December 14, 2016 - A new poll on the Iowa Caucuses shows that Senator Ted Cruz of Texas as rocketed to a 10 point lead over national Republican front runner New York Businessman Donald Trump.

Cruz has the support of 31% followed by 21% for Trump. In third place is Dr. Ben Carson with 13%. Not to long ago it had been Carson who had been challenging Trump for the lead in Iowa.

In fourth place is Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 10% , followed by his one time mentor former Florida Governor Jeb Bush with 6%.

In a three way tie for sixth place with 3% each is Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

At 2% is Ohio Governor John Kasich followed by former CEO Carly Fiorina and former Senator Rick Santorum  at 1% each.

Scoring zero percent in the poll are Senator Lindsey  Graham of South Carolina and former New York Governor George Pataki.

This week on December 15 will see the final Republican presidential debate of the year. The Iowa Caucus is scheduled for Monday February 1, 2016.

 December 3, 2015 - Political pundits have been saying since July that the rise of New York Businessman Donald Trump in the polls would soon come to an end. As the new year  approaches not only is Trump still the front runner for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination he now has a 20 point lead  over his closest rival.

Trump has the support of 36% of those polled followed by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas with 16%. Receiving  over 30% of those polled is another bench mark for Trump, as political analysts have long said he may have hit his ceiling of support and could not get past the high twenties. With the latest poll , Trump has raced past the 30% percent mark.

In third place is Dr. Ben Carson with 14% followed by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 12%.  Trump, Cruz, Carson and Rubio are the only GOP White House hopefuls in double digits. In fifth place is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with 4%.

Tied as 3% each is former CEO Carly Fiorina and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The 3% is a troubling number for the one time front runner Bush who has spent millions of advertising without so far making any impact in the minds of voters.

As 2% each are Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Coming in at 1% of support is Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

In this latest poll Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former New York Governor George Pataki and former Senator Rick Santorum registered zero support.

 November 30, 2015 - With just a little over two months to the Iowa Caucuses on February 1, 2016, Republican and Democratic candidates are heading into the time when the voters will finally get to weigh in on the race.

For the Republicans an average of polls for Iowa finds New York Businessman Donald Trump in the lead with 26.7% followed by Dr. Ben Carson with 20%. In third place is Senator Ted Cruz of Texas with 18.3% followed by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida wit 12.3%. For now Trump , Carson , Cruz and Rubio are in a four man race in Iowa as they are the only Republican challengers in double digits.

Despite his high name recognition former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who at one time was the front runner for the nomination, is at 4.7% in Iowa followed by former CEO Caryl Fiorina at 3.7%. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is at 3% followed by by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 2.3%.

The winner of the 2008 Iowa Caucus former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is at 1.7% followed by the 2012 GOP winner of the Iowa Caucus former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 1.3%. Also at 1.3% is Ohio Governor  John Kasich followed by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina with 0.7%.

On the Democratic side former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the support of 52% of those polled followed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont with 41%. In third place is former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley with 4%.

In New Hampshire, the first primary in the nation scheduled for February 9, 2016, Trump is solidly in command with 26% followed by a distant second of Rubio at 12.5%. In third place is Dr. Ben Carson with 10.5% followed by Cruz with 9.5.

In fifth place with 7.8% is Kasich followed by Bush with 7.5%. Next up is Christie with 5.3% followed by Paul with 4.3%. Also at 4.3% is Fiorina. At 1% each is Huckabee and Graham.

As Iowa and New Hampshire loom closer , the candidates can be expected to intensify their advertising and campaigning. For many of these lower polling candidates the time is drawing near where they need to either  move  up in the polls or begin to contemplate placing their presidential campaign buttons in a museum.

On the Democratic side in New Hampshire  it is a far closer race at the moment as Clinton has the support of 45% followed by Sanders with 40.7% and O'Malley with 3.7%.

The next big event for the Republicans will be on December 15, 2015 when they will debate in Las Vegas. The Democrats will follow that up with a debate in New Hampshire on December 19, 2015.

 November 18, 2015 - Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal for president 2016 campaign buttons became part of history yesterday when he ended his White House bid  for the Republican Party 2016 presidential nomination.

Jindal, a two term governor, had struggled since entering the race to gain support and had been stuck in low single digits in national polls. In the four Republican presidential debates that have been held since August , Jindal had appeared each time only in the under card debate , never making the main stage.

Jindal joins two other Republican hopefuls who have already left the race, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and former Texas Governor Rick Perry.