Marco Rubio falls to 4th place in New Hampshire poll by pro-Kasich group

Marco Rubio tumbles in the polls, according to one new survey

(Image credit: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was widely mocked for repeating the same attack on President Obama verbatim four times during Saturday night's Republican debate, even after being called a speech-memorizing lightweight by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The flub has taken a toll on his poll numbers, according to a survey Sunday by New Day for America super PAC, a group supporting the campaign of Gov. John Kasich (Ohio). In the group's poll of 500 likely New Hampshire voters, Rubio notched 10 percent, putting him in fourth place behind Donald Trump (35 percent), Kasich (15 percent), and Jeb Bush (13 percent). In most New Hampshire polls before the debate, Rubio was in second place, Politico reports.

Christie and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) are tied at 8 percent in the poll, which has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. If verified in other polls, the numbers suggest a quick end to Rubio's post-Iowa ascendance in the GOP race. "It's one of the most dramatic drops I have ever seen in 48 hours," says Matt David, chief strategist for the pro-Kasich super PAC. "A rock doesn't do it justice."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.