The essential ingredients for a winning Democratic midterm message |
The essential ingredients for a winning Democratic midterm message
President Trump’s personality and performance are the essential foundation of a winning Democratic midterm message. But a strong foundation always needs an attractive house on top to make a big sale.
The president won’t be on the ballot, but his dark presence lurks in the hearts and minds of voters. A new national tracking poll conducted last week for The Economist by YouGov.com tells the tale. The rest of this commentary is for mature audiences only!
Trump’s issue job ratings sleep with the fish. The pollster asked respondents whether they trusted Trump “a lot,” “a little” or “not at all” on more than 20 issues. He didn’t even come close on any of these issues to being within spitting distance of a majority of people who trusted him a lot.
The most prominent issue priority in this and other national surveys is inflation. A majority of people (54 percent) don’t trust the president’s handling of the economy at all. Only three out of ten (28 percent) trust him a lot and one-fifth (18 percent) trust him “a little.” Since Americans vote their pocketbooks, this is devastating news for Trump.
The past is prelude to the present. Election Day exit polls from 2024 indicate that Trump and Republicans in general capitalized on voter concerns about the economy to win. Democrats can win the same way in 2026 because the economic train has........