Eventually, someone has to ask the question. If Jeb Bush is able to stay in the race and limp across the finish line, can he win the general election?

We’ve covered before how Jeb Bush has zero connection with the GOP base. This is no secret to Bush, in December 2014 he had this to say:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made the case for a more centrist Republican Party on Monday night, saying a nominee should “lose the primary to win the general without violating your principles.”

No word on what principles were so dear that one had to be willing to abandon the GOP primary voters to protect them.

We’ve posted on how Bush is totally reliant on deep pocket donors and how his campaign is being rejected in Iowa where he has only four volunteers for the entire state. Now the Quinnipiac University polling unit has released an poll that calls into question no only Bush’s viability as a candidate but whether he is even electable if he did get the nomination.

One year before Election Day 2016, Dr. Ben Carson is virtually tied with Donald Trump as strong front-runners for the Republican nomination, and Carson tops former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 50 – 40 percent in the final face-off, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today.

Trump gets 24 percent of Republican votes, with Carson at 23 percent, [mc_name name=’Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’R000595′ ] of Florida at 14 percent, [mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ] of Texas at 13 percent, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 4 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. No other candidate tops 3 percent, with 9 percent undecided, and 63 percent who might change their mind.

Once you start digging into the data, the news is much worse than polling 4%.

Bush ranks second in the “No Way, Jose” choice

23% of the Republicans say there is no way they will vote for Jeb Bush.

Bush is unpopular with everyone…

… but he is really unpopular outside the GOP

Bush missing from head-to-head match-ups

Clinton’s traditional lead among women evaporates as American voters pick Carson over the Democrat 50 – 40 percent. Women go 45 percent for Carson and 44 percent for Clinton, while men back the Republican 55 – 35 percent. In other matchups with GOP contenders:

Clinton gets 46 percent to Trump’s 43 percent;
Rubio tops Clinton 46 – 41 percent;
Cruz gets 46 percent to Clinton’s 43 percent;
New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie tops Clinton 46 – 41 percent.

It is very curious that Chris Christie, at 3% in the polls, is mentioned but Jeb Bush is not. The explanation here is obvious, Bush polled so badly against Clinton that it would have killed Quinnipiac’s Clinton-trails-all-Republicans paragraph.

Everything indicates that Jeb Bush cannot be elected even if he wins the nomination. He has not base of support within the GOP and none among the general voting population. His fundraising clearly indicates his obeisance to the moneyed elite. The sooner Bush decides to wind up this failed venture, because right now he seems to be focused on trolling Marco Rubio rather than winning the nomination, the better off we will all be.