Just some interesting polling notes:
Trump is less popular than Jar Jar Binks. pic.twitter.com/5Avwr3gFgB
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) December 7, 2017
Secondly, CBS News ran their regular poll and their first question was an approval question for Trump. The topline result is that he is underwater by 21 points.
Q1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
Total Rep Dem IndApprove 36 77 6 37
Disapprove 57 17 92 54
Don’t know/No answer 6 7 2 9
The interesting to me is the breakdown by partisan identify. Independents look like the rest of the country. More importantly 77% of Republicans approve of his job. That number is really low.
In Gallup, George W. Bush was in the low 80s approval by Republicans right before the 2006 midterm wave. He was in the high 80s among Republicans right before Katrina.
This information is interesting as it is setting the ground for the 2018 midterms. It does nothing right now, but an unpopular president that is losing support of his base is exactly what the opposition minority party wants and needs for a good year. And remember, we can strongly assume that the shoes that have already dropped from Mueller are coming from at least a centipede if not a millipede.
Tom Levenson
Because I can’t resist, doggerel from my childhood:
If a centipede a pint,
And a millipede a quart,
How much has the philanthropist?
Quite a lot.
He’s a very liberal peer.
#sorrynotsorry
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
I caught a clip of Sally Quinn (reactionary Queen of The Village): says Drumpf is worst than Watergate and he’ll be forced to resign. Have to think she’s reflecting what she’s hearing from her well connected sources.
LurkerNoLonger
Leave Jar Jar alone!
TenguPhule
/snort
Major Major Major Major
@Tom Levenson: ugh.
Mike in DC
His “murder on 5th avenue” floor with Rs is 40%. Add about 15% with indies, and Trump’s absolute approval floor should be around 18-22%. That’s in the event of actual indictments, war with NoKo, a new recession, etc. So half his current support is attritable.
Peale
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: I almost want him to stay in now to torment her wicked soul in this life. Waiting for her to get what’s coming to her in the next is so immoral.
ThresherK
You know what this means: Time to interview some more RealMerkins who are still Trump fans.
Coastal elite journos, book your flights!
debbie
What a great question to ask SHS: What does the president think of the fact that among Republicans, he’s polling 10 points behind G.W.B.? Her struggle to maintain an inscrutable expression would be priceless!
Chyron HR
“Not a lot of people know that sand is coarse and rough and gets everywhere. It’s not smooth, believe me.”
Emerald
It’s a lovely thought, but tRump will never resign. He’ll have to be handcuffed and carried out by the Secret Service, who no doubt would be delighted to perform that task.
Dave
@Emerald: Which if it reaches that point will be even more delightful than a resignation.
TenguPhule
@Chyron HR: *Throws a tomato*
Boo! Boo!
Cacti
Calling someone in politics the most unpopular POTUS is like calling someone in sportsball the worst Super Bowl winner.
It’s loser talk to comfort the team that didn’t go home with the trophy.
sharl
Elsewhere I’m seeing that the House Ethics Committee is opening investigations on the now-resigning Trent Franks (see above) and that Texas Congressperv Blake Farenthold.
lowtechcyclist
The 2-week government funding CR just passed Congress. Did the Dems get anything for going along with this? No, not a blessed thing.
The one time they’ve got some leverage, and apparently they think it wouldn’t be sporting to use it.
TenguPhule
@lowtechcyclist:
Because our party is stupid and never learns.
Of course.
Yoda Dog
Actually, you must not have heard. We’re totally fucked now because Al Franken resigned, obviously.
ByRookorbyCrook
He won’t resign. He is all in. The power of the pardon and the protection of a republican congress are keeping him from the Defendants chair. THere is no possible upside to his resignation. Unless he will not be charged for any of his crimes and misdemeanors. Even in a wave election, the chances of having 60 votes in the Senate to convict is highly improbable.
Cacti
@lowtechcyclist:
Dems lose because they are weak.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
nothing but respect for MY Star Wars
Don’t pay much attention to Star Wars – I’ve only seen Episodes IV and VIII in their entirety, and the former not until 11th-grade – but I’m kind of surprised people hate Kylo Ren so much.
Mike in NC
Still coasting on the Obama recovery. Every Republican in the White House since 1900 has experienced a recession. Once Trump’s tax cuts for the rich — and screw everybody else — go into effect, the economy will start to deteriorate. That’s not even factoring some foreign policy disaster.
Betty Cracker
Another sackcloth and ashes thread? Occasioned by historically rotten polling for Trump? Wish I could hang, but the lint trap in my dryer urgently needs attention. Y’all have fun the the doom and gloom!
hueyplong
When only one side is playing to win, they win a lot.
It’s possible I’ve said this before.
TenguPhule
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
Two Words.
Teenage Snape!
LurkerNoLonger
@Cacti: Give it a rest, dude or lady.
TenguPhule
@hueyplong:
Maybe this time some people will actually pay attention and learn?
lamh36
@sharl: except that when asked Paul Ryan said Faherot(or whatever) had already been cleared by the Ethics committee when asked about it
rikyrah
@Cacti:
No phucking spine ??
TenguPhule
@Mike in NC:
Which one? We have so many to chose from these days.
rikyrah
@sharl:
This is just disgusting ?
Timurid
@TenguPhule:
Teenage Trump.
Cacti
@LurkerNoLonger:
Someone die and make you hall monitor, person I’ve never seen?
Mike in NC
Trump Administration rumored to being concerned about the safety of American athletes at the Winter Olympics so close to the Korean DMZ. Putin will signal his approval if the US backs out.
lamh36
Mike in DC
@Betty Cracker:
https://youtu.be/3bagIiK1ss4
Major Major Major Major
@Betty Cracker: Right?
TenguPhule
@rikyrah: They’re coming out of the woodwork!
trollhattan
@Tom Levenson:
Oh maaannn…..
You walk into the bathroom American
You leave the bathroom American
What are you when inside the bathroom?
Your-a-peen’.
#DadHumor
Cacti
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
People hate him because Star Wars villains, without exception, had been certified badasses.
Ren is a mewling wuss.
LongHairedWeirdo
That poll also highlights my biggest worry. How the *hell* can 77% of any group of rational people say they approve?
Well, they can’t. But that’s why I’m worried. See, if he was just, I dunno, 40% approved, 35% disapproved, 25% didn’t answer… that’s okay. Probably 60% are paying attention and giving an honest answer. But 77% say they approve. That, to me, says approval is tribal. “Don’t you tell US that OUR leader isn’t worthy of approval!”
But he isn’t worth approval. And not even that is the worst. I saw Fox news asking “if firing the guy who was heading an investigation you clearly didn’t want to see happening was obstructing justice, why isn’t it obstruction when Obama said that Hillary was guilty of no crime, just because there’s no evidence she committed a crime?”
And not even that is the worst. I hate to bring up the Schiavo case, but: the right wing media was pleased as punch to let their people believe that some 20 judges all ignored the law and basic human compassion to kill a helpless person.
With that, it’s no wonder you can have people say, with all seriousness that “at least Moore isn’t a Democrat!”
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@rikyrah: I find it kind of sad.
sharl
@lamh36: Ugh, hadn’t seen that.
ETA: the following tweet was posted less than 30 minutes ago, and the author seems usually pretty well connected. Maybe ZEGS had second thoughts?
LurkerNoLonger
@Cacti: Yeah. You like pie now, asshole.
Mnemosyne
@Peale:
SALLY QUINN: “Nothing could be worse for morale in Washington DC than the Clintons!”
FATE: “Hold my beer and watch this.”
Mayur
Doesn’t matter had [greatest destruction of social insurance in the service of a massive transfer of wealth to the rich in US history].
Fair Economist
@LongHairedWeirdo:
Republicans aren’t rational people, so no problem there.
Mike in DC
@sharl:
Good.
TenguPhule
@Mayur: But aside from that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?
Yarrow
I’d missed this:
divF
@Cacti:
On the House side, the Repukes had to come up with a majority on their own, or the Dems were not going to vote for it. As is, it was nearly a straight party-line vote.
SiubhanDuinne
@Tom Levenson:
And from mine:
Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and Kentucky.
All the rest have peanut butter
(Except Chicago, which has the World’s Fair.)
Come, let us lean against the river.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@ByRookorbyCrook:
It’s 67, 2/3’s.
Mnemosyne
@Mnemosyne:
Actually, upon further reflection, this may actually be karma, since Sally’s own words and actions brought about this result. I may need a ruling.
lamh36
@Yarrow: I think this is the right effort by the PBO folks, to send “PBO-adjacent” foks to campaign for Doug Jones, instead of PBO himself. Cause they understand that direct campaigning for Jones by PBO, would backfire in Alabama and make those white voters more partisan supportive of Moore.
Mary G
WTF? Congress justed passed the two week spending bill with no mention of CHIP or protection for dreamers?
Senate vote 81-14
AYES
Alexander (R-TN)
Baldwin (D-WI)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Brown (D-OH)
Burr (R-NC)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Capito (R-WV)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Coons (D-DE)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Cotton (R-AR)
Daines (R-MT)
Donnelly (D-IN)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Gardner (R-CO)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
Heller (R-NV)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kaine (D-VA)
Kennedy (R-LA)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Lankford (R-OK)
Leahy (D-VT)
Manchin (D-WV)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Perdue (R-GA)
Peters (D-MI)
Portman (R-OH)
Reed (D-RI)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rubio (R-FL)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Scott (R-SC)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Shelby (R-AL)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Strange (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)
Wyden (D-OR)
Young (R-IN)
NAYs
Booker (D-NJ)
Cruz (R-TX)
Ernst (R-IA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hirono (D-HI)
Lee (R-UT)
Markey (D-MA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Rounds (R-SD)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sasse (R-NE)
Warren (D-MA)
Not Voting
Crapo (R-ID)
Flake (R-AZ)
Franken (D-MN)
Paul (R-KY)
Toomey (R-PA)
Waiting for DiFi’s voicemail to tell me it’s full
I say again WHAT THE FUCKITY-FUCKING-FUCK
ETA:
Tom Levenson
@SiubhanDuinne: Awesome.
@trollhattan: But of course!
John Revolta
@sharl: I sure do hope they let him take his ducky pajamas to prison.
Mnemosyne
@LongHairedWeirdo:
FWIW, it’s people who identify as Republicans, so it’s already a specific slice. During the W years, Republican ID went down among voters and claiming to be “independent” went up, so that’s something to watch for in the internals of the polls.
Major Major Major Major
@John Revolta: Why would you wish that on the prison population?
SiubhanDuinne
@Tom Levenson:
Right? My mother picked it up at the University of Chicago in the late 1930s. Next time I see you at a Boston-area meet-up, I’ll treat you to the U of C communist song, and a wonderful rambling drinking song (“There was a little man, and he had a little can, and he used to rush his growler….”)
Frank Wilhoit
@Tom Levenson:
Q. If a centipede a bucketful, how much would a precipice?
A. A sheer drop.
sharl
@John Revolta: I share your wish, but that asshole is a multimillionaire. He can hire top legal counsel (assuming he even needs it).
What I would like to see is some justice for Lauren Green:
A congressman’s accuser: Blackballed and baby-sitting for cash
Lauren Greene wanted a career in Washington politics. Then she accused Rep. Blake Farenthold of sexually harassing her.
IMO this is a good link for any skeptical asshole who says, “Why didn’t she (or he) speak up at the time?”
Jeffro
We’re going to kick their fuggin’ asses in November…we just have to stay committed, make those donations, knock them doors, and stick together.
Oh also register voters, keep funding the ACLU (for fighting anti-voting measures), register voters, and did I mention funding the ACLU?
But we’ve got this. Just think what a state the GOP will be in 11 months from now!
Jeffro
On another note: this past year has been awfully quiet in terms of terrorism directed at Americans and American interests (cough excuse me I meant from FOREIGN terrorists…domestic terrorists clearly had a banner year)
Trumpov’s “we’re moving the embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing it as the capital” means we should probably expect to see some attacks directed at Trumpov properties in the next few months. Not wishing for it or casualties of course, but – assuming he’s not already in handcuffs by then – the WATB stuff from Orangemandias is going to be intense.
MP
@?BillinGlendaleCA: And Susan Collins, John McCain and Jeff Flake always seem to give their 2/3rds vote to the GOP.
Jeffro
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: She’s actually right on both counts: he (his Russia scandal) IS worse that Watergate, and in the end he will be forced to resign. Which is weird: I’ve never agreed with Sally Quinn on anything, as far as I know…
Mnemosyne
@Mary G:
That reminds me, I need to call Harris’s office tomorrow and yell at her for supporting the Franken witch hunt. I didn’t do it today because I would have used so many swears that they would have hung up on me.
Waratah
@Mary G: I think this is just for two weeks.
dmsilev
I guess I’m mainly shocked that Jar Jar polls as high as 37%.
TenguPhule
@Mary G: We got rolled. The Franken Debacle ate our cupcakes.
TenguPhule
@dmsilev: He’s Republican presidential material, sure enough.
Mnemosyne
@Jeffro:
I’ve been directing my pennies to Let America Vote, Jason Kander’s organization. They seem to be doing some pretty good work and have been bragging about the results in VA (and rightly so).
HumboldtBlue
I assume nearly all of you are familiar with the original Fab Four and the resultant history-making “Mersey Beat”.
There is a new Fab Four Merseyside in 2017 and they play a distinctly different style of (music) football and it comes with a rather delicious Afro-Brazilian beat. Liverpool have advanced to the knockout rounds of the CL for the first time in eight years and they did it with a panache and style so smooth, so quick, so rhythmically pleasing it’s hard not to smile.
Bobby Firmino and Phillipe Coutino of Brazil, alongside Sadio Mane, Senegal and Smiling Mohammed Salah, Egypt, have definitely changed the look and sound of the Mersey beat and it’s a joy to watch.
I am pretty sure there is an Everton supporter present. I wouldn’t watch that video if I were you. Just a friendly heads-up.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major: Hard on Crime.
lowtechcyclist
@Mary G:
I called up my Senators and Representative twice this week and once last week to tell them to go big, dammit, on this one – to demand LOTS of goodies in return for funding the government for the rest of the year.
I suggested that for funding government for the rest of the year, the price should consist of all of:
* CHIP
* DACA
* Net neutrality legislation
* Minimum wage hike
For an extension of 2 weeks or less, I said the GOP should have to pick one; for 3-4 weeks, pick 2.
Looks like neither Cardin nor Van Hollen listened to me. $%#@!
TenguPhule
@Jeffro:
Just think what a state we’re going to be in after 11 months of non-stop accusations of sexual misbehavior by very concerned nameless women sources.
sharl
From my personal Goddess of Humor from Dark & Awful Places:
Jeffro
@Mnemosyne: That is a great one to support, nice pick! I think Vote Riders is pretty good, too.
For folks who don’t want to make donations to such groups, it’s a great topic to call your Reps and Senators about, to ‘work the refs’ (i.e., call/email people in the media about), or to write an op-ed yourself.
Lots of ways to make an impact!
Patricia Kayden
@Mary G: Dems act as if they don’t have constituents while Repubs are very careful to acquiesce to their constituents (wealthy donors/businesses). Interesting.
Jeffro
@TenguPhule: This is America…people will be yawning (even at the truthful accusations, unfortunately) before Christmas.
Captain C
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
1) How in hell did you see VIII when it’s not even out yet?
2) If you give any spoilers, we will all organize a posse and find you.
Captain C
@TenguPhule: Also, it’s hard to watch him as Kylo Ren without imagining that the real reason he went to the dark side is too much awkward sex with Lena Dunham.
Captain C
@LongHairedWeirdo:
There’s your problem, in bold.
James E. Powell
@Mnemosyne:
Are we sure Sally Quinn thinks Trump is worse than the Clintons? I’d bet she’s still glad that Hillary lost.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mnemosyne:
Heh. I called Gillibrand’s office and ended up hanging up on myself when I found myself just this close to saying “FUCK Kirsten!” out loud.
Brachiator
@Mnemosyne:
But there is more to it than that. Swings of ideology vary by region. Independents in California tend to vote for Democrats. No way are they Republicans in hiding. Elsewhere, independents might be closer to Tea Party morons.
Increasing right wing partisanship alienates people who otherwise would be moderate Republicans. This may be why you saw slightly more people stay home in 2016. When they said they did not like either candidate, they meant it.
Vhh
@ByRookorbyCrook: esp. since 67 are needed to convict.
TenguPhule
@Captain C: Are you trying to make me spit out my tea or something?
Mnemosyne
@James E. Powell:
I’m sure she’s glad that Hillary lost. I’m just pointing out the Monkey’s Paw that Quinn and her cohorts grabbed onto when they made their Anyone But Clinton! wish last year.
Mnemosyne
@Brachiator:
I think we’re saying the same thing. Embarrassed voters stay home, so having more Republicans declare themselves to be “independent” and stay home is a net win for Democrats IF we can keep turn-out high.
Brachiator
@Mnemosyne: We are not saying the same thing. Independents are not shy or embarrassed Republicans. They might actively hate both parties. Their refusal to vote does not help Democrats.
BTW, some of these people may be included among those who voted on state and local issues, but not president, in 2016.
Again, independents are not mainly, or all, Republicans.
Amir Khalid
@Tom Levenson:
You should have kept it up. You had the makings of a great poet.
planetpundit
@LurkerNoLonger: Meesa likens Jar Jar; he just needed a sidekick straight ET; a Laurel and Hardy of the Swamp.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@Captain C: Was supposed to read VII, i.e. The Force Awakens.
randy khan
@lowtechcyclist:
It had 221 Republican votes in the House. And it’s just a vote to put off the actual day of reckoning for 2 weeks, not a vote on actual spending. I’d chill out.
randy khan
@LongHairedWeirdo:
Using Gallup numbers instead of this poll because it’s easy to do trends, he’s actually considerable less popular among Republicans than he was at his inauguration – from 89% to 78%. That’s a loss of roughly 10% of his Republican support, and also his low point to date. (He’s also gone from 42% to 32% among independents, and 13% to 7% among Dems.)
But there’s something else: Republican identification has dropped from 31% at the beginning of February to 25% at the beginning of November. So, roughly speaking, he’s lost 30% of his Republican support at inauguration. (Some of those people may now identify as independents and still support him, but it’s probably not too many.) This is the number that’s important.
Captain C
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): Yeah, I figured something like that.
cleek
Trump is exactly as popular today as he was Nov 8, 2016.
popularity doesn’t matter. electoral votes matter.