COLUMBIA
Most S.C. Republican primary voters want a president with no prior elected political experience, according to a new poll released Tuesday to The State.
A Public Policy Polling survey found Donald Trump would win 37 percent of the vote from S.C. Republicans and Ben Carson would pick up 21 percent. The rest of the crowded GOP field of 17 candidates was struggling in the single digits.
Trump dominated other GOP candidates in one-on-one match-ups — except for Carson. The soft-spoken, retired Maryland neurosurgeon edged the outspoken New York real-estate mogul and reality-TV star by 1 percentage point – a statistical tie.
Neither Trump nor Carson ever has held political office before. Another GOP political newcomer, former Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina, was favored by 4 percent of S.C. GOP primary voters, Public Policy found. All told, 62 percent of S.C. Republican voters said they favored a newcomer — Trump, Carson or Fiorina.
When asked about the state’s own “favorite son,” U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, nearly four out of five S.C. GOP primary voters said the Seneca Republican should drop out of the presidential race.
“What you’re seeing to some extent in South Carolina and nationally is Donald Trump and Ben Carson are sucking all the wind out of the air,” said Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling’s director.
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Comment:
By the time of the actual South Carolina election it is unlikely that there will be a 'head to head between Trump and Carson so the above comment regarding that is unlikely to be in effect at that time. Also, should, as expected, Trump come out of Iowa and New Hampshire with wins then he will be perceived as the eventual winner and votes for Carson and any others will be perceived of little value as the "back the winner syndrome" will be in effect
