Poll: Majority of Republicans want the party to unite behind Trump

[EC]

A majority of Republican and Republican-leaning voters believe the party should unite behind Donald Trump at a contested convention, according to a national Monmouth University poll released Wednesday.

The New York billionaire won another 58 delegates Tuesday with a decisive victory in Arizona, putting him within 500 delegates of securing the GOP nomination outright. But should Trump fail to accrue the necessary 1,237 delegates, 54 percent said the party should back Trump for the nomination anyway. More than a third said the delegates should nominate another person, and 7 percent were unsure.

Of those who said someone else should prevail at a contested convention, 33 percent favored Ted Cruz, and 23 percent said they would like to see John Kasich win the nomination. Eighteen percent said they didn’t know.

Trump has suggested his supporters would riot if he were to go into the convention just shy of the 1,237 mark and not leave as the nominee. He also predicted his voters would sit out the general election if another nominee were to emerge from the convention.

But 43 percent of Trump supporters said they would still vote for the GOP nominee in November, while 27 percent said they wouldn’t vote in the presidential election. Just 7 percent would support the Democratic nominee, and 13 percent would back a third-party candidate.

The real-estate mogul maintains his months-long run atop national polls, garnering 41 percent support in the latest survey. Cruz follows at 29 percent with Kasich at 18 percent. Four percent are still undecided.

An overwhelming 95 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters have either seen or heard about the front-runner’s confrontations with protesters at his rallies. But voters are divided on who’s to blame — 44 percent place equal blame on both Trump supporters and protesters, while 26 percent fault protesters and 23 percent put the onus on supporters.

The Monmouth poll of 817 Republican and Republican-leaning voters was conducted via telephone March 17-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/poll-gop-voters-unite-trump-221144

[libertybele]

Well, count me as one of the Republicans in the minority that won't vote for or unite behind Trump as I firmly believe he cannot win the general election.

[sinkspur]

So 35% want someone other than Trump.  Not a ringing endorsement for Trump.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

GOP voters have been living in a talk radio echo chamber for years and Trump is the end result.

Nominating the guy is electoral suicide, frankly, and those in the the know... know it.

[Wingnut]

GOP voters have been living in a talk radio echo chamber for years and Trump is the end result.

Nominating the guy is electoral suicide, frankly, and those in the the know... know it.

Be wery wery quiet, 
The trump supporters are still a sleep.

[ABX]

54 percent said the party should back Trump for the nomination anyway. More than a third said the delegates should nominate another person, and 7 percent were unsure.

I'm curious how this compares to this time in prior elections. While the title says one thing, the numbers show something I believe is unprecedented. That shows from 1/3rd to just under 1/2 of Republicans do not want the party to unite behind Trump.

In every election, you usually have 1-2% who feel this way for various reasons and act on it (sitting out, voting third party, etc).

I can't recall though when it has ever been as high as even 1/3rd this dissatisfied with a candidate. Generally by this time, even those who don't like a candidate settle and you start hearing talk about once again 'holding your nose'. For many, the stink of this one is just too much to even do that- plus, constantly holding your nose is the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

[EC]

I doubt you could find a comparison - when was the last time the state primaries after Super Tuesday actually mattered?

[MACVSOG68]

Well, count me as one of the Republicans in the minority that won't vote for or unite behind Trump as I firmly believe he cannot win the general election.

Just so I understand, are you saying that if Trump is nominated you won't vote for him...because he cannot win the GE?

[ArneFufkin]

I doubt you could find a comparison - when was the last time the state primaries after Super Tuesday actually mattered?

From my memory, the GOP usually coalesces around a consensus candidate on or very near to Super Tuesday.   

The last time there was an open, contested GOP convention was in 1976 when Reagan was an "insurgent candidate" against a weak Gerald Ford.   The Party also dumped Ford's choice of Nelson Rockefeller in lieu of Bob Dole as VP.

It appears we might be headed that direction 40 years later.

[Bill Cipher]

How does one determine if a voter is "republican leaning" and what does that mean?  So far the real polls - the primaries - only give the orange baboon about 37% support, which is way less than a majority. 

[MACVSOG68]

From my memory, the GOP usually coalesces around a consensus candidate on or very near to Super Tuesday.   

The last time there was an open, contested GOP convention was in 1976 when Reagan was an "insurgent candidate" against a weak Gerald Ford.   The Party also dumped Ford's choice of Nelson Rockefeller in lieu of Bob Dole as VP.

It appears we might be headed that direction 40 years later.

We might, but there's still several winner-take-all states including California.  Hard to see a path for Cruz under those circumstances.  The Internet and 24/7 news networks have truly changed the political landscape.

[ABX]

We might, but there's still several winner-take-all states including California.  Hard to see a path for Cruz under those circumstances.  The Internet and 24/7 news networks have truly changed the political landscape.

There possibly is still a path as long as he stays in to the convention as long as Trump stays under the first vote delegate number.

To put it lightly, there is a LOT of dirt on Trump out there that hasn't really been discussed yet. Stuff that would make most Conservatives cringe. Stuff that makes Bill Clinton look like a saint.

If we get to the convention and suddenly this comes out, a lot of people may be glad Cruz stayed the course and are happy there is an alternate path.

On the other hand, what if we get to the convention and the rules stay in place and because Cruz quits, Trump has enough to win the nomination on the first vote with no challenge--- then after he is the nominee, it all comes out including, (hypothetically speaking) Anonymous releases hacked emails of Trump coordinating with the Clintons against the Republicans.

What then?

[MACVSOG68]

There possibly is still a path as long as he stays in to the convention as long as Trump stays under the first vote delegate number.

To put it lightly, there is a LOT of dirt on Trump out there that hasn't really been discussed yet. Stuff that would make most Conservatives cringe. Stuff that makes Bill Clinton look like a saint.

If we get to the convention and suddenly this comes out, a lot of people may be glad Cruz stayed the course and are happy there is an alternate path.

On the other hand, what if we get to the convention and the rules stay in place and because Cruz quits, Trump has enough to win the nomination on the first vote with no challenge--- then after he is the nominee, it all comes out including, (hypothetically speaking) Anonymous releases hacked emails of Trump coordinating with the Clintons against the Republicans.

What then?

I agree completely...if it gets to the convention.  Cruz' best chance is if Kasich remains in to help keep Trump out of a majority rather than a plurality for those states that aren't winner-take-all. 

[HonestJohn]

GOP voters have been living in a talk radio echo chamber for years and Trump is the end result.

Nominating the guy is electoral suicide, frankly, and those in the the know... know it.

Yep.

I starting noticing that when more conservative sites started producing news articles telling the reader what the writer wanted the reader to know about liberal news articles.

(Just read the d@#n article yourself and make your own conclusions!)

That sort of thing is just predigested opinions, packaged so the reader doesn't need to think of one themself.

[Wingnut]

Yep.

I starting noticing that when more conservative sites started producing news articles telling the reader what the writer wanted the reader to know about liberal news articles.

(Just read the d@#n article yourself and make your own conclusions!)

That sort of thing is just predisgested opinions, packaged so the reader doesn't need to think of one themself.

Well how else could all the "Expert talking heads" justify their ricky ticky jobs and six figure salaries?  These guys/gals are not just satisfied with leading a "horse to water".  No No No.  They want to pry your mouth open and force you to drink it with there flavored Kool aid added for taste.

[Chosen Daughter]

We might, but there's still several winner-take-all states including California.  Hard to see a path for Cruz under those circumstances.  The Internet and 24/7 news networks have truly changed the political landscape.

California polling Cruz and Trump deadlocked.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/264791-poll-cruz-trump-deadlocked-in-california

[MACVSOG68]

California polling Cruz and Trump deadlocked.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/264791-poll-cruz-trump-deadlocked-in-california

That would be a shocker and could send it to the convention.  Hadn't seen that poll. 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

That would be a shocker and could send it to the convention.  Hadn't seen that poll.

Don't get your hopes up. Why? Because:

1) every time Trump has a rally, protestors do obnoxious things like block traffic, interrupt.
2) This will raise Trump's vote every time.

I know how our side thinks. The more we feel targeted, the more we rally.

I'd love to say Trump loses, because that's what he deserves, but I think the Trump protests will have the opposite effect. I hope I'm wrong.

[MACVSOG68]

Don't get your hopes up. Why? Because:

1) every time Trump has a rally, protestors do obnoxious things like block traffic, interrupt.
2) This will raise Trump's vote every time.

I know how our side thinks. The more we feel targeted, the more we rally.

I'd love to say Trump loses, because that's what he deserves, but I think the Trump protests will have the opposite effect. I hope I'm wrong.

Tru dat!

[Frank Cannon]

Well, count me as one of the Republicans in the minority that won't vote for or unite behind Trump as I firmly believe he cannot win the general election.

I do not believe these results. I do believe the results in the Primaries that have Donny not ever breaking 50%.

[Frank Cannon]

Don't get your hopes up. Why? Because:

1) every time Trump has a rally, protestors do obnoxious things like block traffic, interrupt.
2) This will raise Trump's vote every time.

I know how our side thinks. The more we feel targeted, the more we rally.

I'd love to say Trump loses, because that's what he deserves, but I think the Trump protests will have the opposite effect. I hope I'm wrong.

Didn't really do him any favors in AZ. Another under 50% win.