Carson surges past Trump in latest Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa poll

When asked which two or three candidates they’d like to see drop out, Trump, at 25 percent, received the highest share. He’s followed on the dropout wish list by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, both at 22 percent. Next is former New York Gov. George Pataki at 21 percent.

Even after a month of super-PAC advertising on Bush’s behalf in Iowa, he’s picked by just 5 percent, down 1 point from August. His favorability rating has moved up 5 percentage points since August to 50 percent, however, his highest level in the past year.

Bush’s name continues to burden him. Among likely caucus participants, 47 percent say that being the son and brother of two past presidents would be a bad thing because he would forever be in their shadow, while 42 percent say it would be a good because he knows the job’s duties.Carson’s Appeal

As Trump dominated cable television over the summer, Carson quietly continued to build a network of Iowa supporters. He easily has the highest favorability rating among Republican candidates, with 84 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers seeing him positively, up from 79 percent in August.

Those glowing views of Carson, who rose from poverty to professional success and is seeking to become the nation’s second black president, could make it hard for Trump, Cruz, or other rivals to attack him as the campaign heats up this fall.

In interviews, Carson supporters brought up his life story, candor, and non-political resume. Some also talked about how they think he could win black votes in a general election.

“He just says what he believes and I like that,” said Bruce Lindberg, 56, a chiropractor from Ottumwa who is leaning toward supporting Carson. “I like his story. He’s been a hard worker and I don’t think anything was given to him. He knows what it takes to be successful and that you have to work for it.”

The poll suggests Carson has more room to grow in Iowa, partly because his controversial statements generally aren’t turning off even other candidates’ supporters. Among that group, 56 percent find “very attractive” his statements that the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is the worst thing since slavery, while 41 percent feel that way about his opposition to a Muslim president. Nearly half find “very attractive” his statement that Adolf Hitler’s mass murder of Jews might not have been as successful if more people had been armed.

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Another positive factor for Carson is Iowans’ strong desire for an outsider candidate. Asked to pick the bigger risk for the country’s future, 60 percent said it was electing “the same sort of person who has served as president for many decades,” who would likely do things the way they’d always been done, while 31 percent see bigger risk in electing someone who hasn’t held office and doesn’t know how government works.

Two areas where Carson is less strong are his lack of foreign policy experience and his past research on aborted fetus tissue. Each registered as unattractive with a majority of likely GOP caucus-goers who aren’t already supporting him.

Testing potential lines of attack against other top Republicans:

• About half of likely GOP caucus-goers said they weren’t bothered that Trump insults rivals.

• Bush’s advocacy for a “path to legal residence for immigrants who are in this country illegally” makes 63 percent less supportive of him.

• When told Cruz has “led the charge for government shutdowns,” 67 percent said they weren’t bothered.

• After hearing that Carly Fiorina was “fired as CEO at Hewlett-Packard with a $21 million severance package after the company lost stock value,” 65 percent said they weren’t concerned.

• Rubio’s youthfulness is mostly a non-issue, with 93 percent saying they’re not bothered that the 44-year-old would be the third-youngest president.