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News Analysis: Trump headed toward South Carolina primary at head of Republican pack

Xinhua, February 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

A week after his victory in New Hampshire, U.S. bombastic billionaire Donald Trump is now headed to the next Republican Party primary contest at the head of the pack.

Trump burst onto the political scene in last summer, and has outlasted many analysts' predictions that he would be just a flash in the pan. The outspoken mogul continues to lead other Republican candidates, riding on a wave of anti-Washington sentiment and a general sense among Americans that the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Polls have Trump ahead of other Republican candidates in the state of South Carolina -- the site of the next Republican primary contest on Feb. 20.

The CBS News Battleground Tracker poll, published on Sunday, found that Trump has a sizable lead over other candidates, with 42 percent of support and 20 points ahead of Senator Ted Cruz, who won the Iowa Caucuses.

"Trump is the front-runner having won New Hampshire rather decisively and leading in most national polls for the nomination," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

"The others are clustered behind him with little clear sense of who will emerge as the major alternative," West said.

While Trump lost to Cruz in the Iowa Caucuses -- which marked the official kickoff of the primary process -- it was mainly because of the disproportionate voting power of evangelicals. Cruz has particular pull with evangelicals and speaks their language, as his father is a pastor.

Though South Carolina has a significant number of evangelicals, their vote will not necessarily decide the outcome.

"South Carolina has a large evangelical bloc on the Republican side so that should be a good area for Cruz," West said.

"However, the Bushes have a history of running well there and Jeb Bush is making a major push in in that state," West said, referring to the former Florida governor, as well as his father and brother, both of whom are former presidents.

"For the first time, (Jeb) will campaign with his brother George, who did well there in 2000," West said.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio also will have a strong presence there since South Carolina leads into the Florida primary, which takes place at the end of the month, West said.

Meanwhile, Jeb Bush, initially expected to be a shoo-in for the nomination and to face no significant opposition, is flagging in a struggle to gain media attention and stay relevant.

Despite being the son and brother of two former presidents, some critics say Bush lacks an air of excitement around him.

While Bush often discusses policies, American voters tend to gravitate more toward a candidate who appears to understand the struggles of ordinary Americans. Enditem