Is Donald Trump Really Doing All That Well?

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Donald Trump continues to poll well ahead of his GOP competition, sometimes leading his nearest challenger by double digits. The punditry have gone from dismissing him as the joke he is, to treating him more seriously. Which shows just how quickly a political vibe can change, and how shallow the thinking of the Beltway media can be.

Listen, the Republican/conservative base is batshit crazy, we all know that, right? The extremes of any group have that tendency, and very few people would argue with the fact that the extreme has taken over the right in this country. So, capturing the top (bottom) 20-25% of conservatives should be easy-peasy for the nuttiest nutbar in the group. This is probably why so many of 2012's GOP group rose to the top briefly: so many of them were bonkers.

If the rest of the GOP field contained one, two or three other strong candidates, Trump could have the same support, and still be significantly behind in the polls. But since there are fifteen other candidates dividing those percentages, we have the illusion of a wide lead. And, naturally, the longer he has it, the stronger the illusion looks, eventually becoming sort of  a real deal, "conventional wisdom." It doesn't hurt when the candidate is as gaffe-proof as Donald Trump. So far, crazy statements about religion, veterans, race, and any other third-rail potential potholes that would sink most candidates does not dissuade Trump fans from waving his banner.

I think it's going to take a sifting out of the rest of the field to put a dent in The Donald. Or finally that One Big Gaffe that can't be shrugged off. Mike Huckabee--a prior competitor for lunacy, before Donald cornered the market--has probably made his One Big Gaffe with an ill-advised Holocaust reference. So, that field may be shrinking a bit already. I can't quite envision what Donald would have to do or say that would do that to him at this point. Maybe a Face in the Crowd open-mike moment would do it.

[Excerpt]

New Poll Shows 18% Of Republicans Are Ignorant Dupes With Severe Mental Decay
 
There is much being made about a new CNN poll that shows Donald Trump leading his GOP rivals in the race for the Republican nomination for president. However, there is less substance in these numbers than the media is pretending there is. What is astonishing is just how shallow the media analysis of these polls are. The ranking at which Trump finds himself can easily be explained by the clinical dementia of today’s Republican (Tea) Party. And despite these polls, Trump will never get the nomination or reside in the White House. . .

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