Wednesday, April 06, 2011

America, you've been Trumped -- Donald Trump surges ahead in the polls

By Pablo Fanque
ATIT National Affairs Correspondent

We now know that Donald Trump has the same sort appeal to the knuckleheads as Sarah Palin once did, and as, say, Ross Perot did when he was running strong.

In a stunning poll released yesterday by the Wall Street Journal/NBC polling organization, Ex-Governor Mitt Romney was running in first place, but real estate "tycoon" Donald Trump surged into a surprise tie with Ex-Governor Mike Huckabee for second place.

In the poll of likely Republican primary voters, Romney snagged 21% of the vote in the field of nine candidates.  Trump was tied for second with Huckabee, with both drawing 17%.  Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich polled 11% and just nosed out Ex-Governor Sarah Palin at 10%.  Ex-Governor Tim Pawlenty-- a favorite with the milktoast crowd-- that most pundits think will come on strong (even as he continues to languish in obscurity) pulled only 6%.  Congressperson Michele Bachmann of Minnesota had 5%, Ex-Senator Rick Santorum Drew 3%, and Mississippi Gov. Haley "KKK" Barbour drew an awesomely pathetic and wonderful 1%,

The pollsters say a big factor in Trump's numbers was his 96% recognition.  We also think it is because the public perceives him as a truth-teller (despite his execrable recent conversion to raising the flag for the "birther" "movement).  He's the guy who yells "You're fired!"  And the American public loves people who make money, especially when they've done it more or less honestly.  Nevermind that he started out with all his dad's money and property and has racked up one failed venture after another.  He has said publicly that he'd be willing--if he decided to make a run--to spent $600 million of his cash cache on the campaign. 

Then again, you have to consider his looks.  As we wrote here many years ago, no matter how charming Steve Forbes was (he wasn't), or how smart his flat tax proposal was (it was, sorta), he could never be a serious candidate for President if only because of his looks.  Alas, The Donald falls into that same category.  Not that there aren't at least fifty other reasons why Donald Trump should not be President. . .

Donald Trump is enjoying all this and is not seriously considering a run for the White House.  We also suspect his fame and this popularity bubble will be even more fleeting than, say, the ones Mike Huckabee or Howard Dean experienced.  In what's sure to be a turbulent political season, it will be, at the least, fun to watch.
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1 comment:

jackie cee said...

Fuck Trump. Remember the freedom riders.