Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been "making some mistakes" before he has entered the race for the 2016 Republican nomination, while Sen. Marco Rubio is "looking very good right now," pollster John Zogby told
Newsmax TV on Thursday.
"Obviously, he is among the frontrunners," Zogby said of Bush to "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth. "He has to be taken very, very seriously because of the name, the demeanor, his ability to get elected in Florida twice and to raise a whole lot of money.
"On the other hand, he's making some mistakes. He's in a difficult position; having to defend his brother," the pollster added. "These are very difficult questions that he has to answer — and so far, he's not doing a very good job of it."
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Bush, who has yet to officially announce that he is running for the White House, said Thursday that — on hindsight —
he would not have invaded Iraq in 2003. He had refused to speak on the issue for several days, prompting attacks from other declared and potential candidates.
Regarding Rubio, Zogby said that the first-term senator had "a better chance than anyone else in the field to win the nomination." He cited Rubio's strong speech Wednesday on world affairs to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
"Not only didn't he trip over himself, but he was in command of himself. He's the best speaker out there. Youth seems to be playing to his advantage, as opposed to any disadvantage."
He also likened Rubio, 43, to two young Democratic senators who "beat their party establishments in their respective years" and went on to the White House: John Kennedy, also 43, in 1960, and Barack Obama, 47, in 2008.
"Marco is looking very good right now," Zogby said.
The pollster also believes that the first-term senator will be able to withstand attacks from other challengers and conservative groups, particularly on the Gang of Eight immigration bill that stalled in the House in 2013.
"He seems to be good on his feet. He appears to be confident and appears to be acting like a winner," Zogby told Hayworth. "Now, we have to see if he gets defensive or if he backs down.
"Let's see if maybe youth can be a disadvantage too — but right now, he's doing a good job."
On the Democratic side, Zogby said that former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who plans to announce on May 30 that he will challenge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the nomination, could turn last month's Baltimore riots into an advantage.
The unrest broke out after the April 27 funeral of Freddie Gray, 25, who died from a fatal spinal injury while in police custody. Six Baltimore city police officers have been charged in the case.
"He was a beloved mayor and a good governor," Zogby said of O'Malley. "He can speak to the issue of race — and he's running on the progressive side of the party, which always does well in primaries against the mainstream.
"Everybody's saying 'Hillary, Hillary, Hillary.' I am too, but I add a 'but' — and the 'but' is that fourth Hillary is a lot smaller," he cautioned. "She's running against herself, and I don't think the fire is there with her as it may have been in 2007 and 2008."