Story of the Week: Who's winning 2016?
News / July 23rd, 2015 / By John Gable, AllSides Co-founder
In the U.S., contenders for the 2016 presidential race have lit up headlines over the last week.From Donald Trump's latest poll surge and controversial statements about John McCain, to a poll showing Hillary Clinton trailing in three swing states, to a 16th candidate entering the race, it's been an interesting week in presidential election politics.
So, who's winning 2016? It depends who you ask. Let's look at this topic from a few different perspectives.
Snippets from the Left
Slate
"Nationally, Clinton continues to fare much better in general election match-ups. In RealClearPolitics’ rolling average, she leads Walker by more than 10 points, Rubio by more than 7 points, and Bush by nearly 6 points.
Regardless, July 2015 is a long way away from November 2016. Once the GOP finally settles on a candidate, perceptions of that man or woman is certain to shift as voters learn more about him or her... Even in Iowa—where voters are exposed early and often to White House hopefuls—more than a third of respondents said that they hadn’t heard enough about Rubio or Walker to have an opinion about them. Hillary, then, has plenty of time to try to right her own ship—and sink those of her rivals."
Snippets from the Right
"In every hypothetical contest, the former secretary of state was either clearly trailing or, as Quinnipiac phrased it, "on the wrong side of a too-close-to-call" race. A majority of voters in all three states also said they found Clinton not honest and trustworthy.
The gap between Clinton and GOP candidates was most pronounced in Colorado and Iowa. She trailed Rubio by 8 points in Colorado, 38-46 percent; and Walker by 9 points, 38-47 percent. She trailed Bush by 6 points in Iowa, 36-42 percent; and Rubio by 8 points, 36-44 percent.
The survey raises troubling questions for the campaign, which has struggled to shed the image of a candidate who is closed off to the media and the public, despite her decisive lead over the Democratic field. The latest results reflect a drop from a similar poll in April."
Snippets from the Center
Reuters
"What the polls measure at this point is mostly name recognition. That’s something non-celebrity candidates have to work hard for because Americans will not vote for a candidate they have never heard of. Very few people outside of New York know who former New York Governor George Pataki is. Most everyone has seen Trump on television.
Name recognition is also why Clinton is leading all the Republican contenders in trial- heat polls for the general election. Everyone knows who Clinton is. She’s been in national public life for 23 years. Most voters don’t know any of her potential Republican opponents."
