Posted on 11/16/2015 9:04:47 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his attacks on his nearest rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Ben Carson. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll may explain why: the billionaire real estate magnate is bleeding support among avid church-goers and women to the retired neurosurgeon.
While the unconstrained Trump has a comfortable double-digit lead over the soft-spoken Carson, the data points to a possible emerging threat to Trump's hopes of capturing the party's nomination for the November 2016 election.
The poll of likely Republican primary voters also shows that Carson is drawing strong support from the rural Midwest, including Iowa, which holds the first Republican nominating contest on Feb. 1. Trump, in contrast, is drawing strong support in the northeast and southeast.
That geographical divide is significant, analysts said, because Carson's dominance in more socially conservative states like Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska reflects how his story of personal redemption is resonating strongly with evangelical voters. They traditionally play an outsize role not just in the first nominating contest in Iowa on Feb. 1, but in Nevada and South Carolina, which also hold nominating votes in February.
"If Carson keeps his nose clean he could win those states and could catch lightning in a bottle," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist not affiliated with either campaign.
Trump, who has topped national polls of likely Republican primary voters for months, has until now enjoyed strong support among the key constituency of low-income, blue-collar, church-going voters, who have been attracted by his image as a straight-talking political outsider.
But Carson's similar appeal as an outsider taking on the Republican establishment has undercut Trump's support in recent weeks, and Carson has surged to the top of a few recent national polls.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Er...actually, Trump is pretty much doubling Carson now.
I'm not even sure about all that anymore. Good Surgeon, maybe. Honest.........NOT.......more to my desire is for someone to be a Patriot, Country First, that is he not it seems.
Don't even get her started. She will bark all day.
ROFL.....I like NAPs too, in fact get 1 or 2 per day. I'm sure Rush enjoys a good nap as well.
RE: Those twins ended up really pathetic.
Pathetic in what way?
Something about Carson Bothers me—I can’t put my finger on it—but he isn’t the leader we need.
Agreed. Looks like he might be a good friend, but the feds aren’t our friends, they are our servants to do the bidding the Constitution mandates.
Trump is the man IMO.
Guess they don’t remember Jimmah.
I think he meant headshrinker couch time.
But regarding naps; I love a nap in my power recliner.
I just like to take their words a spin as I choose, you know just like they do. rofl.......
That couch is perfect for me, hubby is sleeping in his recliner at the moment, sitting up head down. I don't know how he does that.
Cruz isn’t very tan but he is pretty smart.
The more I hear that Trump is “bleeding support,” and how Trump has “peaked, “ to “Trump” is “finished.”. The more his poll numbers increase.
Trump apparently has all the right enemies.
5.56mm
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