I know many of you are not focused on what is going on in Washington. So I am obsessed with this administration, and I think you should be too. The divisiveness and lack of trust that have intensified under this president will be with us for a long time to come. Our relations with allies and enemies around the world have been turned upside down and will not easily be ameliorated. Dozens of judges have already been appointed and confirmed by this administration who will change the meaning of justice in our country for decades to come. It is also important to note that even if everything goes smoothly and Democrats win in November and Trump is gone in 2020, permanent damage has already been done. The problem is there is so much going on in this administration that it is difficult to be sufficiently outraged at each instance, or to determine which might be the most egregious actions. Some of these are the failure to assist the people of Puerto Rico who are all American citizens, the disturbing and erratic foreign policy moves that endanger our national security, the rampant corruption that seems to have invaded just about every department of our government, and the evisceration of environmental laws that is placing our very planet in jeopardy. There are other issues that deserve equal outrage that have not received as much attention. It still says a lot of Americans buy in to Trump's messageĮlectoral success is going to require sustained activism as we saw with the travel ban, racial hostilities in Charlottesville, mass school shootings, and the separation of parents from their children. While that percentage should not put him over the top in a presidential election, it is harder to see what it might mean for individual congressional races. As of August 13, Trump's average favorability rating is 43.3 percent. Yet, Real Clear Politics has consistently had Trump's approval ratings above 40 percent. This data is unlikely to change significantly prior to the November elections.
A total of 63 percent of women see Trump as unfit for office, and 60 percent of all Americans see him as doing more to divide the country than unite it. Only 36 percent of Americans approve of his performance as president. Trump is seen as unfit for office by 56 percent of Americans. Although signs are building from special elections and polls, what do we really know about the state of the electorate and what it will be like in November?Ī Quinnipiac poll from last September had some good news for those hoping for a Democratic blue wave. Evidence is growing that suggests a blue wave, but this cannot be guaranteed. I remain unconvinced, however, that I know how these elections will turn out.