Consider the popularity of the distant trailing GOP candidates with their well-affirmed records.
Should we reason Christie oughtta be ahead of Carson because nobody knows who Carson is compared to Christie?
A: “Well gosh, no. Because Christie’s record sucks!”
Right, see? There you go.
Don’t overthink this.
So no one is "pumping up" his numbers or support. Yet it is absolutely clear to me that if by some chance he were to win the nomination---despite current polls to the contrary-- he would be quickly destroyed by the media and Dems. They are trying now, but Trump still deflects them.
Most of these voters are a "Trump parking lot"---at least some of them are. As a Christian I hate to categorize these "overtly religious" religious as "holy rollers" or single issue voters but some are, just as some of Cruz's supporters are such conservative purists that Trump is "too Prigressive."
The biggest question of this election is whether these portions of the Carson and Cruz supporters will unite behind Trump.