Almost four years ago, long before the 2012 presidential campaign heated up, CNN took a poll to learn who Republicans might choose as their party’s next nominee. There were two clear front-runners: former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. The former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, limped in third.
By the time the campaign arrived, of course, Palin and Huckabee were pursuing careers as television pundits and after-dinner speakers, not presidential candidates. It’s in that spirit that we should contemplate last week’s burst of polling on the 2016 presidential campaign. Three years before the New Hampshire primary, these surveys aren’t predictions; they’re exercises in fantasy baseball. [cont.]
Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times
Recent polls: White House 2016