Here we go, the 2016 Presidential Election season has officially started! The Republican Tea Party (GOTP) clown car has lurched away from the curb with the very junior senator from Texas, Ted Cruz at the wheel. Cruz announced his intention to win the White House at uber-right-wing Liberty University to a packed house of students required to attend the rally or face a fine. Nothing quite says “liberty” like forcing students to attend a political rally.
So, where are we in the early moments of the 2016 campaign?
In the New Hampshire Republican Presidential Primary, a Gravis Marketing poll of potential voters conducted from 25 March 2015 has Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker leading a huge pack of likely candidates – other than Cruz.
Scott Walker 19%, Jeb Bush 18%, Rand Paul and Chris Christie 10%, Marco Rubio 7%, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson 6%, Mike Huckabee 4%, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum 1% respectively.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is far in the lead of undeclared candidates with 49%, followed by Elizabeth Warren at 20%, Bernie Sanders 12%, Joe Biden 5%, and Jim Webb and Martin O’Malley with 2%.
If the general election was held today, the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll of potential voters has Hillary Clinton beating all GOTP comers by double digits.
Clinton 54/Paul 43
Clinton 55/Rubio 42
Clinton 55/Huckabee 41
Clinton 55/Bush 40
Clinton 55/Walker 40
Clinton 55/Christie 40
Clinton 56/Carson 40
So, according to recent polling data available, if the election was held today Hillary Clinton would be the 45th President of the United States.