The Republican National Convention is about 11 months away, but Donald Trump's campaign is already working on the strategy it says will get the real estate mogul the nomination and a berth on the general election ballot in 2016.
According to a
USA Today report, Trump is looking to shore up his lead in national polls, win the early primary contests at the beginning of 2016, and then garner support from established conservatives ahead of next summer's convention in Cleveland.
Trump leads the 17-person field of Republicans in most national polls, but
some experts don't think his advantage will last. Others, however, see Trump
potentially going the distance.
What is clear is that Trump, a real estate mogul
worth $4 billion, has enjoyed several weeks at the top against seasoned politicians (with the exception of Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon, and Carly Fiorina, a former CEO of Hewlett-Packard).
"I think he will win in Iowa, he will win in New Hampshire, and he will win in South Carolina," Stephen B. Stepanek, who works for the Trump campaign in New Hampshire, told USA Today. "And that momentum is going to carry him."
Dartmouth College assistant professor Brendan Nyhan, however, told USA Today that Trump's appeal gets lost on the top echelon of Republicans in the United States.
"Republican elites are uncomfortable with him being the party's nominee," he said. "They're not all powerful, but they can exert a lot of leverage."
Two key segments of the voting population from which Trump needs support, reports USA Today, are new voters and evangelists. If he can get their votes, Trump could have a chance at going far in the campaign.
One of the
reasons people like Trump, according to one report last month, is his brash style.
"He says it like it is," said Jessica in a Bloomberg Politics focus group referenced by The Associated Press. "He speaks the truth."
Said Andrew, an educator: "He's willing to tell you his opinion. So many other politicians won't take an opinion."
Trump has weathered several storms this summer, including his comments about Arizona Sen. John
McCain's status as a war hero, his remarks about
Mexico, and his criticism of
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly after the first Republican presidential debate.
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