A new poll of likely GOP caucusgoers in Iowa finds that Marco Rubio and Ben Carson made the most positive impression in the first Republican debate.
The Suffolk University poll, conducted after the Cleveland debate last Thursday, found 63 percent of those surveyed watched at least the main, top-10 debate. Of those who did, 23 percent said Rubio’s debate performance impressed them the most while 22 percent said the same of Carsons’ performance.
Ted Cruz’s and Donald Trump’s performances received 11 percent support each, while the remaining participants rated in the single digits.
Meanwhile, among the 42 percent of those who watched the so-called undercard debate, Carly Fiorina was overwhelmingly the most impressive, with 82 percent naming the former Hewlett-Packard chief for that question.
Even with those opinions, Trump still has a small lead in the Suffolk poll with just under 17 percent support, which is down slightly from his Real Clear Politics poll average of 20 percent support in Iowa polls. Scott Walker polls in second place at 12 percent support. Rubio and Carson both poll just under 10 percent, with Ted Cruz and Fiorina both at just above 7 percent support. A significant 20 percent say they are still undecided.
