Trump No Match for Hillary in General Election
The primary process for both parties has ticked up in intensity during the first couple weeks of March as a slew of states have held primary voting contests, with several others soon to cast their ballots as well. The dust has yet to completely settle, but the math continues to make it increasingly likely that Hillary and Donald Trump will be the ones squaring off against each other in November, and this is the most favorable matchup for those who want Hillary to win the White House in 2016.
A potential Trump vs. Hillary matchup would arguably be the nastiest presidential campaign ever, and it isn’t too hard to see why. Hillary, the most viable female president in history, would be facing a man who has uttered more misogynistic comments than anyone can keep track of, and the 24/7 news cycle and social media world that defines us would entice the candidates to tear each other apart at every turn. When you combine all that with the fact that both candidates are resoundingly disliked by the other’s supporters, then scorched Earth politics may just be the name of the game in the 2016 general election.
Make no mistake about it; however, Hillary would trounce Donald Trump in a general election. Both Hillary and Trump suffer from low favorability ratings, but Trump’s deficit is historically low. According to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Hillary has a net favorability rating of -13 points, while Donald Trump’s is triple that at -39 points. As a matter of fact, Trump’s rating is the lowest in the history of the NBC/WSJ poll for a major presidential candidate. A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll shows similar results. In that poll, Hillary is seen unfavorably by 52% of respondents and strongly so by 41%, each 15 points lower than the marks that are given for Trump.
General election polls matching up the two candidates are brutal for Trump. A CNN/ORC poll released on March 1 had Hillary beating Trump by 8 points (52/44). A Rasmussen Reports poll released on March 2 had Hillary winning a general election matchup over Trump by 5 points (41/36). Similarly, the previously referenced ABC/Wash Post poll and NBC News/WSJ polls show Hillary beating Trump by margins of 9 and 13 points respectively.
With poll results like that, it is no wonder that the establishment wing of the Republican Party is so desperate to prevent Trump from getting the Party’s nomination.
Trump likes to show off his bravado and tough talk on the campaign trail in stating that he can’t wait to face Hillary in a general election. As with most things regarding Trump, his wishes are not based in reality. Hillary would trump Trump in a general election and effectively send the modern-day Republican Party off to pasture in doing so.
