July 21, 2015 - Latest election poll on the 2016 Republican nomination battle shows Donald Trump surging to the largest lead of any GOP candidate so far this year. Trump has the support of 24% of those polled.

This poll which was largely taken after a fire storm erupted on Saturday July 18th when Trump said during an interview that Senator John McCain is only a war hero "because he was captured."

Trump's fellow 2016 Republican Party presidential competitors were quick to pounce on him , with former Texas Governor Rick Perry going so far as saying that Trump should withdraw from the race.

The next series of polls due out in the coming weeks will be able to measure the effect the McCain controversy will have on Trump's standing in the polls.

In second place in the polls was Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker with 13% followed by former Florida Governor Jeb  Bush with 12%.

In fourth place was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee with 8% followed by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 7% , Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky with 6% and Dr Ben Carson with 6%.

Tied at 4% each were Senator Ted Cruz of Kentucky and former Texas Governor Rick Perry . In the all important 10th spot which will be the final position for entry into the upcoming GOP presidential debate on August 6 in Cleveland was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with 3%.

Right on Christie's heals and threatening his inclusion in the first debate is Ohio Governor John Kasich and Louisianan Governor Bobby Jindal both with 2%.

At 1% in the poll was former New York Governor George Pataki and former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Registering at 0% in former CEO Carly Fiorina.

 July 21, 2015 - Ohio Governor John Kasich,63, officially entered the presidential race with a speech at Ohio State University today. For Kasich , a two term governor, this is not the first time his picture has appeared on John Kasich for president campaign buttons as he made a previous  attempt at the White House having run before in 2000.

Prior to being elected Governor of Ohio in 2010 , Kasich served as a United States Congressman from 1983 to 2001.During his time in Congress, Kasich was Chairman of the Budget Committee from 1995 to 2001.

Though Kasich is a twice elected governor of a battle ground state at the moment he is trailing badly in the polls. Currently in an average of national polls he has the support of just 1.5% of those polled , which puts in 11th place. Kasich will have to make ground quickly if he wants to be included in the first Republican Party presidential debate scheduled for August 6th in Cleveland, Ohio.

Its not impossible to think Kasich could  to make the debate cut as an increase in as little of 1% might be enough to move  him into tenth place and a seat on the debate stage.

 July 20, 2015 - On this the 46th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing , former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to have out of this world poll numbers as she leads her four Democratic challengers with 68% of those polled. This is an upward trend for Clinton as the same poll had her at 62% in May of this year.

Clinton's closest challenger is Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont with 16%. Sanders who has been drawing large crowds on the campaign trail also is an upward trend as the same poll also in May had him at 10%.

Former Senator Jim Webb of Virginia finds himself in third place with 5%. In fourth place is former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley with 2% followed by former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee with 1%.

The poll continues a good stretch for Clinton as her Republican counterparts have not had time to critic her as they have been focused on the surging GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

While the poll did not measure the strength of Vice President Joe Biden in a potential race for the Democratic nomination, there have been reports circulating that  Biden will make a decision in September as to whether he will make a third quest for the White House.

 July 15, 2015 -  The surge in Donald Trump campaign button sales is now matched by Trump's poll numbers as he now has vaulted to the top of the GOP 2016 presidential field.

Trump has the support of 17% of those polled followed by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in second place with 14%. Bush acknowledged the new political reality of Trump as a frontrunner by going on the attack against him at a campaign  stop in Iowa.

Bush said "whether it is Donald Trump or Barack Obama , their rhetoric of divisiveness is wrong. A Republican will never win by striking fear in people's hearts."

In third place in the poll was Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker with 8%, followed by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas with 6% and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 5%.

The next tier of candidates finds Dr. Ben Carson, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee,  and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky all knotted up at 4% each.

Further back in the pack is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with 3%. Christie's ninth place finish means he is likely to be  included in the first GOP presidential debate scheduled for early August in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rounding out the bottom of the poll are the following candidates who polled at just 1% of support: former Texas Governor Rich Perry, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, former CEO Carly Florina, Louisianan Governor Bobby Jindal, Ohio Governor John Kasich and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Unknown if the poll measured the strength of former New York Governor George Pataki who also in running for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination.