US Presidential Elections 2016: Who Has the Best Chance of Making it to the White House?
The 2016 presidential elections in the United States will be not be held until Nov. 8 but the political scene in the country has been pretty interesting. There are two Democrats and nine Republicans who are still in the running for the 58th quadrennial U.S. presidential elections.
This week, Republican candidates Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio both showed impressive caucuses scores. Real estate mogul Donald Trump was also on top of the list, with double-digit lead, Business Insider noted.
Democrats Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also hold the lead in national polls. So, who has the best chance of making it to the White House?
Here a glimpse into where all the candidates stand based on the Real Clear Politics averages of national polls as well as those in New Hampshire and South Carolina, as of Monday.
1. Hillary Clinton (Democrat)
National polling average among Democratic voters: 49.3 percent
New Hampshire: 40.7 percent
South Carolina: 62 percent
The former secretary of state has been ranked first due to her formidable performance in polling and fund-raising. Her strength in states with more diverse Democratic electorates is also an advantage.
2. Donald Trump (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 29.5 percent
New Hampshire: 30.7 percent
South Carolina: 36 percent
This controversial presidential candidate has taken the political realm by storm. Despite being one of the most highly-criticized candidate, Trump has showed unforeseen staying power. While his position on illegal immigration ignited major backlash, he's still on the victory track.
3. Ted Cruz (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 21 percent
New Hampshire: 12.4 percent
South Carolina: 19.7 percent
Cruz may not be a typical politician but he's the best-positioned candidate from within the political sphere. And his surprising fund-raising numbers proved that he will most likely be in the race for a long period of time.
4. Marco Rubio (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 17.8 percent
New Hampshire: 14.4 percent
South Carolina: 12.7 percent
Based on the Iowa caucuses, Rubio was perhaps the biggest winner. And as his campaign perfectly played the "expectations game," he came out of the polls stronger-than-expected.
5. Bernie Sanders (Democrat)
National polling average among Democratic voters: 36 percent
New Hampshire: 53.9 percent
South Carolina: 32.5 percent
Despite facing daunting challenges against Hillary Clinton, Sanders is still climaxing at the right time. And as the tone of the race changes, Sanders is increasingly taking his shots on the campaign trail.
6. Jeb Bush (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 4.3 percent
New Hampshire: 11.3 percent
South Carolina: 10 percent
Once considered as the clear frontrunner, the former Florida governor now sits in fifth amid a jam-packed bunch of establishment-minded candidates. Despite having signs of stumbling candidacy, he remains a dynamic fundraiser who retains significant resources.
7. John Kasich (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 4 percent
New Hampshire: 13 percent
South Carolina: 2 percent
Following Rubio's debate blunder, Kasich might have a legitimate chance to rise on top, thanks to his plethora of experience from serving nearly two decades in Congress, which include foreign-policy areas and his time as the U.S. House budget committee chairman.
8. Chris Christie (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 2.5 percent
New Hampshire: 5.4 percent
South Carolina: 2.3 percent
Christie has proven his resilience in spite of several attacks from rival candidates and their allied interests. Unfortunately, his poll standing has declined. But since the elections are still months away, the New Jersey governor might come back on top again.
9. Ben Carson (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 7.8 percent
New Hampshire: 2.9 percent
South Carolina: 8.7 percent
Carson's campaign has been thrown into disaster a few months ago after the resignation of his top aides. However, it seems that his campaign continues to deal with challenging hurdles. In fact, His national poll numbers have dropped nearly 17 points over the past three-plus months.
10. Carly Fiorina (Republican)
National polling average among Republican voters: 2.5 percent
New Hampshire: 4.7 percent
South Carolina: 1.7 percent
Known as one of Clinton's fiercest critics, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO has been stealing attention with her remarkable first lower-tier Republican debate performance. However, her poll standing has dipped over the past few months. While her experience as a business executive can be an advantage, she failed to qualify for last weekend's debate.
So, who do you think will succeed Barack Obama as the next U.S. President?
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