Support for former Vice President Joe Biden's U.S. presidential bid has tumbled nationally following a lackluster finish in last week's Iowa caucuses, while interest is surging among Democrats and independents for the upstart candidacy of billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg, according to a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll released on Monday.
The Feb. 6-10 poll found that 17 percent of registered Democrats and independents said they would vote for Biden, down 5 percentage points from a similar poll that ran last week before Iowa held its first-in-the-nation nominating contest.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders led other candidates in the poll with 20 percent support, up one point from last week, while 15 percent supported Bloomberg, an increase of six points.