Donald Trump's lead over 16 other GOP presidential contenders widened in August, but the big Republican headline from the latest national poll may be the surge of Ben Carson and decline of Jeb Bush.
The Democrats' headline news is Hillary Clinton's slipping grip on her party's nomination -- with her poll numbers falling, Bernie Sanders' insurgency rising and Joe Biden looking more like a contender.
"Donald Trump soars; Ben Carson rises; Jeb Bush slips and some GOP hopefuls seem to disappear," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "Trump proves you don't have to be loved by everyone, just by enough Republicans to lead the GOP pack."
The poll released Thursday August 27, 2015, gives Trump 28% -- compared to 20% in the same poll released on July 30, 2015.
The number two Republican is Ben Carson, who jumped from the lower echelons to second with 12% support in the newest poll.
The first Republican debate was a turning point for Ben Carson. Lead Stories' Trendolizer -- which tracks social media attention levels -- showed the retired neurosurgeon jumping to the top of the chart in the days and weeks after the Fox News showdown. While it does not measure sentiment, it was a clear sign that many voters were discovering Carson for the first time and were sharing his stories on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
Jeb Bush, however, did not have a good month, according to the new poll. He dropped to 7%, which puts him side-by-side with Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in a three-way tie for third. No other Republicans topped 6%.
Clinton's lead among Democrats dropped down to 45%, compared to 55% a month earlier. Bernie Sanders rose to 22% and Joe Biden is at 18% support.
The hypothetical head-to-head GOP-Democrat races suggest Biden would do better than Clinton in the general election. Biden tops Trump 48-41%, while Clinton edges him at 45-41%, according to the poll.
"Note to Biden: They like you, they really like you, or they like you more than the others," said Malloy. "If he is sitting on the fence, his scores in the match ups and his favorability ratings may compel him to say, 'Let's do this.'"
Read the full summary of the Quinnipiac Poll
Check out our constantly updated Campagn 2016 Trendollizer social media attention chart, which shows in the interrest level in near-real time for each candidate. Also scroll down to see the latest trending content our Trendolizer system has found concerning presidential polling.
