2016 GOP Post-Debate Reactions — Ipsos/Reuters Poll

The opinions expressed in this commentary are exclusively those of the author. That number is up significantly from PPP’s poll in April. He also leads on the question of who Republican voters believe is the most electable candidate in the general election.

By Sunday, as Trump made the rounds of the morning talk shows, he was insisting, “I cherish women”. He also said, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be talking about illegal immigration” – certainly a stretch, given the issue’s importance to conservatives.

But Trump’s campaign has shown more serious political legs than most people expected.

Jeb Bush, who will need to make a strong showing in New Hampshire, is barely ahead of Kasich at 13%.

What happened? Why has this lasted so long? He thinks that a Trump-branded White House might actually be possible.

In politics, building a great wall, bombing into submission and bringing in expert negotiators sound like simple, effective solutions. At some level, he has a message that resonates.

It’s time to take the spotlight off of Trump’s confident, loud personality and shine it on his clear, simple ideas.

Part of his appeal is that he turns political correctness on its head.

“This is really good“, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said after watching Rubio’s response.

But despite a series of attacks by Trump that fortified his standing in the polls, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked if targeting Kelly, “who’s beloved by conservatives, beloved by Republican voters”, might end up hurting him. The Trump syllogism: Every politician is bought by billionaires. John McCain for being a prisoner of war. For example, anyone skeptical about the high office candidacy of an obstinate, entitled man-child with an inflated view of his own work ethic and a porcine disregard for other people ought to recall, for example, Toronto’s adventures in world class mayoralty. Before Bush spoke, some in the audience had thought about booing him.

Trump naturally thrives in a celebrity culture where Americans are obsessed with the rich and famous.

Pennsylvanians who last week sadly marked the passing of eminent Republicans Elsie Hillman and Richard Schweiker know Mr. Trump is a different kind of animal. But now the dynamic seems to be getting stronger than ever before.

“It would give a real leg back up to establishment Republicans“, she said. The first Democratic debate is still about two months away, but there is plenty going on right now. The runaway victor was Herman Cain, a pizza executive.

It is true that media attention is the main engine behind his rise in the polls. Trump does well partly because Bush struggles.

Other candidates faring poorly were Kentucky Sen. “Do we want to win?”

They are right. There is no excuse for a candidate who demeans half the population while vying to be the standard-bearer of all Republicans.

His harsh remarks about Mexican immigrants led to widespread condemnation and prompted some business partners to sever ties.

“Party leadership can not do much more than ostracize Donald Trump”, Farnsworth said. It is still extremely doubtful. But in Atlanta, with all that preparation, and with more time – and without the crushing pressure and nerves of the debate – they let go with their newly-polished best stuff.