Mitt Romney in Presidential Race? Republicans Push for Nominee After Donald

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is now neck-and-neck with Trump nationally and in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa.

Slamming President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton for not referring to the threat from ISIS as “radical Islam”, Trump told his supporters here that it’s time to “talk about” the threat and pledged a more aggressive response if elected president.

If a candidate acceptable to the party can’t win New Hampshire or Iowa, the G.O.P. will face a bleak choice: undertake the daunting and expensive task of mounting a come-from-behind effort, or grudgingly acquiesce to a candidate it really doesn’t want, like Ted Cruz, but who may be better than someone it can never accept, like Mr. Trump… On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders edged out Hillary Clinton for the lead in one New Hampshire poll. That does not work against Rubio (although Cruz is ham-handedly accusing him of being a “moderate”), who has a 93 percent rating from the infamous right-wing Heritage Action, an A rating from the NRA, a 98 percent rating from the American Conservative Union, and praise from the Club for Growth.

Establishment Republican presidential candidates like Jeb Bush have seized on the sudden focus on national security to boost their credentials and try to knock Donald Trump from the top of the pack.

Trump was referring to his 95-minute tirade last week in which he said voters in Iowa who support Carson are “stupid” to believe the “crap” that is his life story.

Just three percent back Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul, while Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum get one percent each.

The poll released Thursday says Carson is followed closely by Donald Trump and Marco Rubio at 19 percent each. However, Carson (25 percent) moves above Cruz (20 percent) and Bush (16 percent).

Voters did give Carson the edge on working effectively with Congress – 62 percent said he would be best at it, whereas 30 percent said Trump would.

Shapard warns a lot can happen between now and election night, especially as candidates drop out of the race and votes shift to others. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie placed fourth in his own state with 9 percent – about half the support he had in June. Of Republicans and those who leaned that way, 45 percent identify themselves as “anti-establishment”, while 41 percent feel like they’re in the party’s establishment lane.

The national poll of 1,002 adults was conducted November 15-17 via telephone. Rubio, however, is doing well in New Hampshire considering that he had just 2 percent of support from likely Republican primary voters two months ago.

“Governor Kasich, whose failed campaign & debating skills have brought him way down in the polls, is going to spend $2.5 million against me”, read the opening salvo.

In the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks, Rubio said he and Republican Sen. Trump has an overall favorability of 40%, but that number increases to 55% among likely GOP primary voters.