Currently, 214 polls from 29 pollsters show Hillary Clinton favorable by 47.5% and unfavorable by 42.3%.
Marist, Fox News, ABC/Post surveyed Republican supporters and party leaders with a suggested list of sixteen GOP candidates. Mitt Romney was leading with percentages ranging from 19% to 21%. Jeb Bush received varying results ranging from 10% to 14%, while “unsure/other” received 6% to 13%.In stark contrast, pollsters Marist and Fox News asked Democrats who they favored for President and the results are not surprising. Hillary Clinton received 62%. Joe Biden pulled 10% to 11%, and Elizabeth Warren received 9% to 12%.
Open-Ended Monmouth polled Democrats without providing a list of suggested candidates, and Hillary Clinton received 48% of the vote and the closest runner-up was “unsure” at 32%. The same poll asked Republicans who they supported, and 8% went to Mitt Romney, 7% for Chris Christie,7% for Ben Carson, 6% for Jeb Bush, and “unsure/other” received 51%.
The polls are open to interpretation but they are indicators that Republicans are still divided and essentially leaderless, while Democrats are already lining up behind their presumed nominee.
The NBC/WSJ poll found that 50% of Americans say they will support Hillary if she runs for President in 2016, while 48% will oppose her. Certainly a slim margin, but in context she is already deemed the front-runner by America.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s policies are certainly beatable; but only if Republicans can come together in support of the eventual nominee and move forward with big ideas and an assertively positive and conservative message.
We often hear that the Republican Party is lacking in leadership because there are no “ideal leaders”. While there is certainly a shortage of Ronald Reagan’s and George Washington’s, one possibility is that we are eating our own before they really have a chance… There are numerous great candidates out there striving to win the affection of the largest group of Republicans while not ostracizing themselves to other party factions.
Our Party is simmering with dissension and knee jerking from individuals over every disagreement that prime candidates for leaders have such a short window for their flame to burn that we may never get to really see them as they are. Worse, who might we be discouraging from participating that could be the next Ronald Reagan?
We must of course recognize that the much of what has caused this division in the GOP is a result of a deep sense of betrayal by some Republican politicians or more accurately “RINO’s” coupled with a strong concern for the future of our great Country, all of which can be appreciated.
While we prepare for the nomination of our Presidential candidate, perhaps we should consider a slight attitude shift and to exercise more thoughtful and sincere constructive criticism. This goes not just for our candidates and politicians, but also towards one another. The real enemy should be the socialist agenda currently being advanced by the Democrats, not one another.
Our deeply held beliefs and principles make us who we are, but they can also be our Achilles Heel if we do not handle them properly. We must use healthy debate and the competition of ideas to build a stronger nation, rather than tearing ourselves apart to be easily conquered.
