New Poll Spells Trouble for Ben Carson: 'The Doctor Sinks. The Donald Soars'

"It doesn't seem to matter what he says or who he offends," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, says of Donald Trump

Photo: Jason Bahr/CNBC/Getty

Bye, bye Ben Carson?

After virtually tying with Donald Trump for first place in a national Quinnipiac poll released in November, the former neurosurgeon has seen a dramatic drop in the latest Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, earning the support of just 16 percent of Republican voters, compared with last month’s 23 percent.

Trump is still in the lead with 27 percent of the vote while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is in a distant second with 17 percent.

With only 11 months to go until the 2016 presidential election, it seems no scandal or controversial comment can keep “the Donald” down.

“It doesn’t seem to matter what he says or who he offends, whether the facts are contested or the ‘political correctness’ is challenged, Donald Trump seems to be wearing Kevlar,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“Dr. Ben Carson, moving to center stage just one month ago, now needs some CPR. The Doctor sinks. The Donald soars. The GOP, 11 months from the election, has to be thinking, ‘This could be the guy.’

On the other side of the aisle, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has widened her lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to 60 to 30 percent, compared to 53 to 35 percent in last month’s poll.

But according to Malloy, the Democrats likely have at least one common tie that binds them: “Secretary Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders have to be hoping Trump is the GOP’s guy.”