Iowa poll: Donald Trump 1st, Ben Carson moves into 2nd

“I know it makes great TV, but I think the guy went way overboard, outrageous, pick your adjective”, she said Monday.

Trump’s persistence is defying estimate of dogmatic preordain and top several Republicans to find strategies to sway him to not ever attain a different-event demanded will need to he stumble within their pursuit of the Republican nomination in 2016.

In month three of his surprise campaign, the billionaire businessman continues to exceed expectations in the polls, surviving gaffes that would extinguish any other politician. “On average, Trump lost about two percentage points off his standing, and that includes a Morning Consult poll that found him gaining seven percentage points – a result no other poll came close to”.

If Trump did win, as he claims, he wasn’t the only one. Rand Paul over the balance between national security and personal privacy.

Trump’s refusal to pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee may have sown some doubts about his loyalty among party activists. Trump is “totally against the abortion aspect” of Planned Parenthood but doesn’t support defunding the women’s health organization, he said. He faces a large gender gap: While holding a 15-point lead over his nearest competitor among men (27% Trump to 12% Walker, Carson at 10%), he trails among women (20% back Carson, 15% Trump, and 11% support Fiorina). The comment was perceived by many to be a reference to menstruation, though Trump has denied that.

In an era in which government and its leaders appear to be increasingly dysfunctional, Americans appreciate a sense of order and authority, adds Jeff Polet, an associate professor of political science at Hope College in Holland, Mich. “They want someone who can step in and cut through the complexity and bring order to chaos”. But only 2 percent of Iowa voters said he was the most impressive, and 13 percent of voters nationally improved their opinion of him after the debate. Kasich tweeted out a statement that reads in part: “You don’t tear people down just because they disagree with you – and also said he was grateful for the contributions of women in his life and campaign”.

Trump has the lead, but reason for some concern. A day later Trump said Kelly had “blood coming out of her wherever”, a remark many construed as referring to menstruation.

Doug Gross is a longtime Republican strategist in Iowa who isn’t now supporting any presidential candidate. Recent polls show Santorum similarly near the bottom of the pack in his second run.

“People seemed unconcerned about Trump’s lack of detail on many issues or even his seeming inconsistencies on issues like immigration”, he says.

Many on the right in Iowa and elsewhere complain that, too often, they’ve been foot soldiers for the conservative movement, and the party ends up nominating a moderate – a label they apply to Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney.

On the flip side, Arizona and its politics can also teach some lessons to the Republican field. If the debate qualifications are changed, as many are now demanding, and Trump manages to capture a single debate slot reserved for a non-major party contender, the blowback in the independent movement will be uncontainable.