When It Touches ME, It Starts To Matter
For a great while it appeared that Trump’s approval rating would remain at ~40% regardless of how unhinged his behavior became, and that his supporters would be steadfast in their loyalty, whether it was based on his military and economic aggression, handouts to billionaire donors, denial of science, promises of more jobs in coal, cruelty to children, or simple, glaring racism. But what to say now that we’ve seen recent slippage down to 36%? That’s not statistically insignificant.
Well, it’s clear that there is broad consternation about the trade war with China and the possibility that a deep recession could ensue as a result. There are hedge fund managers with egg all over their faces, captains of industry shaking their heads in utter disbelief that they’ve been “ordered” to cut ties with China, farmers who are lamenting that “there is no market for our products,” and common Americans everywhere who feel a biting terror when the Dow loses 623 points based on a single tweet and the value of their life savings plummet.
Part of the support base may be starting to realize that many of the old men playing chess in town parks across America know more about macroeconomics than Trump, and that his blend of gross ignorance and rash bravado has some deeply disturbing real-life consequences.
The problem with repairing this scene with China, as well as with other arenas of international relations (e.g., Iran), is that Trump is so erratic and reckless that his word has no meaning. Sitting down and ironing out something like a trade agreement is correctly regarded as a total waste of time, since whatever happens today is very likely to be dismissed at 4 AM the following day when the next tweet-cycle begins anew. Obviously, no one can read Chairman Xi’s mind, but it would certainly make sense if he were thinking, “Look, this is insane, but it will almost definitely be over in November of 2020, so let’s just tread water, play tit-for-tat, and wait for this psychopath to go away.”
Yes, some of the support base has jumped ship. Their position: Want to hurt people with brown skin? Muslims? Scientists? Gays? Bleeding hearts? Environmentalists? Native Americans? Students? The poor, sick, and aged? That’s great; in fact, that’s why I voted for you in the first place; that’s what I call making America great again. But now you’re hurting me, and I can’t go for that.
I live in a world of data that is filled with acronyms and initialisms… and so when I read your headline with the capitalized letters ME, I was momentarily confused… trying to figure out the indecipherable initialism you had offered…
It only took a second, but it made me laugh at myself, and so I thought I’d share the joke.
🙂
Your post itself is not a laughing matter. It is valid, and almost certainly true… which is terribly sad when considering the fact that this seems to describe 40% of the likely voting population.
🙂 Methyl ester?
Yes, it’s sad indeed.
Craig,
Er, ..once again it seems you have been deluded by those glasses you wear for seeing bad news!
Either that or you are just deliberately being fed misinformation or “fake news”!
Here is the latest polling summaries, which show the President’s support remaining consistently between 43 and 46%.
Polling Average 8/10 – 8/27 — 43.8 53.1 -10.3
Reuters 8/26 – 8/27 961 RV 42 56 -14
Rasmussen 8/25 – 8/27 1500 LV 47 52 -5
Economist 8/24 – 8/27 1093 RV 44 52 -8
Emerson 8/24 – 8/26 1458 RV 43 52 -9
Quinnipiac 8/21 – 8/26 1422 RV 38 56 -18
USA Today 8/20 – 8/25 1000 RV 44 54 -10
The Hill 8/18 – 8/20 2002 RV 46 54 -8
Monmouth 8/16 – 8/20 689 RV 41 53 -12
Politico 8/16 – 8/18 1998 RV 42 55 -13
CNN 8/15 – 8/18 886 RV 41 54 -13
NBC/WSJ 8/10 – 8/14 1000 A 43 55 -12
FOX News 8/11 – 8/13 1013 RV 43
In contrast, Nancy Pelosi remains on 28.3 while Chuck Schumer seems to have risen slightly to a 25.0 job approval.
If I were you, I’d either get rid of those glasses, or fire your pollster!
Most of the US appreciates that sooner or later a clash with China was inevitable. Most Americans appreciate the need for the US to no longer be the target of attacks by an increasingly belligerent and powerful Dragon.
Whatever hurt the US is suffering, it’s nothing in comparison to the damage being wrought to China and the nationalistic forces within the CCP.
You can’t have it both ways! You can’t say the President is a pawn of large corporations and “billionaires’ and at the same time claim the President is acting contrary to their interests!
So, lets see two pieces of inaccurate absurdity in one rant,…ah but wait, “handouts to billionaire donors”, hmmm… can you name one ? Probably not, because all those billionaires are to busy supporting the Democrats (or standing for President!)
But among a plethora of misinformation, you seem to have developed a cringing love affair for “Chairman Xi’ and his increasingly desperate and brutal methods.
A Cathy Pacific flight attendant was sacked for posting on her Facebook page support for Hong Kong protestors. Her boss, the airlines MD, was sacked for not being diligent enough to fire anyone suspected of being a Hong Kong dissident.
The Chinese government tried to obtain Bank detail of Hong Kong students studying in Australia from HSBC bank. When informed it was illegal the Chinese agents first tied to bribe the bank officials then demanded HSBC sack them.
HSBC is in a terrible position, lose it’s Australian banking license or not cooperate and face the consequences. The Australian bankers refused and in retaliation a senior HSBC manager and his family was secretly attested in China and no one can find out his whereabouts.
Why you would disparage an American President, while grovelling in abject appeasement to a brutal communist regime is beyond comprehension, what could you possibly find admirable in the CCP ?
There will be no easy solution to China. No, little “trade deal” the Dragon has been long in preparation for this fight. Trump has taken China by surprise, and the first sallies against the Dragons
advances have met with considerable success.
The US has served notice it intends to resist and fight. China count on American lack of resolve and hopes for a less formidable opponent than the wily and astute president Trump.
The contest between the West and China will be a long and increasingly bitter struggle, which will test both systems of society to the limits.
There can be no “compromise” , appeasement is just another name for collaboration and defeatism.
Come 2020, the American people will have to ask themselves, Do we want open borders? Do we want to lose to China? Do we want to return to meaningless “Agreements” and watch globalization destroy our country?
That’s why despite the Trade War, the President’s polls have remained constant and his base has been increasing, particularly among black and Hispanic voters .
About 30% of US voters remain undecided. The President only needs to win 15-20% of those undecided to win the election. The Deom0ocrat candidate will need to win 100%!
It’s early days, and far too early for this sort of nonsense.