Ben Carson Is the New GOP Frontrunner

 

For the first time since July 18, Donald Trump is not the GOP frontrunner. To create their polling average, Real Clear Politics uses the four most recent major national polls and maps the trend over time. As of today, Dr. Ben Carson leads the pack with Trump a very close second.

RCP-polling

The other sharp post-debate jump belongs to Sen. Marco Rubio, but there is a massive gap between his 11 percent and the two outsiders’ 24.3 percent and 25.3 percent. Well, at least the GOP’s Trump Fever finally broke and pundits can go back to the boring day-to-day horserace coverage they had planned on before The Donald infected the body politic. Eh, not so fast.

Combine the scores of the outsider candidates (Carson, Trump, and Fiorina) and then combine the scores of the rest of the field. This exercise has the outsiders leading the conventional politicians, 53.6 percent to 37.6 percent. You need to combine Rubio, Cruz and Bush’s numbers just to match Dr. Carson’s. Yes, Trump has fallen, but he’s down a single point — the brash New Yorker can convincingly shrug this off as “loser” pollsters and statistical “blah blah,” at least for the time being.

Of course, the real fights are state to state, with the first votes being cast in three months. In Iowa, Carson leads Trump by 3.5 percent and in New Hampshire, Trump leads Carson by 14 percent. If the professional politicians want to catch up to the outsiders, they’re going to have a very busy 90 days.

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  1. Valiuth Member
    Valiuth
    @Valiuth

    Carson!? I hear he is a loser who became a brain surgeon because he was too stupid to be a rocket scientist.

    • #31
  2. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    BrentB67:

    Jamie Lockett:

    BrentB67:Still interesting that two people not previously elected with inconsistent at best and sketchy at worst polices and/or ability to articulate them are leading the pack.

    Perhaps it is heartening to others to see the uptick in Rubio and Cruz.

    Reading that graph challenges the statement: “this is the strongest field in years.”

    I still want Jindal in the next main stage debate.

    Amen and promote the gentleman.

    You know I might have to give Jindal a closer look. I do like him, but since he hasn’t broken out I wasn’t expecting him to be around at this point.

    • #32
  3. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    The question is could Jindal get the Establishment types to support him or would they pull an Establishment move and only give half hearted support and nothing more?

    • #33
  4. Vorpal_Pedant (the Canadian) Inactive
    Vorpal_Pedant (the Canadian)
    @VorpalPedanttheCanadian

    jetstream:What is the Fiorina faceplant?

    The graph in the original post – look at her numbers, falling exactly in line with Carson’s rise.

    I wasn’t referring to any particular event, just that her numbers have fallen flat.

    • #34
  5. Ball Diamond Ball Member
    Ball Diamond Ball
    @BallDiamondBall

    jetstream:What is the Fiorina faceplant?

    That’s when she bounces Trump’s head onto his own podium.

    • #35
  6. Jim Kearney Member
    Jim Kearney
    @JimKearney

    CuriousJohn:I’m really surprised that Carly hasn’t caught on more. I guess I can look for the long haul, assuming Trump and Carson are just sideshows to the real deal. Go! Carly Go!

    She’s going all right. Going, going, gone!

    If you are surprised, I suggest you ask yourself why you like her. Then consider the possibility that this is not at all what the general public likes. The general public does not want a severe, moralistic scold with impeccable logic. They want a person they like. Elections are popularity contests. Not saying it should be that way, saying it is.

    Did kids in your school like the kid with all the answers? Carly is Lisa Simpson.

    The last guy we actually elected was a popular frat boy. He got to appoint Dick Cheney, not the other way around.

    People like Dr. Carson because of his basic decency, even though he — an accomplished physician — can’t explain his own Medicare proposal.

    Many people like Trump for a whole variety of reasons which have nothing to do with the reasons you like Carly Fiorina. She thinks she’s smart, but if she were as smart as everyone thinks, she never would have made an enemy of Donald Trump. Because she’s really running for VP, and there’s a decent likelihood that he’ll be picking one.

    • #36
  7. Mister Magic Inactive
    Mister Magic
    @MisterMagic

    What is the Fiorina faceplant?

    It’s a killer skateboarding move that is so difficult that it has been only been attempted three times and completed successfully only once.

    • #37
  8. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    I can’t vote for Trump (he’s the real RINO, and someone who would defame the office of the presidency) but I can vote for Carsen.  However, it would be crazy to nominate a brain surgeon with no executive or political experience.

    • #38
  9. RyanFalcone Member
    RyanFalcone
    @RyanFalcone

    I see Trump, Fiorina and Carson all having strong periods but crashing in the end. They all have positive things to offer and have made this process healthier for the R’s in my opinion but they will all have peaks and then slowly wane until they reach some tipping point where the next flavor of the month overtakes them. Trump still scares me though. Yet, I am grateful to him for punching Jeb into submission (almost). Once Trump wanes (I hope) and Jeb is out (soon I hope), this race will take a very positive and decidedly anti-Democrat turn.

    • #39
  10. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Ball Diamond Ball:

    Spin:

    BrentB67:

    Spin:

    BrentB67: Reading that graph challenges the statement: “this is the strongest field in years.”

    Well, remember, they are all competing with each other. If the graph were showing how they polled against Hillary, then your statement would be more accurate, I think.

    The latest one on Max’s thread shows Carson and Bush (I dunno why) beating her, all else losing to her.

    I’m being needlessly…something…here, but your comment was regarding the graph above, not Max’s graph. So my comment regarding your comment stands. Clearly I cannot choose the graph in front of me.

    Your intellect is dizzying.

    Just wait till I get going!

    • #40
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