IPFS News Link • Politics: Republican Campaigns
'Pendulum Factor' could land Trump in White House
• http://nypost.com, By Michael GoodwinThey were shocked when the reality-TV star and businessman first grabbed the lead in national GOP polls. Now they're double shocked as he soars in primary states, grabbing a 24-point lead in New Hampshire and a 15-point lead in South Carolina.
In one survey, Trump more than doubled his favorability ratings among Republicans in a single month, from 20 percent to 52 percent. The Hill newspaper called the turnaround "political magic" and the poll's director, Patrick Murray of Monmouth University, called it "astounding."
"That defies any rule in presidential politics that I've ever seen," Murray told The Hill.
Other pollsters made similar comments, but a closer look shows an explanation. I call it the Pendulum Factor.
It reflects the fact that the legacy of each president includes the political climate he leaves behind. In plain English, Barack Obama's most important failures as a leader begat Donald Trump's success.