To a raging alcoholic, the initials D.T. are commonly associated with delirium tremens, a medical condition often characterized by hallucinations. D.T. is also the monogram of a presidential candidate who as of today is leading the Republican field, according to to a new Economist/YouGov poll.
It’s hard to say whether respondents who vowed support for that candidate, Donald Trump, are in fact hallucinating, but the real estate mogul has surged ahead of Jeb Bush, with 15% of the vote to Bush’s 12% among registered Republicans.
Trump has been in the headlines — and climbing in the national polls — ever since he made his controversial remarks on immigrants from Mexico during his campaign launch speech. One assumes Trump’s sudden rise in the polls has less to do with conservatives agreeing with his outlandish views than it does with seeing them as a counterweight to some of the ludicrous shenanigans by the left that are also prominent in the news.
In any case, the poll does not hold exclusively good news for Trump, whom prospective voters appear to view as only a temporary solution. When asked who they thought would be the most likely GOP nominee, 29% of respondents said Jeb Bush, followed by Rand Paul (12%), Marco Rubio (8%), and Scott Walker (8%). Trump lagged behind in fifth place with 7%.
The poll also reveals vulnerabilities Trump will likely face in mobilizing the rest of his party. As this chart reveals, more than four in ten Republicans have an unfavorable opinion of him as a person.
