Nick reported earlier today on the latest NBC/WSJ national poll and noted that Donald Trump and Ben Carson appear to be pulling away from the field. Two more national polls also released today also seem to support this conclusion.
A CNN poll taken earlier this month shows Trump with a clear lead among Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters, taking 27 percent of the vote. Carson was second with 22 percent, while Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio tied for a distant third with 8 percent each.
Another national poll conducted by Monmouth University also showed Trump with a commanding lead of 28 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning voters. Carson again registered in second, with 18 percent, and Ted Cruz came in third with 10 percent, the only other candidate to top double digits.
Notably, the Monmouth poll also included favorability ratings for a handful of candidates, confirming that Trump’s favorability continues to climb among GOP respondents:
- Ben Carson: +54 favorability, 23% no opinion
- Marco Rubio: +33 favorability, 35% no opinion
- Ted Cruz: +27 favorability, 26% no opinion
- Carly Fiorina: +24 favorability, 31% no opinion
- Donald Trump: +19 favorability, 15% no opinion
- Jeb Bush: -7 favorability, 19% no opinion
While he still falls below most of the other major candidates, Trump is in a much better position than he was earlier in the campaign in regards to favorability. However, his closest current rival for the nomination, Carson, has far and away the most favorable image among voters, especially impressive considering the media attacks he has had to fend off as of late.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush continues to fight both dipping poll numbers and dismal favorability. It’s difficult to see how Bush might make a comeback from this position.
Paul Dupont is the managing editor for ThePulse2016.com.
