PLENTY OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE HILLARY CLINTON, BUT NOBODY LIKES JEB

According to a new Washington Post/ABC poll, Jeb Bush is well ahead of his rivals in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, though, of course, not as far ahead as Hillary Clinton is on the Democratic side:

In the contest for the Republican nomination, Bush tops the field with 20 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents saying they would support him if their primary or caucus were held today. He is followed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 13 percent and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 12 percent. Five other Republicans receive at least 6 percent support, with an additional six candidates at either 2 or 1 percent.

(Clinton's at 66% among Democrats. Joe Biden is in second place at 11%.)

Clinton has double-digit leads -- yes, still -- over the Republicans:

Tested against four possible Republicans in a general election -- Bush, Cruz, Walker and Rubio -- Clinton holds double-digit leads in every case. Bush does marginally better than the others, but trails by 53 to 41 percent among registered voters, while Cruz runs weakest at 54 to 37percent.

But it's early, right? And don't Hillary and Jeb both have the same problem -- that a certain percentage of voters support them in a knee-jerk way, as inevitable nominees, but no one is actually enthusiastic about either of them?

Well, that's not quite true. Between Jeb and Hillary, there's huge enthusiasm gap:



It turns out that 42% of Democrats are "very enthusiastic" about Hillary Clinton. Only 12% of Republicans are very enthusiastic about Jeb Bush. That also means that there'll be enthusiasm for Hillary if she's running against a fresher Republican than Jeb.

Maybe you don't think that's a good thing. I get that -- but I want the next Supreme Court vacancies to be chosen by a Democrat rather than pulled off a list of recommendations from the same folks who gave us Roberts and Alito. I want the next four years of budgets not to reek of Paul Ryan. Hillary Clinton may not be the liberal of anyone's dreams, but she's against Indiana's religious freedom act, and what Republican presidential aspirant can say the same? (Oh, sorry, there's one: George Pataki, who seems serious about running this year, though no one knows why.)

So I'm glad Democratic voters are enthusiastic about Hillary. And I'm very glad that Republicans may be on their way to picking a nominee a lot of them don't like and the public as a whole doesn't like:

Bush ... is viewed favorably by just 33 percent of the public, while 53 percent say they view him unfavorably.

(Hillary's general-public numbers aren't spectacular, but they're above water, at 49%-46%.)

Good job, GOP establishment: few people like the guy you're forcing on your party, and hardly anyone is fired up about him. That's your strategy? Please proceed.