Over a week ago I declared Ben Carson the national GOP frontrunner. I saw a string of polls growing, and while the lagging indicators still gave Donald Trump the edge, I was confident enough to say Carson was on top.

Now the lagging indicator is in: the Real Clear Politics poll average now says Ben Carson is winning the polls. Not Trump. Carson.

It’s close, to be sure. Trump is still putting up solid numbers, and poll wise he’s not out of it yet. However a key part of his stump speech for many weeks was “I’m winning every poll. Every single one of them.” He’s not. He’s not even winning an average of the polls anymore.

Ben Carson is everything Trump isn’t. Trump is loud, worldly, and uses Christianity as a talking point. Carson is a man whose Christianity changed his life, and who rejects what the world tells him he needs to be. He’s soft spoken, compassionate, and holds to his basic beliefs even when the press makes fun of him for it.

Republican voters are responding to that. As Erick Erickson predicted long ago, Christian voters are coming to like Ben Carson. Ben Carson is a better cultural fit to many GOP voters, than the Fifth Avenue liberal Donald Trump ever will be, and now the polls are reflecting that.

The Republican Party does best when it draws on compassion, kindness, and a belief in American greatness. It does worst when it feeds off of anger, hate, and negativity about America. That’s probably why Ben Carson is actually leading Hillary Clinton by 10 in the newest Quinnipiac general election trial. He’s the only candidate to hit 50 against Clinton.

It’s far from over but for now, Ben Carson is your GOP frontrunner.

Photo by John Pemble on Flickr