ATHENS, Ohio: As Donald Trump captures the mantle of presumptive Republican nominee, a new poll finds he begins his general election campaign well behind Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
The new CNN/ORC Poll, completed ahead of Trump’s victory, found Clinton leads 54 percent to 41 percent, a 13-point edge over the New York businessman, her largest lead since last July, CNN reported.
NBC News reported on Wednesday that Trump’s last remaining challenger, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has suspended his campaign after his dismal third place finish in the Midwestern state.
On the other hand, Hillary Clinton is beginning to explore ways to woo Republicans turned off by Trump. The Democratic front-runner’s campaign believes Trump’s historically high unfavorable ratings and penchant for controversy may be enough to persuade a slice of GOP voters to get behind her bid, in much the same way so-called Reagan Democrats sided with the Republican president in the 1980s.
Even before Trump was declared the winner Indiana’s GOP primary, there were some early signs that a sliver of the party might see Clinton as the only option.
“I’m with her,” tweeted Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, on Tuesday.
Democrats caution their effort to win over Clinton Republicans — or Hilla-cans, perhaps — is in its earliest stages, but could grow to include ads and other outreach targeted in particular at suburban women in battleground states. Already, aides say, a number of Republicans have privately told Clinton and her team they plan to break party ranks and support her as soon as Trump formally captures his party’s nomination.
“We have an informed understanding that we could have the potential to expect support from not just Democrats and independents, but Republicans, too,” said Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. “There’s a time and place for that support to make itself known.”
While such bipartisan support would expand Clinton’s base of potential voters, a series of high-profile endorsements from Republican officials could also raise questions about her liberal credentials and threaten to dampen enthusiasm among some in her own party.
For months, primary rival Bernie Sanders has criticized Clinton’s record from the left, highlighting her 2002 vote in favor of the war in Iraq and support from Wall Street. The Vermont senator won the Indiana primary Tuesday, demonstrating her lingering weaknesses within her own party.
Clinton has begun casting her candidacy in recent days as a cry to unify a divided country. After a series of victories last week, which all but ensured she will capture her party’s nomination, Clinton called on Democrats, independents and what she called “thoughtful Republicans” to back her bid.
Guy Cecil, chief strategist of Priorities USA Action, the super PAC backing her campaign, echoed that language Tuesday night, calling on “Democrats, independents and reasonable Republicans” to reject Trump’s “outdated ideas.”
The new CNN/ORC Poll, completed ahead of Trump’s victory, found Clinton leads 54 percent to 41 percent, a 13-point edge over the New York businessman, her largest lead since last July, CNN reported.
NBC News reported on Wednesday that Trump’s last remaining challenger, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has suspended his campaign after his dismal third place finish in the Midwestern state.
On the other hand, Hillary Clinton is beginning to explore ways to woo Republicans turned off by Trump. The Democratic front-runner’s campaign believes Trump’s historically high unfavorable ratings and penchant for controversy may be enough to persuade a slice of GOP voters to get behind her bid, in much the same way so-called Reagan Democrats sided with the Republican president in the 1980s.
Even before Trump was declared the winner Indiana’s GOP primary, there were some early signs that a sliver of the party might see Clinton as the only option.
“I’m with her,” tweeted Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, on Tuesday.
Democrats caution their effort to win over Clinton Republicans — or Hilla-cans, perhaps — is in its earliest stages, but could grow to include ads and other outreach targeted in particular at suburban women in battleground states. Already, aides say, a number of Republicans have privately told Clinton and her team they plan to break party ranks and support her as soon as Trump formally captures his party’s nomination.
“We have an informed understanding that we could have the potential to expect support from not just Democrats and independents, but Republicans, too,” said Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. “There’s a time and place for that support to make itself known.”
While such bipartisan support would expand Clinton’s base of potential voters, a series of high-profile endorsements from Republican officials could also raise questions about her liberal credentials and threaten to dampen enthusiasm among some in her own party.
For months, primary rival Bernie Sanders has criticized Clinton’s record from the left, highlighting her 2002 vote in favor of the war in Iraq and support from Wall Street. The Vermont senator won the Indiana primary Tuesday, demonstrating her lingering weaknesses within her own party.
Clinton has begun casting her candidacy in recent days as a cry to unify a divided country. After a series of victories last week, which all but ensured she will capture her party’s nomination, Clinton called on Democrats, independents and what she called “thoughtful Republicans” to back her bid.
Guy Cecil, chief strategist of Priorities USA Action, the super PAC backing her campaign, echoed that language Tuesday night, calling on “Democrats, independents and reasonable Republicans” to reject Trump’s “outdated ideas.”
