News Analysis: Jeb Bush leads Republican candidates, but needs to connect with rank-and-file party voters

Jeb Bush topped other potential U.S. presidential candidates within the Republican Party (GOP) in a CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday, but he needs to broaden his base of supporters if he hopes to clinch the GOP nomination, experts said.

The former Florida governor led the poll on 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls, beating out former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who dropped six points from last month. While the race for the White House is still more than one year away, candidates are gearing up for elections early.

While Bush is winning in the race for donors, endorsements and staffers, he needs to make gains with rank-and-file Republicans, Republican strategist Ford O'Connell told Xinhua in an interview.

"The establishment appears at this point to be consolidated behind him, but they are not sure whether his billion dollar balloon is going to bust," O'Connell said.

"Jeb has to find a way to make inroads beyond the establishment if he wants to win this nomination," he said.

Bush will be helped by the fact that his wife hails from Mexico, and that could carry much weight with Hispanics, seen as a crucial voting block and one that usually votes Democratic, although Bush connects better with donors and minorities than he does with rank-and-file Republicans, analysts said.

Certainly, Republicans need a candidate with real star power to match the international celebrity of likely Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady and Secretary of State who is an instantly recognized brand worldwide.

Clinton enjoys a comfortable lead over all other potential competitors from both the Democratic and Republican camps, according to the CNN/ORC poll.

While much could change before election season comes into full swing, analysts point to two other candidates who could stand up to Clinton's international fame: Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Bush's biggest challenge right now is Walker, as the latter connects well with grassroots conservatives and working class voters, O'Connell said.

Rubio will be helped by the fact that he has made his own way in the world and will not be viewed as an elitist. He had attended community college, before graduating from a law school and racking up a hefty amount of student loans in the process, which he worked to pay off later.

Another potential candidate, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a big man known for a bombastic and in-your-face style that resonates with many Republicans, may be also able to match Clinton on charisma, analysts say.

And as foreign policy is expected to play a major role in the 2016 race, Christie will likely come out tough against terrorism. But with Bush gobbling up donor money and Christie trailing in the polls, the New Jersey governor is far from a shoo-in.

Often in the U.S. presidential race, candidates emerge stronger and more confident after defeating a slew of rival candidates and clinching their party's nomination. The process also gives candidates the chance to tweak their style, strengthen their message and improve how they relate to the public.

"Whoever gets the Republican nomination will have plenty of star power. That person will have beaten a large field of credible candidates and will have abundant financial resources for the general election," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

"Leadership and competence will be a big part of the discussion given the difficulties the government has had managing its responsibilities," West added. Endi