According to recently released results of a Fox News poll–the first major outlet national poll since the first Republican debate two weeks ago–Ben Carson saw a 71% increase in rating among Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential elections.
Trump still holds a big lead in the polls, news reports indicate but recent survey results reflect Carson is giving him a run for his money, staking claim to second place nationally and particularly, in Iowa.
[Related: Ben Carson Kicking Off 2016 Presidential Run]
“I believe the American people are smart enough to figure out what’s real, what’s not real, and what kind of temperament and intellectual endeavors are necessary to be president,†Carson told The Hill when asked whether he believes he can get Trump supporters to consider him the right candidate for the party.
Carson recently made a stop in Harlem in a visit to the iconic Sylvia’s soul food restaurant, to garner support from black voters and tackle race issues–a strategy that’s getting him mixed reviews considering the often unpopular brand image of Republicans in the black community and lower numbers of black Republicans when compared with Democrats.
Carson seeks to get more African Americans to reconsider. Though Hillary Clinton is among an overall favorite for African Americans, a recent Gallup poll indicated Carson is  the favorite among Republican candidates. Still 40% of African Americans are unfamiliar with him.
But Carson said he could convince black voters to support him, despite the fact that they overwhelmingly vote Democratic.
“What has happened traditionally, particularly since the ’60s, is, you’ve got certain people saying, ‘There, there, you poor little thing. You can’t take care of yourself. We’re going to take care of you.’ And they’ve gotten people to believe that they can’t survive on their own, which is absolutely ridiculous,” Carson said during the visit.
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