Keith Girard
Hillary Clinton has widened her lead over Donald Trump coming off the first presidential debate. (Photo: Getty)
The latest Morning Consult/Politico poll shows her up by 6 points–46 percent to 36 percent– with Independents Gary Johnson and Jill Stein polling 6 percent and 2 percent respectively.
Without factoring in Johnson and Stein, Clinton leads by seven points, according to the scientific poll.
More significantly, however, the poll showed that 60-percent of voters think it’s inappropriate to bring up a spouse’s infidelities or past behavior. Only 26 percent said it’s fair game and 14 percent gave no answer.
Among women, the gap was even greater. Of those polled, 62 percent said it was out of bounds compared with 49 percent of men.
That’s more bad news for Trump.
The candidate and his mouthpieces have been testing out a line of attack against Clinton that focuses on husband Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky while president and other sexual allegations against him.
The effort to smear the former president may be an attempt to deflect or mitigate attention on Trump’s own sordid past. It includes adultery, rampant sexism, misogyny and a pending federal lawsuit that claims he raped a 13-year-old girl.
Some 66 percent of voters, however, said Clinton should steer clear of Trump’s past indiscretions as well.
Trump is coming off what many arguably consider his worst week during the campaign.
He not only fared poorly during the first presidential debate, but has Tweeted smears obsessively about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado.
His actions widely enforced perceptions that he is vindictive and can’t control his temper. During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Trump continually went off script. At times, he rambled and lost his train of thought.
In contrast, Clinton has stayed focused and on target since her strong debate performance, during which she discussed Machado’s experience with Trump while reigning as Miss Universe in 1996.
She said Trump belittled her about her weight and constantly derided her by calling her “Miss Piggy,” and other insults.
Trump tried to fire back with a smear campaign, claiming she was a porn star with a sex tape and had had a child with a Mexican drug lord.
None of the claims proved to be true.
Despite the smear attempt, Machado’s story resonated with voters.
Of those polled, 74 percent said they are aware of the controversy and 41 percent said their view of Trump became more unfavorable, confirming an IM report last week.
Women made up the bulk of those who’s view of Trump declined, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to flounder over has failure to release his tax returns, something every presidential candidate has done since Ronald Reagan in 1980.
The New York Times, which obtained a partial 1995 tax return, reported that Trump as likely paid no federal taxes for nearly two decades.
The poll did not survey voters on the tax issue.
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