Republican Presidential aspirant Donald Trump had said a few weeks ago he would not lose a single vote even if he shot someone dead in full public view. “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Mr. Trump had said.
He is in fact getting more of them as he won a massive victory in the Nevada caucuses, leading his nearest rival Senator Marco Rubio by at least 22 points. With three consecutive victories under his belt, Mr. Trump heads into Super Tuesday on March 1 -- when 11 states will have their primaries or caucuses -- that could irreversibly set the course of the nomination process.
Raising rhetoric
Between his second and third victories, Mr. Trump had raised his rhetoric an extra notch, by recounting approvingly an unverified rumour about an early 20 century American general who killed opponents with bullets dipped in pig’s blood; and by declaring that he wanted to punch a protestor at a rally.
Going by the outcomes in four states that have voted, Mr. Trump’s support is now is geographically and demographically spread across the U.S. He came a close second in Iowa in the middle, came first in New Hampshire in the northeast, South Carolina in the southeast and Nevada in the west. Opinion polls tend to confirm Mr Trump’s claims that he has been winning among all sections.
“I love the poorly educated”
“We won the evangelicals…We won with young, won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated,” he said after the victory in Nevada. “I love the poorly educated. “
“I am number one with Hispanics... I’m really happy about that,” Mr. Trump said, after entry polls indicated that 45 percent of them supported him. Mr. Trump also reiterated the point that he could get away with murder with his supporters.
Rubio, Cruz hope on undecided voters
As Mr. Trump continues with his triumphalism, his main rivals Mr. Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz, who finished third for a second time, are hoping that the more than 30 percent undecided voters in the Super Tuesday states could be mobilised in their favour. What gives them both hopes is the fact that still, a majority of Republican voters believe, according to opinion polls, that Mr. Trump cannot be a winning candidate in the general election. But the increasing momentum of the Trump campaign could change that perception.
I alone can ‘Trump’ him: Cruz
Mr. Cruz said only he could beat Mr. Trump in the nomination race and focused his attack on Mr. Rubio. Mr. Rubio pointed to the notion that he would be the strongest candidate in the general election. Ohio Governor John Kasich and Ben Carson who finished poor in Nevada will come under pressure to quit the race now.
