The latest Real Clear Politics NATIONAL poll for Republican Presidential Nomination shows...
A poll conducted (3/3-3/6), before Rubio dropped out had Trump 30%, Cruz 27%, and Kasich 22%.
The latest poll, conducted 3/16-3/17 — AFTER Rubio dropped out has Trump 43%, Cruz 28%, and Kasich 21%.
Trump went up 13 points, whereas Cruz went up only 1 point and Kasich went down 1 point after Rubio dropped out.
Link to data and chart:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html
I know what you're trying to say here, that Trump actually went up after Rubio dropped, but that 3/3 poll was a WSJ/NBC poll that consistently has been, and continues to be, low for Trump and high for eveyone including the Tasty Cake man. It was also coupled with a couple of other polls that had Trump up +9 and +15 during that same date range. somewhere in between was more accurate. We have to be careful how we use polls to support Trump especially since we're so critical how they're used to ding him.
Trump went up 13 points, whereas Cruz went up only 1 point and Kasich went down 1 point after Rubio dropped out.
Cruz is just not an attractive candidate. The more he talks the less people like him.