funny). He seems to control his tone...

The Granite State holds its primaries in less a month, and Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the state, beating John Kasich by 15 points. While Kasich has been doing poorly in both statewide, and national polling, he seems to be doing quite well in New Hampshire. His 15% gives him enough support to take at least a few of the available delegates. Donald Trump looks to take the majority of delegates, especially if Chris Christie and Ted Cruz stay below the 10% viability threshold.

OTTUMWA, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump escalated his criticism of GOP rival Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) here in Iowa Saturday, painting him as a political follower beholden to pro-oil special interests and the donor class. Trump’s strategy: to raise further questions about Cruz’s stance on ethanol— an important industry for voters in the Hawkeye State — in the final weeks before the Feb. 1 caucuses. Cruz has faced renewed scrutiny over his opposition to the 2005 Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires gasoline to be blended with amounts of corn ethanol and is set to expire in 2022. “As...

Most national polls show Republican frontrunner Donald Trump trailing likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and faring worse than other GOP hopefuls against her. That raises an obvious question: Could doubts about Trump's strength in a general election derail his bid for the Republican nomination, or would GOP caucus attendees and primary voters simply ignore poll numbers that suggest Trump would be a risky bet in November? SNIP But Quinnipiac University's Dec. 16-20 survey showed Trump's image with all registered voters at 33 percent favorable/59 percent unfavorable - dismal numbers, and the highest unfavorable rating of any GOP hopeful. Trump...