Carly Fiorina and John Kasich Crack Republican Top 10, Ousting Perry and Santorum

Five-way tie at the top between Bush, Carson, Huckabee, Rubio, and Walker.

John Kasich/Facebook

GOP presidential hopefuls Carly Fiorina and John Kasich have finally established themselves among the party's top tier candidates (at least for now). Until this week, both have hovered near the bottom of the deep conservative candidate pool in national polls. But the latest survey from Quinnipiac University shows Kasich and Fiorina tied for tenth place among GOP candidates, each garnering 2 percent support from likely Republican primary voters. Ousted from the list with this poll were Rick Perry and Rick Santorum. 

At the top of the list was a five-way tie between Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker, each getting 10 percent of the hypothetical vote. Bush and Huckabee polled best among women, while Walker and Carson polled best among men. (Both Fiorina and Kasich polled slightly better among women than men.)

In sixth place was Sen. Rand Paul with 7 percent.* And rounding out the top-10 list were Ted Cruz (6 percent), Donald Trump (5 percent), and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (4 percent). 

Polling below Trump might not sound like amazing news for Fiorina or Kasich. But though Trump has his supporters, he also tops the poll's "no way" list, with 21 percent of GOP voters saying they definitely would not support him. Second in unpopularity was Bush, at 17 percent "no way," and Christie, at 15 percent. 

Fox News announced last week that it will limit participation in its August 6 Republican debate—the first of the primary season—to the top 10 GOP candidates. It will determine the top 10 by averaging rankings from five national polls closest to the debate (meaning this one, from Quinnipiac, is still too far out to count). 

* Previously stated that Paul polled worst among "moderate/ libertarian" conservatives; the category was actually moderate/liberal.

Comments

[BakedPenguin]

...notably, Paul polled worst among Republicans who describe themselves as "moderate or libertarian."

Wait, what?

[John Thacker]

"Moderate Republicans," especially in the Northeast, tend to include a lot of people who are Republicans primarily because of foreign policy. Their economic conservatism also tends to be of the country club / Chamber of Commerce type rather than the libertarian stripe.

That actually distinguishes them from moderate Independents, which includes a greater percentage of actual libertarians (though plenty of anti-libertarians, which is why Huckabee also polls well with Independents, like Rand.)

[John Thacker]

Which is why Rand Paul does best in a general election matchup despite poorly among "moderate Republicans."

[John Thacker]

Though it's within the margin of error for Rand; he's basically liked about the same from those wings as defined there.

[Paul.]

Their economic conservatism also tends to be of the country club / Chamber of Commerce type rather than the libertarian stripe.

This. The Northeast Republican is a strange animal-- largely a Democrat who traditionally was suspicious of dirty working class.

[Ken Shultz]

"In sixth place was Sen. Rand Paul with 7 percent?notably, Paul polled worst among Republicans who describe themselves as "moderate or libertarian.""

I meet people all the time who seem to think that "libertarian" is some sort of extremist Republican.

I come across people who describe themselves as "libertarian" because they think of themselves as some kind of extremist Republican--and I suspect a lot of those guys are voting against Paul because they don't think he's angry enough at blacks, illegal immigrants, gays, and uppity women.

[Bam!]

But TV told me Paul is angry at blacks, gays, and uppity women.

[Paul.]

I meet people all the time who seem to think that "libertarian" is some sort of extremist Republican.

Depending on how one would define it, it's not entirely inaccurate.

[Ken Shultz]

If that's true, it's about the death of the honest liberal in the Democratic Party--more so than because we agree about the Republicans.

I doubt either Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan could get nominated in today's Republican Party. The Laffer Curve is too extreme! And "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice"?

Today's Republican Party doesn't think so.

[Paul.]

I doubt either Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan could get nominated in today's Republican Party.

Exactly. Putting aside the details of whether, where or how much Reagan cut government, his rhetoric alone would probably make him a no-go. Goldwater wouldn't even make it to Ron Paul levels of internal GOP respect.

[bob sacomano]

I was born in '80 so I can't speak from experience, but is it not the case that in '76 and '80 Reagan faced almost exactly the same kind of establishment resistance/outright hate that Rand is now getting? My point is as bad as today's establishment GOP is, I think it was as bad or worse in late 70's, especially considering we still had many proud "liberal Republicans back then.

[Warty]

Can someone explain the appeal of John Kasich? He's been a governor and he hasn't been a total disaster. Is that what he's running on?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That puts him ahead of 2/3rds of the field.

Sad, isn't it?

[Bill Dalasio]

What I don't get is Carly Fiorina. The woman's qualifications are that she was a godawful CEO, failed in a Senate run, and, I guess, having a vagina without being named "Hillary Clinton". I could understand, maybe, if she was floating some interesting policy ideas. But, looking at her website, it doesn't even have a section for the issues she's running on.

[Paul.]

Building a website is no easy task. Take Obamacare...

[grrizzly]

Sarah Palin with a less impressive resume but who could probably name a newspaper. She is in the VP race.

[Sudden]

Fiorina actually gets a pretty unfair rap where her stewardship of HP is concerned, in particular the Compaq merger. The Compaq merger was something that was destined to be a long play, and while I doubt she knew how bad it would be in the short term and that it would cost her the job, the move did actually over the long run accomplish the main objectives of cost synergies and shifting HP focus towards business service operations rather than individual customers. The move was ill-timed since it occurred the week before 9/11 and thus a calculated risk was treated as riskier than it was amidst a cascading market.

[RealityBites]

Turning the two biggest computer companies in the world into the 3rd largest takes a rare skill and psychopathy. She is certifiably insane. Don't forget what she did to lucent too.

[Ken Shultz]

A big part of it is name recognition--except for Christie.

Everybody recognizes Christie's name--and they don't want any. Christie mostly seems to appeal to leftists in the media who wish the Republican Party nationally were like Christie in New Jersey.

There's one other possibility, which is that the poll is horseshit.

And sometimes the polls really are horseshit. I suspect they're becoming less reliable all the time. Are they calling people up on the phone? Who picks up on numbers they don't recognize anymore? And if it is a pollster, what kind of idiot sits there and talks to them. I have more important things to do than sit around and talk to some pollster--when it's usually a sham for a sales pitch at the end of the questionnaire anyway. I suspect what we get with these polls is a) the opinions of the elderly, who don't have anybody to talk to and b) the opinions of the idiot/ignorant young, who are so out of it (and unemployed) that sitting around talking to strangers on the telephone about what they think really is the highest and best use of their time.

[KDN]

Christie appeals to them because conservatives don't like him, they know he'll lose, and he'll make their jobs easier by mouthing off so often.

Journalists (particularly beltway journalists) might be more insular and lazy than any other professional group aside from the government. You have to keep this in mind when discussing their motivations.

[perlhaqr]

Bush too, I should think, on the "don't want any" poll.

[Hey Nikki!]

He's running on being literally the most horrible politician ever. It's impressive.

[AlmightyJB]

When Kasich was a freshman congressman he had made a splash with small government conservatives by pointing out government waste especially within the military' He would list all these items like $400 hammers and $1000 toilet seats that the American taxpayer was paying for. Of course that didn't last long and he's as big government as any of them now days. People give him to much credit for those early years and in the end it didn't count for much anyways. Also, Ohio is always a coveted state in presidential elections so there is that as well. I sure as he'll won't vote for him.

[AlmightyJB]

20 years ago

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03.....vigor.html

[Robert]

My problem is I keep confusing Kasich & Kucinich. Couldn't one of them change his name?

[Libertarian]

I thought it was just me!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Paul polled worst among Republicans who describe themselves as "moderate or libertarian."

That just goes to show you that being a self-identified libertarian means next to nothing.

I'm a libertarian! Let's invade China!

[Slammer]

They dig the stoned ass sex with Mexicans, but are uncomfortable with the NAP and Liberty stuff.

[UnCivilServant]

I'm a libertarian! Let's invade China!

Chinese news sources say war with the United States is already inevitable.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Why? Because they're going to invade North America? Or is it because we're willing to go to war over a few shitty little islands in the South China Sea?

[UnCivilServant]

A comination of factors starting with the looming economic bubble bursting inside China, a need to be seen as "important", and control of both the trade lanes and the seabed resources that ownership of those islands would confer.

[UnCivilServant]

Converting the South China Sea to territorial waters would essentially cut off Vietnam, something they're already trying to do with spurious claims extending into the gulf of tonkin. Other countries would be seriously impeded, but to lesser extents (economically as damaging though)

[perlhaqr]

Oh, Jesus Fucking Christ is that a war I don't want any part of.

[AlmightyJB]

Send to me that our co-dependencies would prevent that from happening but I never underestimate the stupidity of top men.

[Bam!]

Second in unpopularity was Bush, at 17 percent "no way,"

Wow. And yet the Establishment Republicans will still try to jam him down the party's throat.

[GILMORE]

"Five-way tie'

The significance of this is that almost no one cares enough to care.

[UnCivilServant]

Carly Fiorina and John Kasich Crack Republican Top 10, Ousting Perry and Santorum

The When? Who? What? and Why? candidates. (When did this happen? Who the Fuck is Kasich? What are you still doing here? Why are you even running?)

[Slammer]

Nice.

Also: Howdid this shit storm come about?

[UnCivilServant]

We forgot Wacky Pataki as the 'Where' candidate - Where did you come from?

[Paul.]

I've never heard of Kasich until this moment right now.

[Florida Man]

Is this a "necessary roughness" joke?

[B.P.]

Is top 10 also the threshold for appearing on magazine covers?

[Mike A.]

Save us George Pataki!

SAVE US

[dave b.]

I just threw up in my mouth a little

[The Late P Brooks]

At the top of the list was a five-way tie between Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker,

We're DOOOOMED.

[Slammer]

Doom.

[Sudden]

Doom!

[perlhaqr]

DOOM!

[NYer]

"In sixth place was Sen. Rand Paul with 7 percent?notably, Paul polled worst among Republicans who describe themselves as "moderate or libertarian."

So I guess we're talking about Weekly Standard libertarians who love the Drug War, NSA Spying, thought Dubya was great, and distrust anything having to do with F.A. Hayek. You know morons who think Lindsey Graham and George "Who?" Pataki are worthwhile candidates.

[Suthenboy]

"...ousting Santorum..."

I don't like the sound of that.

[AlmightyJB]

See we need Santorum in the race for the jokes.

[Laird]

"Ousted from the list with this poll were Rick Perry and Rick Santorum."

Hey, it's a start! Now to get rid of Christie . . . .

[RealityBites]

Carly the destroyer of companies and jobs, a perfect candidate for the Greedy Oppressive Parasite party, or Jeb, the halfwit brother of the worst president in history, should be a great horse race to the knackery.