Walker widens lead in PPP poll

I'm both surprised and pleased to see Scott Walker emerge as the Republican front runner. This is the time in the election cycle when pundits of all persuasions feel compelled to remind all who will listen that it's too early for any candidate to be taken seriously. This seems especially true of the Peggy Noonan Beltway crowd who see the establishment favorite, Jeb Bush, a bit off stride breaking out of the gate. The only caveat I'm prepared to make is that this particular poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) which leans Democratic and likes to editorialize by asking dumb question. No, most Walker supporters do not believe in global warning and yes, 87% of Huckabee supporters don't believe in evolution. Regardless of their iffy predictive value polls at this stage do give readers a sense of perspective and candidates feedback as to what is working for them and what is not. Besides that for many of us they are entertainment.
One thing that stands out is Ben Carson's favorability among the Tea Party although it doesn't translate into votes.. While it is 54% among all Republicans it is 80 /3 among the 27% who identified as Tea Party supporters beating both Ted Cruz, 70 /3 and Rand Paul, 60 /13. A trend that is hard to miss is the collapse of Chris Christie. Just 33% gave him good marks to 38% with a negative opinion. Rand Paul also appears to be losing ground since the last poll while Rick Perry and Marco Rubio have not moved. The table below contrasts the candidates' strength in the Tea Party and the greater Republican Party.

All Republicans	Tea Party
Scott Walker 25% Ben Carson 18% Jeb Bush 17% Mike Huckabee 10% Chris Christie 5% Ted Cruz 5% Rand Paul 4% Rick Perry 3% Marco Rubio 3%	Scott Walker 48% Ben Carson 25% Jeb Bush 6% Mike Huckabee 38% Chris Christie 0% Ted Cruz 57% Rand Paul 36% Rick Perry 34% Marco Rubio 10%