Donald Trump’s toughness scores supporters, lead in Republican poll

Donald Trump is now tied for first in the 2012 Republican Nomination polls at 19 percent. A month ago, he only had 10 percent and ranked fifth.

Political analysts think Trump is scoring support with his tough, plain-spoken approach against President Obama.

“He’s in Obama’s face. Romney has taken a purposely low-key approach. Same with Tim Pawlenty. Even people like Haley Barbour and Newt Gringrich, who can be rougher, do not have the same no-holds-barred style that Trump has engaged in [against Obama],” said Mark Halperin, senior political analyst for Time magazine, on CNN.

Indeed, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney had 18 percent and ranked second a month ago. Now, his cautious and tame style has dropped him to 11 percent and fifth place.

Halperin thinks Trump has replaced Romney as the leading voice representing the business community of America. Moreover, his tough-talking style has the potential to appeal to Republicans, independents, and even Democrats.

On Obama, Trump accused him of not being capable of leading the Congress in US budget talks, being disrespected and taken advantage of by many foreign leaders and countries around the world, and not producing enough evidence of his birth in the US.

On foreign policy, Trump wants to tax China if they do not revalue the yuan, have better trade agreements in general, take Iraq’s oil (and “make a fortune” from it), and look out for US economic interests.