Trump and Clinton have double digit leads in first post debates South Carolina polling
First post debate South Carolina @pppolitics GOP survey has
Trump 35%
Rubio 18%
Cruz 18%
Kasich 10%
Carson 7%
Bush 7%— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) February 16, 2016
New post debates South Carolina Democratic poll from @pppolitics has
Clinton 55%
Sanders 34%— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) February 16, 2016
After Iowa and New Hampshire the next in line comes the full primary on Saturday in South Carolina – a state with a very different demographic make up than the first two contests.
This has a very high evangelical population which should help Ted Cruz in the GOP fight and indeed he had been in second place in seven out of the past eight polls there. Not so in this latest one carried out on Sunday and yesterday. Rubio is now level for second place.
The big development, though, is that Trump’s debate performance doesn’t seem to have hurt him and he looks set for another substantial victory.
South Carolina has a large black community which should help Hillary in the Democratic race. This latest poll has her level pegging with Sanders amongst white voters but with a 40% lead amongst black ones.
If the election outcome is anything near this poll it will ease a lot of the jitters in the Clinton camp.
The 74 year old Vermont socialist is currently out spending Clinton in the state by about two to one and needs a good result to keep his momentum going.