Latest poll shows top ten GOP contenders for first debate

Just two weeks before the first Republican presidential candidate debate and the latest from Pew Public Policy Polling shows the top ten -- the only ones who get in -- as these:

Trump 19%
Walker 17
Bush 12
Carson 10
Rubio 10
Huckabee 8
4% each for Cruz, Fiorina, and Paul
3 each for Christie and this week's entrant, Kasich.

That's eleven, with Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, and Rick Santorum at 2%, outside looking in.  Jim Gilmore (who?), Lindsey Graham, and George Pataki all have 1%.

This ABC/WaPo from Monday only ranks nine, in this order: Trump, Walker, Bush, Huckabee, Rubio, Paul, Carson, Cruz, and Perry.

Establishment Republicans are already cringing in agony at the thought of a debate where Trump's mouth turns into a flamethrower directed at everybody else on stage with him.  Thus, I'm pulling for former governor Goodhair and Glasses to make the cut, because he's been the only Rethug willing to rumble with The Donald over Ill Eagles.  Speaking of trolls, the leader is in Laredo today -- completely surrounded by gobs of various law enforcement officers -- to tour the border.

"I've been invited by the border patrols, and they want to honor me actually, and thousands and thousands of them, because I'm speaking up," Trump said Wednesday on Fox News. "I may never see you again, but we're going to do it."

[...]

“I hope he can find the border because I’m not sure he’s ever been there before," Perry said.

No mention of Greg Abbott joining him, as he did with Walker four months ago.

The dynamic with Ted Cruz forswearing 'Republican-on-Republican violence' in refusing to criticize Trump is your basic Cruz-styled political calculation: he plans to sweep up the Bigot Caucus when Trump eventually quits the race (and hopefully runs as a third-party protest).

Donald Trump says the chances that he will launch a third-party White House run will “absolutely” increase if the Republican National Committee is unfair to him during the 2016 primary season.

“The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy,” the business mogul told The Hill in a 40-minute interview from his Manhattan office at Trump Tower on Wednesday. “The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.”

Pressed on whether he would run as a third-party candidate if he fails to clinch the GOP nomination, Trump said that “so many people want me to, if I don’t win.”

“I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,” Trump said. “Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.”

Primary season is so much fun, isn't it?

Ben Hall and Dave Wilson

As with Ben Hall and Steven Hotze last week, a "butthole buddies" joke right about now would just be too easy.

On Tuesday HOUequality posted a photo of Ben Hall's signature on the anti-HERO petition. "If someone is running to represent all Houstonians (in fact Mr.Hall's campaign slogan has been 'Ben Hall for All') how can they add their name to a petition designed to divide and denigrate transgender Houstonians?" the post asked. (We called over to Hall's campaign headquarters and a Hall volunteer confirmed that Hall definitely signed it.) HOUequality has promised that there will be more of these disclosures coming this week. 

Ben Hall is NOT for all.  I thought that was conspicuous two years ago when he challenged Annise Parker and got drubbed, and was insincere about his homophobia on numerous occasions.

He doesn't really give a shit what you think if you're homosexual, or if you support the civil rights of homosexual people in all of society.  That's a fairly large constituency to write off in Houston.  Worse yet, it is the wrong side of history now, and a definite regression from his last run, where he either couched or concealed his antipathy better.  At this point Hall has probably stolen the anti-HERO vote away from Bill King, who kinda needed it in order to make the runoff.

You have a pastor running on a campaign of hate, with several other pastors lined up behind him.  I just don't think that's what Jesus would do... but I'm an atheist, so what  do I know?

I suppose there are enough Christian conservative gay-bashing men and women, of all creeds and colors, in both the Democratic and Republican parties, that Hall can get to his polled three percent.  But at this point, if Ben Hall gets more votes than Marty McVey, it will be an embarrassment.  Not to McVey, but to the entire city of Houston.