In a pretty shocking Wall Street Journal/NBC poll Donald Trump is ranking number two among potential GOP contenders for the President. Mitt Romney edges him out by a few points into the top slot.

There is a very simple reason for this: the field is ‘meh.’

Certainly partisans for the various candidates are excited about their various candidates. But the general consensus from conservatives is “none of the above.” Donald Trump is filling the void right now.

Around the country I keep hearing conservatives wish Mike Pence would reconsider. But there is a growing chorus of people asking, “What do we have to do to get Chris Christie to run?”

Christie has been adamant that he is not running. That is not stopping many an activist — largely a group of people who do not even know whether the guy is actually a conservative or not — from praying hard on a daily basis that he run or Mike Pence reconsider.

Conservatives are not excited about the field. Sarah Palin seems to not be running. Mike Huckabee seems to not be running. I put these two here not because I am not intending to ignore them, but to avert the hate mail I will get for not mentioning them I will just reiterate that they are not right now taking pro-active steps to run. Many conservatives have decided they are not running.

That might change.

For now though, many in the media will want a rational explanation for why Donald Trump has soared into the second place spot. The first rational explanation is that the poll is wrong. The second rational explanation is that the rest of the field is a big yawn.

Say what you will about Donald Trump, but he has the veneer of excitement regardless of how credible you may think he is or is not.

In the mean time, Mike Pence and Chris Christie might want to rethink their present positions.