 It's Donald Trump , Ted Cruz and then everybody else in our GOP Powe...&p[url]=https://quotes-free.blogspot.com/2015/12/usa-today-gop-power-rankings-trump-and.html&p[images][0]=http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/17ac082f769058a40f2937c9fe89b0f690dcffd5/c=5-0-1324-745&r=x329&c=580x326/local/-/media/2015/12/21/USATODAY/USATODAY/635863248884478247-collageweek17combined.jpg){kind=link}
It's Donald Trump , Ted Cruz and then everybody else in our GOP Power Rankings this week.
Trump and Cruz top our weekly survey of about 30 smart political types, with Trump edging out Cruz by a hair, taking first place by a single point.
Trump takes the bulk of the first-place votes this week (17 to Cruz's 11, with three for Marco Rubio ) but Cruz scored more second-place votes.
Cruz had bumped Trump out of first place for the first time in our survey last week, but our experts believe The Donald had a pretty good week.
"The teflon-like nature of the Trump candidacy continues to defy traditional political norms," said Republican digital consultant Phil Musser. "Look for massive crowds at his pre-Christmas events this week."
Alan Rosenblatt, a Democratic digital expert, said "Trump still dominates the media, social and otherwise. So while Cruz has the edge in the polls in Iowa, he still has not captured the national conversation in a way that comes close to Trump."
"Trump leading the GOP primary nationally is not where most people thought this race would be on Christmas Day," said GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson . "However, with more polls showing Cruz surging in Iowa, the question still remains how Trump will handle being second place in a contest and whether or not that damages Trump's 'I'm a winner' campaign."
"It's now a three way race — Trump, Cruz and Rubio," said former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain. "And (Carly) Fiorina is my 'wild card' who could still surge."
Former Republican National Committee official Frank Donatelli also sees an opening outside the Big Three. "Polls confirming that Trump, Rubio and Cruz have broad and strong support. There is still room for another candidate to emerge with a strong showing in New Hampshire. There is still much volatility in the electorate which will become evident when candidates begin to drop out after the first two or three contests."
Of course, we have already had one departure this week — Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina quit the race, vaulting both former governors George Pataki and Jim Gilmore up one spot from 13th and 14th place, respectively.
In USA TODAY's GOP Power Rankings, Donald Trump is ahead of Ted Cruz 'just by a hair' and Lindsey Graham is out.
WEEK 17 RANKINGS
1. Donald Trump (Last Week: 2)
2. Ted Cruz (1)
3. Marco Rubio (3)
4. Chris Christie (4)
5. Ben Carson (5)
6. Jeb Bush (5)
7. Carly Fiorina (8)
8. John Kasich (7)
9. Rand Paul (9)
10. Mike Huckabee (10)
11. Rick Santorum (12)
12. George Pataki (13)
13. Jim Gilmore (14)
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12
Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16
Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12
Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16
Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and author of The Selfie Vote
Henry Barbour, Republican strategist, Mississippi
Paul Brathwaite, principal,
Dianne Bystrom, director, Center for
Herman Cain, talk show host and former GOP presidential candidate
Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist and CNN Commentator, The Dewey Square Group
Frank Donatelli, former RNC deputy chairman and Reagan advisor
Sara Fagen, partner, DDC Advocacy
Peter Fenn, Democratic political strategist, Fenn Communications
Denise Feriozzi, deputy executive director,
Karen Floyd, CEO, The Palladian Group and former
Aaron Ghitelman, communications manager, HeadCount
Andra Gillespie, polling analyst and political science professor,
Nathan L. Gonzales, editor, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report
Lilly J. Goren, political science and global studies professor,
Doug Gross, Iowa attorney and previous Republican gubernatorial nominee
O. Kay Henderson, news director, Radio Iowa
Ken Khachigian, senior partner,
Carl Leubsdorf, Washington columnist, The
Deb Lucia, Topeka 912 – the Capital City Tea Party
Matt Mackowiak, Republican consultant and president, Potomac Strategy Group, LLC
Phil Musser, chairman, IMGE digital media agency
Margie Omero, Democratic pollster, Purple Insights
Jon Ralston, host, "Ralston Live" on PBS affiliates in Nevada
Craig Robinson, founder and editor, TheIowaRepublican.com
Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D., Sr. VP of digital strategy, turner4D
Dante Scala, political science professor,
Adam Sharp, head of news, government and elections, Twitter
Alex Smith, national chairman,
Todd Spangler, Washington correspondent,
Kathy Sullivan, DNC committeewoman and former
Special thanks to the Palladian Group for building our survey platform.
No comments