Masterbuilder: Trump tops in new GOP poll

Donald Trump has driven the "birther" message to first place in the GOP primary field, according to a new poll, opening up a clear lead over Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.


The survey released Friday by Public Policy Polling showed the New York developer snaring 26 percent of the primary vote, while Huckabee takes 17 percent, Romney gets 15 percent, and Newt Gingrich grabs 11 percent.

Sarah Palin, at whose expense Trump is clearly able to forge a path, takes just 8 percent, while Ron Paul has 5 percent. Michele Bachmann ties with fellow Minnesotan Tim Pawlenty for 4 percent.

Where Trump's support is coming from is clear — 23 percent of the GOP voters say they will only support a someone who doubts President Barack Obama's birthplace, and among those voters, Trump is surging. He gets more than a third of those who say they want a birther, while he gets less than 20 percent of those who aren't sure they want a birther at the top of their ticket.

Just 38 percent said they will go for a candidate who comes out hard against the birther issue, and Romney leads among that group.

The latest numbers speak to the weakness of the GOP field, and the way in which Trump's message is resonating.

Without Trump, Huckabee leads with 22 percent, while 16 percent go for Romney, 15 percent for Gingrich, and 12 percent for Palin.

In a race without Huckabee, Palin and Trump, Romney would lead Gingrich, 25 percent to 23 percent.

The national survey of 400 Republicans has a sampling error of plus or minute 4.9 percent.