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Donald Trump, a Major Contender to Win Florida GOP Primary, Headed to Sarasota

November 22, 2015 - 9:30pm
Donald Trump
Donald Trump

Businessman Donald Trump, wind at his back, is headed to the Sunshine State later this week. He continues to take the fight to former Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in their own backyard. 

Trump is scheduled to hit Florida on Saturday to hold a noontime rally at the Sarasota Fairgrounds. It’s just the latest sign that the real estate mogul and TV personality thinks he has a chance of winning the Florida primary March 15 -- and his campaign is over the target on that assumption. 

At the Republican Party of Florida’s (RPOF) Sunshine Summit in Orlando earlier this month, there were four presidential candidates who stood out above the others in terms of their support: Dr. Ben Carson, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rubio and Trump. Bush supporters simply did not have the same excitement and enthusiasm for their candidate. The Cruz and Rubio efforts were well organized but so was the Trump camp. 

There was something of an assumption that Carson and Trump would take a hit in the polls after the Islamist terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month. Certainly that’s been the case with Carson. But Trump remains at the top of the national polls and in surveys of key states like New Hampshire and Florida. A FAU poll of Florida Republicans taken after the attacks and released last week shows Trump has a double digit lead over Rubio, his nearest rival. 

Trump’s message on immigration might not play well with some Republicans in southeast Florida or in places like Orlando that rely on tourism but it resonates with many conservatives across the Sunshine State. Last month, Trump pulled a large crowd when he spoke in Jacksonville and he certainly appeals to many conservatives across the northern part of state. Trump will have to fight off Cruz for many of these voters and Rubio will try to appeal in the Panhandle and the First Coast with their large military and veterans populations. 

Unlike where the Carson team is now, Trump should be fairly well organized in Florida. Joe Gruters is one of his campaign chairs and has been one of the more effective Republican leaders at the county level. Susie Wiles is also one of Trump’s chairs in Florida and she has shown her metal in helping get Rick Scott elected and in other campaigns. 

Trump will also benefit if Carson fades and Carly Fiorina remains stuck lagging behind the other candidates. In recent election cycles, Florida Republicans have shown a preference for backing candidates who have never held elected office over career politicians: Scott over Bill McCollum; Pam Bondi over Jeff Kottkamp and Holly Benson; Herman Cain winning the Presidency V straw poll; Ted Yoho over Cliff Stearns; and helping propel Curt Clawson, Ron DeSantis, David Jolly and Trey Radel into open congressional seats. Trump’s lack of electoral experience is a distinct plus with a large segment of Florida Republicans. 

Of course, there are still four months to go until Florida holds its primary and early states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada will greatly shape the race. But right now Trump is a contender to win Florida and has shown far more staying power at the national level and in the Sunshine State than most of the political class expected. Trump smells opportunity in Florida which is why he headed to Sarasota later this week. 

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN

Comments

Trump and other politicians are always talking about how much they care for Veterans. I think Trump would care more for his Billionaire friends than Veterans. If the Government really cared about Veterans they would not allow Billionaire Contractors to obstruct the sidewalk in front of a Veterans Medical Clinic. We need your help at; The Pedestrians Lives Matter Campaign http://pedestrianslivesmatter.org

BOLO: Extreme Far left Marxist Protesters Led by Bryan Ellis Plot ‘Dump Trump’ Demo Outside the American Presidential Candidate’s Sarasota Free Rally at Robarts Arena.

Because I surf the E-newspapers every day, I have began to notice an accumulation of Progressive Left wing blogs and media. Its actually saturating the Internet doing their level best to either insult the Conservative 'Outsiders' or encompass the web with an account of something they said and twisting the words or omitting any Presidential candidates statements. It is a sly tactic by reporters who have succumbed to the Liberal slant to undermine the Republicans? It is not even any different in the E-Press as the mainstream newspapers are always dominating first on Google, MSN, Yahoo or any search engines. The corporate ownership of the media completely dictate what we read/see, whether it's the Liberal, Democratic prepared schedule or the GOP Elites? These Super Pac are a scam anyway, but it just show the desperation of the hierarchy in the political parties? THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR MONEY MAKING MACHINE IF TRUMP WINS? Without doubt illegal immigration will be right at the front of issues that will be governing the 2016 election? That be a combination of Donald Trumps wall and by far the most important--MANDATORY E-VERIFY and a BIO-METRIC SYSTEMS FOR ALL EXIT AND ENTRY PORTS. We must enact these programs to stop the drain on all levels of government. It will not be accomplished under Obamas rule, but it sure will if Trump gets the top job. The $$100 billion to $$ 200 dollars that is going to support foreigners and now the chance of 100 thousand Syrian refugees all on this presidents watch. Keep them over there in a safe region and pay for their survival, until ISIS is wiped out? Yet another multinational company is moving to Ireland, owing to the high corporation taxes here. They call it “reverse-inversion,” and Allergan, a small Dublin-based drug company that makes products such as Botox, will technically buy the US-based Mega drug company Pfizer, which makes products such as Viagra and Lipitor. These 'Reverse Inversions" means loss of thousands of jobs, because of the highest corporate taxes in the world. Recently Ford Manufacturing commenced to make a move to Mexico and this will include Nabisco. Donald Trump will put a block on these giant companies going overseas or Central America. Trumps ultimatum to these tax games is lowering corporate taxes or suffers the consequences of an import tariff on all goods and products of 35 % entering into the United States. We cannot suffer any more from job losses of companies leaving this nation. Unfortunately we have a bunch of Bozo's in Washington, who don't seem to care about our business policies? Unless of course they have a secret motive to make money from shares, which are hidden from public view? Donald Trump is on the highest rung of business acumen; a top notch contract writer and he can reclaim businesses and industry that is already in some low tax country. WE just cannot compete with China, Mexico, India Mexico, and a mass of foreign and governmental entities. Trump is the ONLY one for President will bring back employment for all Americans. It's a renewal for depressed neighborhoods were crime is rampant? There is an outcry from the impoverished that are dragged down by poverty, whether you're a black, Hispanic, Latino, white American citizen or lawfully here immigrant or any other race, who are either have a poor paying job, underemployed or just have vanished from the job market. 92 million Americans have no job and are reliant on Welfare programs. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders plan is to spend what money is left in the state and federal treasuries. Only jobs government can produce is in there sector, whereas jobs are created in the private sector. Yes! They can spend taxpayer's money on free education, free healthcare free everything--but it cannot survive? To find any news minus any unbiased reporting I either click over to One American News Network or try BBC America. It carries the factual intelligence not stimulated by the wealthy media or the TV airwaves. Right now its broadcasts are compromised by a mega merger between the Charter Corporation and Time Warner? If they join in this merger then they are not going to carry ONE AMERICAN NEW NETWORK. These are multimillion dollar corporations that obviously feel intimidated, by this small family oriented company? It will be a great shame to our freedoms, our free speech if they end up on the chopping block. If you belief in a free thinking American broadcasting network, click on their web site and learn more. Cost you nothing, but you could save an independent news agency from extinction. It's all factual intelligence news from around the world and the USA. There is a short and simple process to register your support of One America News Network directly to the FCC. Here’s how: One America News Network Needs Your Help. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! www.oann.com/help/ I already contacted Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and former Governor Huckabee on Twitter. Now it's the American public turn to stop the massive monopolies, who wants control of the Internet, TV and the airwaves.

Thank you for your very fair article on Trump. Go Trump!!

The Donald can no doubt be rude, obnoxious, arrogant and abrasive. Those are personality traits and have nothing to do with his innate character and certainly nothing to do with his intellect or geo global experience. Hillary, on the other hand has a series of VERY questionable issues she is toting around in the Twenty Mule Team baggage carrier she hauls around. She is a career politician that will say anything if it serves her purpose. She will say anything if she can profit from it. We are just lucky we didn't lose her when she came under hostile fire while visiting - where was it she was visiting on our dime? She surrounds her self with VERY questionable people. Her girl Friday and her husband The Weiner. He likes to send pictures of his dick to women he does not know. Evidently, some of them were not impressed. I would have said Hillary was the worst Sec. of State we ever had, but now the bicycle riding panty waist pussy John Kerry has, I believe, overtaken her. We ARE sending $150 billion to Iran, correct? What a deal! Like Dick "The Snake" Blumenthal, now US Senator who touted his Vietnam experience for years. I was closer to Vietnam than he ever was, and I was drunk in a dive in San Francisco at the time. Don't forget Elizabeth Warren, also known as a direct descendent of Pocahontas. Oh, no doubt she is an Indian princess. Not. They all lie to serve their own interests. Some people might say becoming president would do nothing but feed The Donalds ego. I don't think his ego needs any bolstering. I think he loves America and is sickened by what he sees going on. And is willing to put himself on the firing line and in harms way and spend his own money to try and do something about it. I hope he wins.

GO TRUMP! Hillary who?

"Underestimating"---"going broke"... Think Hillary !

Please, please pick Trump for the repub candidate so Hillary can beat him so badly because he is such a buffoon as those who like him are. The sad thing for the repub party is he is looking more likely to win showing everyone just how stupid they are. PS, scam below

"Buffoon"..? Think Obama.

"Buffoon"..? Think Obama.

Be careful what you wish for . . . "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." - H. L. Mencken

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