The 2016 stunning rise of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continues to confound political pundits and polling operations. The real estate mogul has erased Hillary Clinton’s lead, which was as high as 8 points in early August to take a 2-point national lead over her in the latest CNN/ORC poll.
The shocking numbers come the day before Clinton suffered a four-and-a-half minute coughing fit at a campaign rally raising concerns about her health and suspicious absence from the campaign trail the last ten-days. Doctors throughout the nation have chimed in with concerns about her ability to campaign effectively.
The poll results:
- Trump: 45 percent;
- Clinton: 43 percent;
- Libertarian Gary Johnson: 7 percent;
- Green Party’s Jill Stein: 2 percent.
Clinton had led Trump by 8 points in the CNN/ORC in early August, a post-Democratic convention bounce for Clinton. The mainstream media gleefully predicted a landslide as her campaign went into cruise mode.
Voters surveyed believe Clinton will win by 59 percent. Just 34 percent think Trump will win the election, according to CNN. Yet as those numbers were announced, the majority of media outlets are ignoring Hillary’s obvious health problems. Is she seriously ill and incapable of sustaining he grueling last two months and three national debates?
Other key results from the CNN/ORC poll:
- Trump leads among independents, 49 percent to 29 percent for Clinton; 16 percent back the Libertarian candidate Johnson
- Clinton leads with women, 53 percent to 38 percent;
- Trump leads with men, 54 percent to 32 percent for Clinton;
- Clinton leads with voters 45 and under, 54 percent to 29 percent;
- Trump leads with voters 45 and older, 54 percent to 39 percent.
Of the top four issues for voters surveyed, Trump is more trusted on two of them:
- Economy: 56 percent trust Trump more than Clinton (41 percent);
- Terrorism: 51 percent trust Trump more than Clinton (45 percent);
- Foreign policy: Clinton more trusted, 56 percent to 40 percent;
- Immigration: 49 percent favor Clinton’s policy to 47 percent for Trump.
In the most stunning polling result, probable voters see Trump as the more trustworthy and honest candidate, 50 percent to 35 percent for Clinton. It appears the polls are showing a trend that is now favoring Trump. It is similar to Ronald Reagan’s numbers in the fall of 1980 in his run against incumbent President Jimmy Carter.
The CNN/ORC Poll was conducted Sept. 1-4 among a random national sample of 1,001 adults. Other national polls are expected to release their results later this week. But the numbers from the CNN/ORC poll clearly indicate Hillary Clinton’s presumed victory in November is now seriously in question.
Not unlike the media’s description of candidate Reagan as a reckless cowboy, war monger and grade B actor, the racist, bigot, crazy Trump is ascending from the ashes. The question is, are the American people witness to the greatest comeback in presidential elections in 68-year?
New CNN / ORC poll shows a 2016 dead heat among likely voters; Trump 45% and Clinton 43%. https://t.co/nadwF3UUHx
— CNN (@CNN) September 6, 2016