"The Sunday Political Brunch" -- August 16, 2015

Dr. Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a freelance Political Reporter based in New England and a Political Analyst on KGO Radio 810-AM San Francisco.

(Providence, Rhode Island) – Conventional American politics is being turned upside down in Campaign 2016. On the heels of the first Republican debate and continued questions about the Democratic frontrunner, four people have emerged in this campaign who are simply the talk of the town. Maybe they’ll win; maybe they won’t; but it’s shaping up as an unforgettable chapter in U.S. politics. These four make the “2016 Mount Rushmore of the Candidates” list. Let’s “brunch” on that this week.

“Trump Trumps!” -- For all of the controversy and consternation over the first Republican debate and Donald Trump’s battle with Megyn Kelly, guess what? His lead is growing, not shrinking. In the latest CNN/ORC poll in Iowa, Trump leads the first Republican Caucus state with 22 percent of the vote. Trump also leads in New Hampshire with 18 percent, in Michigan with 20 percent, and - nationally - with 17 percent. He is clearly the Republican frontrunner, whether his critics like it or not.

“Carson Surges” – That CNN poll from Iowa is raising eyebrows for other reasons, too. Surging into second place in the GOP field is non-politician Doctor Ben Carson. Carson – who had some great one-liners in the first debate – has been growing in popularity among Americans tired of seeing the race card played at every turn in politics. Carson is an African-American neurosurgeon with a populist stump speech that often rankles liberals, particularly on gay rights issues.

“Feisty Fiorina” – Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina clearly outperformed her six opponents in the “lower-tier” GOP debate, and she’ll be on the big stage next time the combatants meet. Fiorina is now in fourth place in Iowa, with 7 percent of the vote, and also is fourth in New Hampshire, with 7 percent. Those two states vote first, so she could be the breakout candidate. By the way, Fiorina is a close number two in Michigan, behind Trump, with 15 percent of the vote, according to a Fox2-Detroit poll. Nationally, Fiorina has risen to 9 percent. Keep an eye on her.

“Weekend with Bernie!” – The one person besides Trump who seems to be electrifying huge chunks of the electorate is Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Last week, Sanders drew an estimated crowd of 28,000 to a rally in Portland, Oregon – by far the biggest turnout for any 2016 candidate. Sanders, in fact, has now surged ahead of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. The latest Boston Herald/Franklin Pierce University Poll has it Sanders 44 percent to Clinton 37 percent, with Vice President Joe Biden – still an undeclared candidate – at 9 percent.

“Voter Thoughts” – Every week I ask for reader comments, and one of the most frequent contributors is Ron Keffer, an old friend and fellow Salvation Army supporter from San Jose, California. Keffer, a Democrat, remains a staunch Trump supporter; but he likes the other two “flies in the ointment,” as well. “I like Trump. He tells it like it is; and if he is chosen to run, I will vote for him… I like Dr. Carson. He is intelligent and probably way ahead of any politician in office at the present. Carly, the media has already chastised her. She was hired to cut the fat at HP, and she did just that. We need the fat cut in our government, from the bottom to the top,” said Keffer.

Here in liberal-dominated New England, a famous car dealer named Ernie Boch, Jr., will hold a party for Trump, although Boch has not formally endorsed him. “Of all the candidates so far, I think he’s the most attractive,” Boch told “The Boston Herald.” “He doesn’t act like a politician. He doesn’t talk like a politician. I don’t agree with everything he says, absolutely not.”

“Impact on Other Races” – Will 2016 be a watershed year? We’ll see, but the backlash against traditional politics as usual is extending to other races. Former California Republican Chairman Duf Sundheim – who has never held elective office – is now thinking of running for the U.S. Senate next year against Attorney General Kamala Harris (D-CA). An email I received from Sundheim this week describes Washington, D.C., as “…where the professional political class is locked in partisanship and beholden to special interests. California deserves leaders who will bring a problem-solving approach to Washington, where too often politicians are only there for political ambition.” Sound familiar?

“Recurring Theme” – My colleague, Dr. Valerie Endress, Professor of Political Communication at Rhode Island College, attended that Bernie Sanders rally in Oregon last week which attracted nearly 30,000 people. Dr. Endress said, “Sanders is probably one of the most anti-charismatic candidates I’ve seen in many years. He’s plainspoken, talks without a teleprompter, makes no attempt to soften his Vermont accent, hasn’t learned to play to the audience. On the other hand, I’ve seldom seen a more riled-up audience for the content of his discourse. They roared when he castigated big bank practices, the power of machine politics, CEO domination, and growing economic inequality.” Endress reports that the crowd was filled with Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and the expected Millennials - many in each group with families in tow. In short, Sanders has struck a raw nerve.

“Why All of This Matters” – These four candidates are clearly resonating with the “anti-politics as usual” class of voters. Yes, Bernie Sanders has been an elected official most of his adult life; but, as an independent and a socialist, he has always been on the outs with traditional politicians in both parties. Sanders, Trump, Fiorina and Carson make the “2016 Mount Rushmore of the Candidates” list simply for sticking their collective thumbs in the eye of U.S. politics as usual. They feel the pulse of the angry voter, and it is strong!

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© 2015, Mark Curtis Media, LLC.

Photo: Mark Curtis reporting at Mount Rushmore, SD, from the book: “Age of Obama: A Reporter’s Journey with Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President 2008.” (Nimble Books, LLC)