On the heels of our story this morning that Ben Carson is close behind Donald Trump in Iowa according to a Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register poll, another poll from Monmouth University shows Carson in a tie with Trump for first.
Both candidates are at 23%, the results show. According to the release, “this marks the first time since July 26 that a poll in any of the first four nominating states has not shown Trump with a nominal lead.” While Trump gained 10 points in the past month, Carson jumped 15 to tie for the lead.
Scott Walker, on the other hand, went from a solid 9-point lead, to single-digits – also a 15-point drop. His backers are looking for a return to the pre-candidate Governor Walker that generated so much buzz.
The good news for Walker, however, is that his favorability is solid, tied with Marco Rubio’s for third highest at 64%. He could be a fallback candidate if those ahead of him stumble.
Besides Trump and Carson, the biggest gains were by Carly Fiorina, who went from only 3% in the poll to 10%. She is now in third in Iowa, where she has found herself in some polls in New Hampshire recently.
This latest poll indicates two things: first, that there are alternatives to a surging Trump that appeal to voters.
Second, with Trump, Carson and Fiorina running 1-2-3, voters are very interested in electing someone with an outsider image. Candidates who can believably cultivate that image more should consider doing so.
