Carson Takes Lead From Trump, Who Attacks His Faith

A new national poll has Ben Carson passing Donald Trump in the Republican presidential race. The African-American pediatric surgeon leading the real estate tycoon 26% to 22%. Multiple polls also show Carson with a big lead–as much as 14%–over Trump in Iowa, the nation’s first caucus state.

So Trump is now attacking Carson over his religion! He said,” look, I don’t have to say it, I’m Presbyterian. … Boy, that’s down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don’t know about. I just don’t know about.”

I like and admire Dr. Carson. (I even met him once!) I can shake this nagging feeling, though, that a presidential candidate should have at least some governmental and political experience. (You couldn’t head a department at John Hopkins, as Dr. Carson did, just because you have good ideas without having the relevant qualifications and experience.) Am I wrong in that? I’m willing to be convinced.

From Carson takes lead from Trump in new national poll | Fox News:

Ben Carson has seized the national lead from Donald Trump in a new poll, in a development sure to force the billionaire businessman to modify his well-polished campaign stump boast that he’s “leading every poll.”

Released ahead of Wednesday’s third Republican presidential primary debate, the CBS News/New York Times Poll showed Carson leading nationally with 26 percent, to Trump’s 22 percent.

The survey follows a string of Iowa polls that showed the retired neurosurgeon pulling ahead in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Trump, who had led the field nationally and in key states since the summer, has tried to downplay the results but on Tuesday acknowledged Carson is gaining momentum. . . .

The most recent Iowa poll showing Carson ahead was conducted by Monmouth University and released Monday. It showed Carson leading Trump by 14 points, his biggest lead to date.

Trump has led the Republican field nationally in almost every poll until now.

The CBS News/New York Times survey showed the rest of the candidates trailing in single digits. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was in third with 8 percent, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former HP chief Carly Fiorina with 7 percent.