As the Iowa caucuses get underway tonight in the Hawkeye state, it's important to take a look ahead at the general election.
According to new polling from Gallup, an astonishing 60 percent of Americans view GOP frontrunner Donald Trump unfavorably. This number is higher than any unfavorable number either Hillary or Bill Clinton have ever held, even while deeply embroiled in scandal. Bolding is mine.
At this point (two-week average through Jan. 27), 33% of Americans view Trump favorably and 60% unfavorably. It's that 60% unfavorable figure that I can focus on here.
Hillary Clinton currently has a 52% unfavorable rating among all Americans, while Jeb Bush is at 45%, Chris Christie 38%, Ted Cruz 37%, Marco Rubio 33%, Bernie Sanders 31% and Ben Carson 30%. Trump's 60% is clearly well above all of these. Putting his favorable and unfavorable ratings together yields a net favorable of -27 for Trump, far above the -10 for Clinton and for Bush, the next lowest among the major candidates.
By comparison, Bill Clinton's highest unfavorable rating in Gallup's history of rating him has been 59% in March 2001 after he left office amid criticism of his pardons and issues relating to White House furniture. The highest unfavorable for his wife, Hillary, came in that same March 2001 poll -- at 53% -- a figure she has matched several times in the current campaign.
Trump could possibly overcome these numbers, but it's highly unlikely considering how many voting demographics he's already lost any chance of winning over.
Donald Trump may win the GOP primary, but he'll surely lose the general.
