Trump Catches Clinton in National Polls: What It Means

The key thing to keep in mind: It's only May
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted May 25, 2016 10:37 AM CDT
Trump Catches Clinton in National Polls: What It Means
Candidates are seen on a board game called "Trunks 'N Asses."   (Steve Polczwartek via AP)

Not too long ago, Hillary Clinton held double-digit leads over Donald Trump in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup. Trump, however, has now actually edged ahead of her in an average of national polls compiled at RealClearPolitics. The development has prompted all kinds of analysis. Some highlights:

  • "Mr. Trump has made gains in unifying his party's base, while Mrs. Clinton has not done the same with hers," writes Nate Cohn at the New York Times. "If anything, her problem with Bernie Sanders' voters has gotten a bit worse."
  • But presidential polls in late May have "historically bad" track records, notes NPR. Let's see what happens after she picks up the nomination.

  • Those who fear a Trump presidency shouldn't panic, writes Michael Cohen at the Boston Globe. "Unless Bernie Sanders refuses to endorse Clinton—and I can't imagine he would do that—the vast majority of Sanders backers will vote for the party nominee."
  • On the other hand, "Sanders supporters hate the Democratic Party, and Trump is a unique political talent." This at the Daily Intelligencer, whose overview offers arguments for both Clinton and Trump supporters.
  • Plus, "after six years of political gridlock, many voters are yearning for change in Washington, and that should help Trump," writes Doyle McManus at the Los Angeles Times.
  • "The only thing we know right now is that, at this moment, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are essentially in a dead heat," writes Anthony Zurcher at the BBC. "And Mr. Trump has made a lot of pundits and prognosticators look foolish over the past year."
(More Donald Trump 2016 stories.)

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