Althouse: "Anger and fear are widespread. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans say they feel both sentiments when thinking about the country..."

July 1, 2020

"Anger and fear are widespread. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans say they feel both sentiments when thinking about the country..."

"... though these feelings are more prevalent among Democrats. And just 17% of Americans – including 25% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents and 10% of Democrats and Democratic leaners – say they feel proud when thinking about the state of the country.... The new national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted June 16-22 among 4,708 adults, including 3,577 registered voters, finds sharp differences in how voters evaluate Trump’s presidency compared with Biden’s presidency, if he is elected. Very few voters – just 9% – say Trump is an average president; 37% say he is a good or great president; and a much larger share (53%) say he is poor or terrible, including 42% who think he is a terrible president. Fewer voters (28%) say Biden would be a good or great president than say that about Trump as president. And compared with Trump, many more say Biden would be average; 29% say he would be an average president. However, 43% say Biden would be poor or terrible, which is 10 percentage points lower than the share expressing such negative views about Trump as president."

Lots of interesting comparative percentages at Pew.

42 comments:

rhhardin said...: The electoral college won't pick Biden no matter who's on the ticket. A dem now to be named later would get chosen. Generic dem will be running against Trump.; 7/1/20, 6:20 AM
RMc said...: Fewer voters (28%) say Biden would be a good or great president than say that about Trump as president.

Four years ago, I said Trump had a better chance than Hillary of being a bad president, and a much better chance of being a great one...because Hillary's chances of being great were exactly zero. I'll take those odds again this time.

Has Trump been great or terrible so far? Meh.; 7/1/20, 6:20 AM
Rory said...: "And just 17% of Americans – including 25% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents and 10% of Democrats and Democratic leaners – say they feel proud when thinking about the state of the country...."

This was the plan from the start. They just thought they'd drive Trump out more quickly.; 7/1/20, 6:23 AM
rhhardin said...: Look for the ears laid back for fear, and showing teeth for anger, if it's anything like dogs. Konrad Lorenz did a diagram of the canine electorate vs anger and fear.; 7/1/20, 6:26 AM
wendybar said...: All I know, is that I am planning to NEVER go to NYC again. The City Council just voted to cut 1 billion from the NYPD budget. Good luck with hate, violence and crime New York. They are nailing their own coffins.....I was never a hater, yet now I find myself really having to calm down and not hate what the left is doing to us......Utopia my ass...they are destroying the last FREE country on earth. WHERE are you going to go to get what we have in AMERICA now???; 7/1/20, 6:27 AM
Clyde said...: Why is it always "registered voters" rather than "likely voters"? Hmmmm?

Also, if by "average president", you mean one who is likely to enrich himself, his family and his cronies using the powers of his office, as well as other typical Swamp behavior, then yes, Biden would be an average president. If you think those things are bad, then he would be a terrible president, because past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior. The shenanigans of his son Hunter Biden and his brother James Biden while Sleepy, Creepy, Swampy Joe was vice-president tell us everything we need to know about what would happen in a Biden administration. America would be for sale to the highest bidder.; 7/1/20, 6:30 AM
Jaq said...: Biden is hoping to hide behind the skirts of the press to sneak across the finish line without ever being asked a hard question. It’s like Monica said:

“If you want to know what power looks like, watch a man safely, even smugly, do interviews for decades, without ever worrying whether he will be asked the questions he doesn’t want to answer.” - Monica Lewinsky

Don’t worry though, the debates will be moderated right down the middle with the DNC approved moderator only interfering if it looks like it might go badly for Biden or to hurt Trump in some way, or if Biden forgets some pre-arranged Democrat talking point the press had been preparing to run with. Other than that? Mostly fair and square.; 7/1/20, 6:30 AM
Inga said...: Some more interesting comparative percentages...

“In the presidential contest, Donald Trump faces a 10 percentage point deficit in his race against Joe Biden: 54% of registered voters say if the election were held today, they would support Biden or lean toward voting for him, while 44% support Trump or lean toward supporting him.

On most other major issues, including handling the public health impact from the coronavirus outbreak, Trump draws far less confidence than Biden. And only about a third of voters (35%) have confidence in Trump to effectively handle race relations; 48% have confidence in Biden in dealing with race relations.

Trump’s approval declines to 39%. Currently, 39% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while 59% disapprove. Trump’s job rating has fallen from 44% in April; it stood at 45% in March. Since April, Trump’s job approval has declined among most partisan and demographic groups. Trump’s approval rating is now more negative than positive across all age groups, except adults 65 and older (48% approve, 48% disapprove). Large majorities of Black (86%) and Hispanic adults (69%) disapprove of Trump’s job performance; white adults are divided (50% disapprove, 48% approve).”; 7/1/20, 6:38 AM
wendybar said...: Who is REALLY going to be running things if Joe wins?? THAT is the question, because we all know Joe couldn't find his way out of the basement without help.; 7/1/20, 6:41 AM
Dave Begley said...: Biden doesn’t even campaign. What is he for other wearing a mask and the Green New Deal?; 7/1/20, 6:45 AM
Jaq said...: "Why is it always "registered voters" rather than "likely voters"? Hmmmm?”

It’s racist to survey likely voters. The fact that this is very convenient for Democrats trying to shape the narrative has nothing to do with it and is utter coincidence. The finding of “racism” in the practice was arrived at through the most dispassionate and disinterested and purest application of reason. A ratiocination, *not* a rationalization as you deplorables might be tempted to think. That’s why it’s so important to control your speech. When you have billions of dollars to spend on media outlets and to funnel to Democrats, get back to us.; 7/1/20, 6:48 AM
rehajm said...: Trump deserves a redo for all the hoaxes the left tried to pull off. Some of the candidates from the left, past and present, deserve to hang. That's not Trump's fault.; 7/1/20, 6:51 AM
stevew said...: I'm in the minority, it seems, on the questions of the condition of the country and the quality of Trump's presidency. But then I'm a glass half full guy.

Seems misleading and inappropriate to compare the statistics about Trump's presidency to Biden's potential future presidency. Trump's exists and can be evaluated and analyzed. Biden's doesn't and can't.; 7/1/20, 6:57 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: I don’t trust ANY polling anymore. Even elections are suspect now because of ballot harvesting. Progressives have created the very chaos they need in order to effect a coup. Thank God they’ve been so Coyote to Trump the Roadrunner so far but, what happens after Trump?; 7/1/20, 7:00 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Tim nailed it @ 9:30 with Monica’s quote. That was Biden’s press conference yesterday to a T.; 7/1/20, 7:03 AM
MikeR said...: We all understand, don't we? Biden is an empty seat candidate, a living reflection of Ann's "Better than nothing is a high bar!" He represents Nothing, and it looks like it's working well.
His creeping dementia is a feature, not a bug.; 7/1/20, 7:09 AM
wildswan said...: I would say that Biden is getting the "looks like a grandfather sentiments." In this country an evidently older person brings out the sentiments people feel toward their grandparents and most have very positive feelings, based on my experiences. However, that's sentiment. In practice, the same group regard everything that's said as an exciting tale from the legendary past and wouldn't dream of basing their economic and social actions on anything they hear from those revered lips. (At least, not without the previous application of some strange mental filtering mechanism they all have.) So, I think that Trump will benefit in the election from not looking looking grandfatherly. You notice how many regard him as energetic and good on the economy - not the Grandad sentiment.; 7/1/20, 7:10 AM
Phil 314 said...: Will we get the President we deserve?; 7/1/20, 7:10 AM
Jeff Brokaw said...: Polls were not trustworthy in 2016 and the social unease that caused it has gotten worse, not better, so it’s an absolute certainty that Trump’s support is being substantially undercounted.; 7/1/20, 7:11 AM
Michael said...: Used to be if a candidate's negatives broke 40% they were toast. 2016 was they first time both candidates broke that barrier.

By November 3, both Trump and Biden might top 50%; 7/1/20, 7:14 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Biden is one gaff away from losing it all. Just as Hillary was with her "basket of deplorables". The Democrats are trying to limit his unscripted moments by locking him in his basement. That will in itself become a campaign issue as we get closer to the election.

The Pew numbers pretty much show that nobody really wants Biden as President. It's a yes/no election on Trump. I can't remember an election quite like that in my lifetime.

I also strongly suspect that Trump supporters are simply ignoring pollsters. Pew has Biden leading Trump among males. Yet none of the current issues like law and order, support for opening the economy, etc. would seem to cut that way.

Every Lefty I know will run over hot coals to tell you how they feel about things. Whether you want to hear about it or not. Trump supporters are the opposite. They distrust pollsters immensely. Plus I have no doubt that many of my Lefty friends have no compunction about telling a pollster that they are LLR's. This skews the sample in favor of Democrats.

BTW, what ever happened to Chuck?; 7/1/20, 7:32 AM
Thistlerose said...: I don't think the majority of voters have forgotten what it was like living in the US in January prior to the democrats failing to use impeachment on false charges to remove trump. More jobs then there were employees, record black employment. Then the world went crazy. I just don't think that the polls are accurate. Who in their right mind would tell a random person on the phone that they are voting for Trump and be called a racist and maybe lose their job. In the voting booth where no one knows who they are voting for many people will see it as a decision between continued hate for America (Biden) or going back to January when we had funded police and jobs we were allowed to go to.

Just rewatch a little of the 2016 election results broadcasts to see how wrong polls can be.; 7/1/20, 7:37 AM
MayBee said...: I'm in the minority, it seems, on the questions of the condition of the country and the quality of Trump's presidency. But then I'm a glass half full guy.

who could say the state of the country is good or great right now?
Sure, my life is good. But the state of the country? Eeesh.; 7/1/20, 7:42 AM
Kevin said...: Better than Trump was too high a bar for our political class to clear.

And yes I’m talking about both parties.; 7/1/20, 7:50 AM
frenchy said...: First of all, you have to believe polls are real.; 7/1/20, 8:08 AM
mikee said...: Biden has dementia. It won't get any better, and will only worsen with time.
There is nothing else of importance to note about the Democrat candidate for president.; 7/1/20, 8:08 AM
wild chicken said...: registered voters" rather than "likely voters"?

I get polled a lot and they always ask how likely i am to vote but do people really answer this honestly? Seems like many give the answer they think they should give, true or not, to show themselves in the best light

It would be easier to filter the call list for active voters. Our rolls have a field for that. I'm sure Montana is not unique.; 7/1/20, 8:09 AM
MadisonMan said...: Sure, my life is good. But the state of the country? Eeesh.
Same. But that's my white privilege.; 7/1/20, 8:16 AM
Dave Begley said...: Why doesn't Biden do the Sunday shows? Interview by Maddow or Fredo? Why no rallies? Why no press conferences?

Trump needs to make this a major issue. Hidin' Biden.

The answer is obvious. Joe can't even handle friendly questions. He'd screw up! And of course Chuck Todd et al would never challenge him.

Mr. Vice President. What did you know about the Obama Adm. spying on the Trump campaign? General Flynn?

Why are you so soft on China? Does the payoff to your son have anything to do with it?

Why do you support the Green New Deal?

Why haven't you condemned the rioters?

Do you support the burning of Mt. Vernon?; 7/1/20, 8:26 AM
bagoh20 said...: The richest, healthiest, safest, and most free people in the history of the world are complaining that things are not that great. Shut up, and go cut your lush green grass, you whiny little bitches, but first try throwing some salt on, becuase some guy at the NYT who doesn't even know what grass is said it's what you really need, becuase he gets paid to bullshit you.; 7/1/20, 8:46 AM
Michael K said...: Jersey Fled pretty much said what I would.

Biden is the place holder for the generic Democrat. I would be very surprised if any debate is agreed to by the DNC.

As for the epidemic, look at the chart in this post about Minnesota.

The TV ads showing the riots might be enough to scare even the suburban white women who are pretending to be radical.; 7/1/20, 8:46 AM
Ken B said...: The connotation of “average” is “kinda normal” and “low risk”. Like most of the rest of them were. But Biden would not be kinda normal. He is going senile. He refuses to condemn riots. He lies about racially inflammatory things (such as “good people”). His party wants to repeal equal protection, and are doing just that in the most populous state. He isn’t kinda normal and he isn’t low risk.; 7/1/20, 9:09 AM
stevew said...: "Sure, my life is good. But the state of the country? Eeesh."

You're right, you know. I had that sort of thought after I wrote it. With moderation I couldn't immediately delete, edit, and repost. Like you, my life is pretty good as it is for pretty much everyone I know. But that list is not the country and lots of people are still hurting. So I take it back.; 7/1/20, 9:12 AM
Michael K said...: With moderation, it's impossible to tell of Blogger has destroyed a comment.; 7/1/20, 9:13 AM
Francisco D said...: I am eagerly awaiting the next DNC-NYT-WaPo generated "crisis" that will justifiably cause Biden to forgo any debates because who would want to debate Trump/Hitler.; 7/1/20, 9:30 AM
Krumhorn said...: I don’t know about fear or anger, but I despise the modern American lefties as hateful and nasty little shits.

- Krumhorn; 7/1/20, 9:55 AM
Darrell said...: The Media is very comfortable lying about Trump. So why should we believe anything they say?; 7/1/20, 10:11 AM
Michael said...: Nobody's seen Biden. People are responding to the idea of Joe Biden (as presented in the media.) At some point they will get a look at the current model in the flesh.; 7/1/20, 10:14 AM
Mark O said...: After years of lying to us, why do we believe Pew or any other media source?
Are we that puerile?; 7/1/20, 10:21 AM
Earnest Prole said...: Of course Democrats feel more anger and fear: We are witnessing a blue civil war between the radical and establishment wings of the Democratic party.; 7/1/20, 10:59 AM
danoso said...: Why is it always "registered voters" rather than "likely voters"? Hmmmm?

Because registered voters aren't getting off their butts to vote Biden.

Biden is the classic out-of-power-it's-my-turn candidate the parties throw out there against an incumbent. Mondale, Dole, Kerry, Romney ... it was their turn, and they never had a chance.; 7/1/20, 11:01 AM
rehajm said...: Fewer voters (28%) say Biden would be a good or great president than say that about Trump as president.

54% of registered voters say if the election were held today, they would support Biden or lean toward voting for him, while 44% support Trump or lean toward supporting him.

These two findings are incompatible.; 7/1/20, 11:13 AM