Post-convention bumps are par for the election cycle course. After the RNC, Donald Trump fared better in a CNN/ORC poll than he’d done in almost a year with 44% to Clinton’s 39%. Bringing up the rear were Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson with 9% and Green Party candidate Jill Stein with 3%. One week and an RNC later, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Clinton pulling a six point lead with 41% to Trump’s 35%. That poll showed Johnson taking 5% and Stein barely registering at 1%.
Several days later, Clinton is still enjoying a post-convention high with an almost dominant 10% lead over Trump (49% to 39%) in a Fox News poll. The most telling aspect of the results is how both candidates appear dishonest to voters, but now Trump registers as more untrustworthy than Clinton does. Many voters also can’t overlook the vast differences in political experience between the two nominees (former secretary of state, senator, and First Lady vs. a billionaire real estate mogul and reality star). Here’s a little more language that will please those who fear a Trump presidency:
Sixty-one percent of voters think Hillary Clinton is dishonest, yet she’s opened up a big lead over Donald Trump in the latest Fox News Poll.
Here’s why: majorities think Clinton is nevertheless qualified to be president, and has the temperament and knowledge to serve effectively. It’s the opposite for Trump: over half feel he is not qualified, and lacks the temperament or knowledge to lead the country. And his 62 percent dishonesty rating tops hers.
A different set of numbers adds third-party candidates for slightly different results. Gary Johnson, who believed he’ll siphon more votes from Clinton, actually sops up equal-ish support from each side. When Fox includes his name in the choices, the Libertarian takes 12% with Clinton pulling 44% and Trump carrying 35%. With this extended post-DNC bump, Fox News notes how Clinton’s improved her appeal among both sexes, whites, Democrats, and very young and old voters. Whereas Trump still rates well among veterans, but trails behind Romney’s 2012 performance in the same poll.
So, what’s responsible for this continued high-flying Clinton position? Fox News mentions that 77% of those polled have read or watched reports about Trump’s feud with the Khan family, which saw him rambling on about his many “sacrifices” and insulting the mother of fallen U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan. The poll numbers tell the story with 69% of those polled (and 40% of Republicans) calling Trump’s behavior “out of bounds.” And these results don’t even take the “why can’t we use [nukes]” talk into account.
Will Trump rebound, and does it matter? After all, there may be a Republican intervention on the way.
(Via Fox News)