Adam Goodman: Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders are the ‘New American Transformers’
There’s a new reality show in America generating ratings and rave reviews before an audience that had been waiting a long time for it to begin. It’s called “The New American Transformers,” but unlike the “Transformer” movies this series does not revolve around a galactic battle but something much more down to Earth. It is a story about Americans looking to transform a system that’s broken, in a country that’s lost its way, led by politicians who’ve become more interested in self-preservation than national revival. The search for newness, freshness, and a jolt of confidence explains why both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, hailing from wholly different universes of ideology and temperament, whether they win or lose, are scoring big today. Both are armed with declarations of transformation, from policy and politics, to America’s relations around the world. Sensing our system is progressively collapsing under its own weight, Trump and Sanders have come to embrace this truth. To their credit, the American people have as well. Trump and Sanders, separate yet together, have lent voice to what we’re feeling. Separate, yet together, Trump and Sanders rejected canned political hyperbole in favor of spontaneous declarations, in the moment and for the moment. Separate, yet together, they command the stage, despite doubts about their electability, despite the establishment’s desperate attempts to explain it away, or wish it away. After all, how do you stop a movement? How do you slow the momentum of candidates who simply refuse to play by the normal rules of the game? Trump and Sanders are not programmed by advisers, manipulated by donors, or controlled by polls. They’re refreshingly real, dependably candid, and totally human. Do they mess up at times, driving the pundits and prognosticators nuts? Yes. Do they sometimes fumble when asked to fully explain their remedies? Yes. Yet, Americans today are more interested in the honesty of intent, than the dishonesty of promises never pursued. After a Versailles–like ceremony where Dr. Ben Carson blessed the Trump insurgency with an outsider’s hug, The Donald says, “I try to be who I am.” Bernie Sanders, in denouncing the system amid a throng of believers, says “there’s too much shouting at each other; too much making fun of each other.” Now anyone who’s ever run for office, and those like me who have served them, understand all voting is emotional. We are not robots. We vote our feelings. Psychiatrists liken this to falling in love, a kind of inexplicable madness that while not always rational, is overwhelmingly emotional. Consciously or not, Trump and Sanders are wooing America, without the varnish of prepared speeches, without the crutch of poll-driven drivel, without permission from the establishment or the media elites. That same establishment is now out to stop them, at all costs, and they’ve settled on their choice of weapon: the negative ad. When an establishment candidate can’t sell himself or herself, their strategy is to air negative ads against everyone else. When the audience is not buying the establishment’s pick, they are made to feel stupid, uninformed, manipulated by ignorance. Yet this conventional dismantling of candidates is falling on hard times, outmatched by Sanders’ and Trump’s panache in made-for-television rallies built from enthusiasm and bred from frustration. Here are three reasons why. One. People don’t form impressions of candidates from negative ads, especially when the source is self-serving, the claims are questionable, and the intent is malicious. Two. After the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision opened the floodgates on negative ads, funded by outside groups with outside interests, they’re not unique anymore. Three. When any voter bonds with a candidate, that voter resents anyone who stands in the way of that relationship. No wonder Trump and Sanders are transforming the face of politics. In their world, it’s us versus them. In parallel, they have challenged party rules that preserve the interests of insiders, while challenging Americans to feel empowered again. Together, they have given us a choice: accept mediocrity in our domestic and foreign affairs, or expect excellence from themselves, and the nation. Together, they represent the agony and optimism of the American people. Given that choice, Michigan and Colorado Democrats sided with Sanders. Given that choice, Mississippi and Massachusetts Republicans flocked to Trump. By exercising that choice, the American people have begun to feel something the system long ago took for granted: hope. Meet the “New Transformers” — Sanders and Trump. Meet the new America, where democracy is alive, and well. *** Adam Goodman, a national GOP media consultant based in Florida, has created, directed and produced media for more than 300 candidates in 46 states over the past 35 years.
Donald Trump continues to lead GOP field, according to NBC News poll
Donald Trump continues to lead the pack in the race for the Republican nomination, according to a new NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning registered voters, the New York businessman has 35 percent support. That’s compared to 18 percent for Sen. Ted Cruz and 13 percent for Marco Rubio. The NBC News/SurveyMonkey weekly election tracking poll covered Dec. 28 through Jan. 3, and was conducted online among a national sample of 3,700 adults over the 18. Trump has the highest support among white evangelical voters — @nbcnews/SurveyMonkey poll https://t.co/eG8OuciT7D pic.twitter.com/ycsQnoxUcR — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 5, 2016 Ben Carson received 9 percent support among Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters; while Jeb Bush received 6 percent support in the one-week period. Five percent of respondents said they didn’t know who they would support. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters, Hillary Clinton has 53 percent support, compared to 36 percent for Bernie Sanders. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters said they believe Clinton will win the Democratic nomination. Clinton holds lead over Sanders heading into primaries — @nbcnews/SurveyMonkey poll #2016 https://t.co/k7AZM7mog7 pic.twitter.com/ZYt9v4PdXg — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 5, 2016
New WaPo-ABC News poll shows persistent resistance from conservatives for Jeb Bush
Although the big headlines coming out of the Washington Post/ABC News poll released Monday afternoon were all about Donald Trump leading the rest of the GOP presidential field by double digits, it also indicates that Jeb Bush‘ month-long momentum may be ebbing slightly. Trump leads the field with 24 points in the national survey, Scott Walker is second with 13 percent, and Bush is third at 12 percent. Mike Huckabee is fourth in the race with 8 percent, Marco Rubio is fifth at 7 percent, Ben Carson and Rand Paul are at 6 percent, Ted Cruz and Rick Perry are at 3 percent, and John Kasich and Bobby Jindal are at 1 percent. An important caveat on the Trump rating. The poll was taken for four days last week: Thursday through Sunday. On Sunday, the day after Trump’s comment on John McCain not being a war hero went viral to a slew of negative commentary, his numbers slumped to single-digits. The poll also brings down Bush a notch. The former Florida governor has been polling strong the past month, in the weeks since his June 15 presidential candidacy announcement. In most national surveys for the past couple of weeks, he has been 1-2 with Trump. His drop to third place in this survey may indicate less a reduction in popularity for Bush than with the explanation that Walker is enjoying a bump after his official entrance into the race last week, with the poll taken just days later. Looking deeper into the poll, however, conveys some concern for Team Bush. He is still viewed skeptically by some Republicans. Twenty-two percent of Republicans say Bush’s views on most issues are too liberal for them. In comparison, only 17 percent of Republicans say Trump’s views are too liberal for them. And while a majority (62 percent) of Republicans polled say they definitely would not vote for Trump in the general election, an alarming 44 percent say they would not vote for Bush in the general election. The poll was taken before Bush’s Tallahassee speech Monday that had to warm the hearts of conservatives everywhere. Among the bullet points was a recommendation for swift and permanent cuts to federal agencies, specifically endorsing a “three out, one in” policy of replacing only every third federal employee who exits the government with the exception of “vital” areas such as national security. The Post-ABC News poll was conducted July 16-19 among a random national sample of 1,002 adults, including landline and cellphone respondents. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
