"Discontent pulsates throughout the Times/Siena poll, with a majority of voters saying Mr. Biden’s policies have personally hurt them. The survey also reveals the extent to which the multiracial and multigenerational coalition that elected Mr. Biden is fraying. Demographic groups that backed Mr. Biden by landslide margins in 2020 are now…
"Discontent pulsates throughout the Times/Siena poll, with a majority of voters saying Mr. Biden’s policies have personally hurt them. The survey also reveals the extent to which the multiracial and multigenerational coalition that elected Mr. Biden is fraying. Demographic groups that backed Mr. Biden by landslide margins in 2020 are now far more closely contested, as two-thirds of the electorate sees the country moving in the wrong direction. Voters under 30 favor Mr. Biden by only a single percentage point, his lead among Hispanic voters is down to single digits and his advantage in urban areas is half of Mr. Trump’s edge in rural regions. And while women still favored Mr. Biden, men preferred Mr. Trump by twice as large a margin, reversing the gender advantage that had fueled so many Democratic gains in recent years."
Two questions for these people -- not that they are reading this column and these comments, nevertheless something that needs to be taken out and hammered home:
1) What exactly do you want? Be realistic about it. Just saying "I'm not happy" isn't a pathway to success. There has to be a plan. What's yours, and how do you propose to get there when half or more of the country and its legislators won't give you and your agenda the time of day?
2) If you are not happy with Biden's leadership, what is the alternative, and how is it better other than saying simply that it isn't Joe Biden? Consider all of the factors involved. Do you really want four more years of Donald Trump's anger- and grievance-filled agenda, and with the prospect of going after perceived enemies with the full power of the law, behind sympathetic judges and government officials? Tell us how that will end well for this nation, and be specific about it.
It amazes me to no end how Trump is never held accountable for anything by MAGA and increasingly now regular Republican voters, yet Biden must answer for every perceived wrong and ill inside of his own party and movement. Increasingly it is a madman with hands free to torment against a rational one with one hand tied behind his back. If our democracy withers and dies, it won't be just because of MAGA. It will be because too many on the left, and in the middle, don't really give a damn about what happens next as long as it is someone else who is suffering instead. That's not my definition of the Greatest Country on Earth. Not even close. Yet here we are, staring down the barrel of that gun. I fervently hope that is not literally the case.
“It amazes me to no end how Trump is never held accountable for anything by MAGA and increasingly now regular Republican voters, yet Biden must answer for every perceived wrong and ill inside of his own party and movement.”
You may have missed the whole never Trump movement. But...it’s there. They just sound like Dems now.
I asked a non-MAGA Republican once why so many on the right seemed less inclined to criticize Trump. He said they do, but they do so at their peril. He also said it was because the media does it to no end. That day alone, despite innumerable newsworthy events, there was Trump. Front and center of every outlet. Even now, with the conflict in the Middle East, he was front page news. Every day, all day, all the time. But, as many people now know, there is evidence that negative Biden news was suppressed or downplayed across social and news media outlets. Many people feel the only reason we are hearing concerns about his age and overall viability now is because the polling can’t be denied.
It was bizarre to see Biden’s mental acuity and vigor praised in the media one week, only to see what read like hit pieces regarding his age from left leaning outlets the next week.
It’s getting increasingly impossible not to notice something is up and it makes undecided and independents skeptical and uneasy. It may not impact my vote, but I can’t speak for others.
Maybe Biden should make all groceries free, gasoline a nickel a gallon, and forgive all home loan debt. But there would still be a large portion of the population that would be personally impacted by these measures. Our citizens will never be happy when we have news organizations that constantly emphasize polls that really have no meaning. The poll questions are too simplistic and shallow to address tough questions that only have complicated answers. Sound bites and headlines rule the day.
Also a question for the Supreme Court. They won’t even allow cameras into the courtroom, but should citizens be allowed to carry guns into court. I don’t know where things go if we are in such a rush to rethink years of precedent with a court picked by the federalist society.
"Do you really want *four more years* of Donald Trump's anger- and grievance-filled agenda, and with the prospect of going after perceived enemies with the full power of the law, behind sympathetic judges and government officials?"
I'm still not convinced it would end at four more years. So there's an amendment that says he's limited to two terms. The Constitution and Amendments are for cucks! (Unless, of course, they work in my favor!) Do any of us really trust Trump to leave voluntarily after using his four years to MAGAfy the entire federal executive branch; to MAGAfy much of the federal judiciary? (Republicans in Congress have already MAGAfied the Legislature, so no changes there.) If he refuses to leave - like literally refuses to walk out of the White House under his own volition - how would that go down? What if he has indeed invoked the Insurrection Act already to deploy troops within US borders? What if he has already MAGAfied the military leadership?
To think that this will all be over in four years is to think Trump learned his lesson after the first Impeachment; it's foolish. (Not that I'm calling you a fool, Deutschmeister! I always appreciate your contributions, even when I disagree.) Even if he leaves office, his second term would have been a redemption story and he will be even more powerful than he is now. His influence will grow.
We should assume two things if Trump wins:
1. It will be much worse than the first time around.
2. It won't end in 4 years, regardless of whether he remains in the White House (though his remaining is still a possibility).
I was thinking this all along -- I just didn't want to say it out loud, focusing on what we do know rather than what we don't. But you are right, that the two-term limit could be amended in order to enable a quasi- or actual dictator, if that person had enough legislative and judicial support, which now seems to be not out of the question. And then there is the issue of, even if they do not amend that, those friendly legislators and justices could rule in favor of other MAGAists who stand to follow Trump and emulate his model, or perhaps even expand it. There are some black clouds on the horizon.
And, I took nothing personal in your comments, but thank you for your concern. I enjoy your posts and appreciate the informed perspective that you share with the group.
I’d like them to explain how exactly they think that Trump would do better. People do not care or understand that just because they felt the economy was good before COVID, the same economic conditions don’t apply, and many of those conditions are global rather than national in nature.
I’m going to take a stab at this from superficial psychology. The GOP is glued together by malevolence. Simple and cohesive. The Dems are fractured by a narcissistic demand that their personal perspective be reflected back to them by their chosen leader 100%, or they are outa here.
If true, how to proceed? I have no idea. It all seems pretty broken, maybe beyond repair.
i assume the "policy" people have in mind when they say a biden policy has hurt them is inflation, and i don't understand the difference between today and 1984, but something has clearly changed.
I once told a maga person, "so, we're evil because we want you to have healthcare and a living wage?". The reply was, "that's not what you want. I know what you're REALLY up to!" 😱🙄
Seriously, how can opinion polls still have credibility? Do you or anyone you know and respect answer polling questions any more? Who even bothers? Who wants to spend work time or personal time answering polling questions? It’s tedious and, frequently, an utter waste of time. So many polls are not even trying to be fair and ethical. Anyone with the money to spend can order up a poll to say whatever is desired. There are so very many ways to skew a poll - the time of day the calls are made, the wording of the questions, where the questions are in the poll, the area code of the phone numbers called, and on and on. Even the legitimate polls by reputable pollsters are suspect because of the kind of person who will take the considerable time to answer questions. Perhaps an even greater problem is reluctance of people to answer a call from an unknown number. There are so many scammer calls now and even saying “Hello” confirms your number as a good number with a human being on the other end and guarantees your phone number will be on lists of “good” numbers.
Polling companies seek out people who indicate they are willing to answer polls. I know because I used to be one of the ones who said yes. The polling company didn’t do any screening on me or ask me any questions. They were happy to get a warm body. I could answer by phone or online. After only a few months I got fed up with giving away my time so polling companies could make money.
Yes, polls can be an indicator of individual opinions but they are not infallible predictors of our fate. They have become part of the doom machine, designed to make us lose hope and give up the fight. Don’t. Let it spur you to sign up to work for a candidate. There is still a whole year to go. There is still time. Do something useful with it.
It amazes me that people aren't taking a step back and looking at the big picture. Ignore the "stuff". There is one issue, and one issue only: defeating Donald Trump at the polls. Forget the Biden "stuff".
The Democrats don't seem to want to, and the RINOs and out in the open MAGAs, won't let them, without looking truly objectively at the Other Guy because they have crowned him their hero, mostly because he says he is and PT Barnum was right.
You are so right: Trump never being held accountable by most Republicans but Biden having to constantly defend himself to Democrats. I hope if the barrel of the gun is pointing to us, we better respond and not cower in fear.
"Discontent pulsates throughout the Times/Siena poll, with a majority of voters saying Mr. Biden’s policies have personally hurt them. The survey also reveals the extent to which the multiracial and multigenerational coalition that elected Mr. Biden is fraying. Demographic groups that backed Mr. Biden by landslide margins in 2020 are now far more closely contested, as two-thirds of the electorate sees the country moving in the wrong direction. Voters under 30 favor Mr. Biden by only a single percentage point, his lead among Hispanic voters is down to single digits and his advantage in urban areas is half of Mr. Trump’s edge in rural regions. And while women still favored Mr. Biden, men preferred Mr. Trump by twice as large a margin, reversing the gender advantage that had fueled so many Democratic gains in recent years."
Two questions for these people -- not that they are reading this column and these comments, nevertheless something that needs to be taken out and hammered home:
1) What exactly do you want? Be realistic about it. Just saying "I'm not happy" isn't a pathway to success. There has to be a plan. What's yours, and how do you propose to get there when half or more of the country and its legislators won't give you and your agenda the time of day?
2) If you are not happy with Biden's leadership, what is the alternative, and how is it better other than saying simply that it isn't Joe Biden? Consider all of the factors involved. Do you really want four more years of Donald Trump's anger- and grievance-filled agenda, and with the prospect of going after perceived enemies with the full power of the law, behind sympathetic judges and government officials? Tell us how that will end well for this nation, and be specific about it.
It amazes me to no end how Trump is never held accountable for anything by MAGA and increasingly now regular Republican voters, yet Biden must answer for every perceived wrong and ill inside of his own party and movement. Increasingly it is a madman with hands free to torment against a rational one with one hand tied behind his back. If our democracy withers and dies, it won't be just because of MAGA. It will be because too many on the left, and in the middle, don't really give a damn about what happens next as long as it is someone else who is suffering instead. That's not my definition of the Greatest Country on Earth. Not even close. Yet here we are, staring down the barrel of that gun. I fervently hope that is not literally the case.
“It amazes me to no end how Trump is never held accountable for anything by MAGA and increasingly now regular Republican voters, yet Biden must answer for every perceived wrong and ill inside of his own party and movement.”
You may have missed the whole never Trump movement. But...it’s there. They just sound like Dems now.
I asked a non-MAGA Republican once why so many on the right seemed less inclined to criticize Trump. He said they do, but they do so at their peril. He also said it was because the media does it to no end. That day alone, despite innumerable newsworthy events, there was Trump. Front and center of every outlet. Even now, with the conflict in the Middle East, he was front page news. Every day, all day, all the time. But, as many people now know, there is evidence that negative Biden news was suppressed or downplayed across social and news media outlets. Many people feel the only reason we are hearing concerns about his age and overall viability now is because the polling can’t be denied.
It was bizarre to see Biden’s mental acuity and vigor praised in the media one week, only to see what read like hit pieces regarding his age from left leaning outlets the next week.
It’s getting increasingly impossible not to notice something is up and it makes undecided and independents skeptical and uneasy. It may not impact my vote, but I can’t speak for others.
Maybe Biden should make all groceries free, gasoline a nickel a gallon, and forgive all home loan debt. But there would still be a large portion of the population that would be personally impacted by these measures. Our citizens will never be happy when we have news organizations that constantly emphasize polls that really have no meaning. The poll questions are too simplistic and shallow to address tough questions that only have complicated answers. Sound bites and headlines rule the day.
Also a question for the Supreme Court. They won’t even allow cameras into the courtroom, but should citizens be allowed to carry guns into court. I don’t know where things go if we are in such a rush to rethink years of precedent with a court picked by the federalist society.
I scream at the phone during the Focus Group pod. I’d love to know how she finds her participants. They do my head on.
"Do you really want *four more years* of Donald Trump's anger- and grievance-filled agenda, and with the prospect of going after perceived enemies with the full power of the law, behind sympathetic judges and government officials?"
I'm still not convinced it would end at four more years. So there's an amendment that says he's limited to two terms. The Constitution and Amendments are for cucks! (Unless, of course, they work in my favor!) Do any of us really trust Trump to leave voluntarily after using his four years to MAGAfy the entire federal executive branch; to MAGAfy much of the federal judiciary? (Republicans in Congress have already MAGAfied the Legislature, so no changes there.) If he refuses to leave - like literally refuses to walk out of the White House under his own volition - how would that go down? What if he has indeed invoked the Insurrection Act already to deploy troops within US borders? What if he has already MAGAfied the military leadership?
To think that this will all be over in four years is to think Trump learned his lesson after the first Impeachment; it's foolish. (Not that I'm calling you a fool, Deutschmeister! I always appreciate your contributions, even when I disagree.) Even if he leaves office, his second term would have been a redemption story and he will be even more powerful than he is now. His influence will grow.
We should assume two things if Trump wins:
1. It will be much worse than the first time around.
2. It won't end in 4 years, regardless of whether he remains in the White House (though his remaining is still a possibility).
I was thinking this all along -- I just didn't want to say it out loud, focusing on what we do know rather than what we don't. But you are right, that the two-term limit could be amended in order to enable a quasi- or actual dictator, if that person had enough legislative and judicial support, which now seems to be not out of the question. And then there is the issue of, even if they do not amend that, those friendly legislators and justices could rule in favor of other MAGAists who stand to follow Trump and emulate his model, or perhaps even expand it. There are some black clouds on the horizon.
And, I took nothing personal in your comments, but thank you for your concern. I enjoy your posts and appreciate the informed perspective that you share with the group.
Just out of curiosity, I really want these people to explain how Joe Biden's policies have personally hurt them. Which exact policies?
I’d like them to explain how exactly they think that Trump would do better. People do not care or understand that just because they felt the economy was good before COVID, the same economic conditions don’t apply, and many of those conditions are global rather than national in nature.
This!
I’m going to take a stab at this from superficial psychology. The GOP is glued together by malevolence. Simple and cohesive. The Dems are fractured by a narcissistic demand that their personal perspective be reflected back to them by their chosen leader 100%, or they are outa here.
If true, how to proceed? I have no idea. It all seems pretty broken, maybe beyond repair.
i assume the "policy" people have in mind when they say a biden policy has hurt them is inflation, and i don't understand the difference between today and 1984, but something has clearly changed.
I once told a maga person, "so, we're evil because we want you to have healthcare and a living wage?". The reply was, "that's not what you want. I know what you're REALLY up to!" 😱🙄
Perfect!
In what way? His reply?
your anecdote, which sums up the maga mentality perfectly. (in short, i was complimenting you!).
Thanks, whew. 😉
Answering an opinion pollster’s questions is not doing anything but answering an opinion pollster’s questions. Most important, it is not voting.
Seriously, how can opinion polls still have credibility? Do you or anyone you know and respect answer polling questions any more? Who even bothers? Who wants to spend work time or personal time answering polling questions? It’s tedious and, frequently, an utter waste of time. So many polls are not even trying to be fair and ethical. Anyone with the money to spend can order up a poll to say whatever is desired. There are so very many ways to skew a poll - the time of day the calls are made, the wording of the questions, where the questions are in the poll, the area code of the phone numbers called, and on and on. Even the legitimate polls by reputable pollsters are suspect because of the kind of person who will take the considerable time to answer questions. Perhaps an even greater problem is reluctance of people to answer a call from an unknown number. There are so many scammer calls now and even saying “Hello” confirms your number as a good number with a human being on the other end and guarantees your phone number will be on lists of “good” numbers.
Polling companies seek out people who indicate they are willing to answer polls. I know because I used to be one of the ones who said yes. The polling company didn’t do any screening on me or ask me any questions. They were happy to get a warm body. I could answer by phone or online. After only a few months I got fed up with giving away my time so polling companies could make money.
Yes, polls can be an indicator of individual opinions but they are not infallible predictors of our fate. They have become part of the doom machine, designed to make us lose hope and give up the fight. Don’t. Let it spur you to sign up to work for a candidate. There is still a whole year to go. There is still time. Do something useful with it.
I couldn't agree more.Its too bad more voters aren't analytical as you. By the way,you are talking me off the ledge!
Thank you for expressing what has been percolating in my tiny mind since I read those polls. It’s appreciated.
It amazes me that people aren't taking a step back and looking at the big picture. Ignore the "stuff". There is one issue, and one issue only: defeating Donald Trump at the polls. Forget the Biden "stuff".
The Democrats don't seem to want to, and the RINOs and out in the open MAGAs, won't let them, without looking truly objectively at the Other Guy because they have crowned him their hero, mostly because he says he is and PT Barnum was right.
Shoot this into my veins.
This is exactly how I feel when I saw the Siena NYT polls yesterday.
You are so right: Trump never being held accountable by most Republicans but Biden having to constantly defend himself to Democrats. I hope if the barrel of the gun is pointing to us, we better respond and not cower in fear.