… Onstage in the debate, Jeb Bush (citing past successes in Florida), John Kasich (citing current successes in Ohio and past successes in Washington), and Marco Rubio (promising future successes) were like ghosts of the Republican Party’s technocratic past, present, and future. But few Republican primary voters are focusing on solutions and progress right now. Republican primary voters are worried and angry about the direction of the country, and Mr. Trump’s campaign is feeding off this sentiment. That’s why attempts to paint Mr. Trump as outside the Republican mainstream are not likely to impact his support. The dissatisfaction and anger that Mr. Trump appeals to goes beyond any one issue. That’s how someone who stood at 1% in the WSJ/NBC News poll among Republican primary voters in June led the pack with 19% support in July. CONT.
Jeff Horwitt (Hart Research Assoc.), Wall Street Journal