.
What’s on the agenda, as we prepare for this week’s Friday doc dump (and for some lucky Americans, a long weekend?
***********
From the Washington Post, “Storm clouds: Independents turn away from Trump while his base turns inward”:
The first major poll of opinions shows that the health-care bill under consideration in the Senate is about as unpopular as the one that passed the House. A PBS NewsHour-Marist poll released Wednesday reveals that only 17 percent of the country supports the Senate measure, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Bad news for the Republicans advocating its passage, clearly.
Buried in the poll, though, is even worse news for the party. Democrats continue to be stalwartly opposed to President Trump and his party’s health-care proposals, unsurprisingly. But independents are similarly souring on the president and the party’s legislation — as Republicans and Trump supporters appear to tune out. November 2018 is still a long way away, but if that trend continues, it suggests the possibility of a disinterested Republican base and a hostile middle — bad news for Republicans in Congress in any sort of contested race.
Since February, approval of Trump’s job performance among independents has fallen by 9 points, from 40 percent to only 31 percent. Four months ago, Trump was 11 points underwater on favorability with that group, meaning that his unfavorable numbers were 11 points higher than his favorable numbers. That spread is now 28 points…
Consider Obamacare. The Republican effort to repeal Barack Obama’s signature legislation has served only to make the bill more popular, with most Americans hoping it remains in place and a plurality thinking that it should be strengthened, not repealed.…
Trump’s presidency has been predicated on making direct appeals to his base of support. On health care, there’s no group that supports what he and his party are doing more than those voters. But Trump won the presidency by the skin of his teeth, thanks in part to independents willing to give him a shot over Hillary Clinton. If those independents are as antagonistic to him and the Republicans by this point next year — and if Republicans continue to find it frustrating to hear about what Trump is doing both from the media and from Trump himself — it’s hard to think that the composition of Congress in 2019 will be as favorable to Trump’s party.
Trump Job Approval:
Fox viewers: 89%
Everyone else: 25%https://t.co/2MahGCxFTZ— Adrian Gray (@adrian_gray) June 29, 2017
Friday Morning Open Thread: So Very PresidentialPost + Comments (144)