08-24-2017, 09:44 AM
Democrats Hold Edge on Health Care, Climate Change; Slight Republican Advantage on Jobs and Economic Issues; GOP Leads on Defense, Trade
Majority Think Trump Campaign Staff Acted Improperly with Russia
WASHINGTON (Aug. 24, 2017)—There is widespread national concern about President Donald Trump’s public discourse and behavior, according to the latest George Washington University Battleground Poll. The survey, taken August 13-17, found a large majority of voters — 71 percent — agreed his “behavior is not what I expect from a president” (27 percent disagreed), and 68 percent agreed his “words and actions could get us accidentally involved in an international conflict” (29 percent disagreed).
Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the registered voters polled said the country is on the wrong track, and a majority (56 percent) had an unfavorable view of President Trump (41 percent favorable). A similar number disapproved of the job he’s doing as president (55 percent), while 42 percent approved, and 56 percent also said he has not been effective as the president, while 39 percent said he has been effective.
“The Battleground Poll data show that more Americans object to President Trump’s character than his agenda,” said GW Associate Professor of Political Management Michael Cornfield. “If there is anything approaching a consensus in today’s sharply divided America, it’s that Trump speaks and behaves inappropriately given the office he holds.”
When asked about his actions on current affairs, there was a small bright spot for President Trump. Half (50 percent) approve of his handling of the economy (46 disapprove). Foreign affairs were not as positive: 53 percent of voters surveyed disapproved of the president’s approach to relations with North Korea (43 percent approved). Half (52 percent) of voters agreed President Trump has been keeping his campaign promises (44 disagreed).
When asked about his actions on current affairs, there was a small bright spot for President Trump. Half (50 percent) approve of his handling of the economy (46 disapprove). Foreign affairs were not as positive: 53 percent of voters surveyed disapproved of the president’s approach to relations with North Korea (43 percent approved). Half (52 percent) of voters agreed President Trump has been keeping his campaign promises (44 disagreed).
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Further material in this statement discusses Congress, which is outside the scope of this thread. I show Congressional and gubernatorial polls for states when I show approval polls for the President and think the Gubernatorial or Senatorial polls have some relationship or relevance. Trump has been tough in his expression of foreign policy, but he now looks incompetent. Contrast the norm with Obama, who modulated his rhetoric to fit the situation but generally got desirable results. I'll take the latter any day. Whether the next President reverts to Obama or to Bush I will matter little, because both Bush I and Obama foreign policy are much the same. The fault with either could be relevance, as we will need to live in the same diplomatic universe for Bush I/Obama foreign policy to remain relevant. (To put that in the crudest terms, God forbid that large cities of South Korea and Japan be transformed into smouldering ruins infamous as sites of mass death).
This poll addresses Presidential behavior. This is not Monica Lewinsky stuff irrelevant to most of our lives, no matter how offensive and objectionable. The bad behavior of the current President is dangerous to America, let alone America's allies.
The "right track/wrong track" shift is sudden and severe. President Trump obviously bungled his response to the violence in Charlottesville, and this poll shows that. Even if this is likely to fade, the mass assessment that the President is a liar, fool, or madman won't. Under Barack Obama almost all of the ugly 'racial' incidents involved police brutality, and those steadily lost their pressing concern except among persons and communities involved. Obama was likely to offer such suggestions as 'improve the quality of police work so that other such incidents do not happen'. Donald Trump is infamous for advocating that police departments crack down even on dissent from the communities that those police departments serve, and he never backs down from pronouncements that alleged perpetrators of highly-infamous crimes be punished severely even after they are acquitted or exonerated. Let us hope that chiefs of police be more cautious. They have far more responsibility to the elected officials above them than Donald Trump, seemingly responsible to nobody and nothing -- neither God, tradition, nor principle, all three of which are hallmarks of conservative thought.
It is still the Obama economy and the Obama bull market. President Trump will be unable to fault President Obama for any downturn.
I am tempted to believe that President Trump can go much lower in disapproval ratings. Other pollsters have shown lower approval numbers for him based upon their methodology, which includes the manner of asking questions. I am satisfied that about 30% of Americans support this President no matter what, This poll has some room to go down in rating the president; I have seen other pollsters get lower results.
Majority Think Trump Campaign Staff Acted Improperly with Russia
WASHINGTON (Aug. 24, 2017)—There is widespread national concern about President Donald Trump’s public discourse and behavior, according to the latest George Washington University Battleground Poll. The survey, taken August 13-17, found a large majority of voters — 71 percent — agreed his “behavior is not what I expect from a president” (27 percent disagreed), and 68 percent agreed his “words and actions could get us accidentally involved in an international conflict” (29 percent disagreed).
Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the registered voters polled said the country is on the wrong track, and a majority (56 percent) had an unfavorable view of President Trump (41 percent favorable). A similar number disapproved of the job he’s doing as president (55 percent), while 42 percent approved, and 56 percent also said he has not been effective as the president, while 39 percent said he has been effective.
“The Battleground Poll data show that more Americans object to President Trump’s character than his agenda,” said GW Associate Professor of Political Management Michael Cornfield. “If there is anything approaching a consensus in today’s sharply divided America, it’s that Trump speaks and behaves inappropriately given the office he holds.”
When asked about his actions on current affairs, there was a small bright spot for President Trump. Half (50 percent) approve of his handling of the economy (46 disapprove). Foreign affairs were not as positive: 53 percent of voters surveyed disapproved of the president’s approach to relations with North Korea (43 percent approved). Half (52 percent) of voters agreed President Trump has been keeping his campaign promises (44 disagreed).
When asked about his actions on current affairs, there was a small bright spot for President Trump. Half (50 percent) approve of his handling of the economy (46 disapprove). Foreign affairs were not as positive: 53 percent of voters surveyed disapproved of the president’s approach to relations with North Korea (43 percent approved). Half (52 percent) of voters agreed President Trump has been keeping his campaign promises (44 disagreed).
...................................
Further material in this statement discusses Congress, which is outside the scope of this thread. I show Congressional and gubernatorial polls for states when I show approval polls for the President and think the Gubernatorial or Senatorial polls have some relationship or relevance. Trump has been tough in his expression of foreign policy, but he now looks incompetent. Contrast the norm with Obama, who modulated his rhetoric to fit the situation but generally got desirable results. I'll take the latter any day. Whether the next President reverts to Obama or to Bush I will matter little, because both Bush I and Obama foreign policy are much the same. The fault with either could be relevance, as we will need to live in the same diplomatic universe for Bush I/Obama foreign policy to remain relevant. (To put that in the crudest terms, God forbid that large cities of South Korea and Japan be transformed into smouldering ruins infamous as sites of mass death).
This poll addresses Presidential behavior. This is not Monica Lewinsky stuff irrelevant to most of our lives, no matter how offensive and objectionable. The bad behavior of the current President is dangerous to America, let alone America's allies.
The "right track/wrong track" shift is sudden and severe. President Trump obviously bungled his response to the violence in Charlottesville, and this poll shows that. Even if this is likely to fade, the mass assessment that the President is a liar, fool, or madman won't. Under Barack Obama almost all of the ugly 'racial' incidents involved police brutality, and those steadily lost their pressing concern except among persons and communities involved. Obama was likely to offer such suggestions as 'improve the quality of police work so that other such incidents do not happen'. Donald Trump is infamous for advocating that police departments crack down even on dissent from the communities that those police departments serve, and he never backs down from pronouncements that alleged perpetrators of highly-infamous crimes be punished severely even after they are acquitted or exonerated. Let us hope that chiefs of police be more cautious. They have far more responsibility to the elected officials above them than Donald Trump, seemingly responsible to nobody and nothing -- neither God, tradition, nor principle, all three of which are hallmarks of conservative thought.
It is still the Obama economy and the Obama bull market. President Trump will be unable to fault President Obama for any downturn.
I am tempted to believe that President Trump can go much lower in disapproval ratings. Other pollsters have shown lower approval numbers for him based upon their methodology, which includes the manner of asking questions. I am satisfied that about 30% of Americans support this President no matter what, This poll has some room to go down in rating the president; I have seen other pollsters get lower results.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.