Dick Morris: Trump Takes Huge Hit in September Ratings
So far, September has not been kind to Donald Trump.
Since Aug. 28, his job approval — according to the RealClearPolitics.com average — has fallen from 43.8 percent to 40.7 percent. Three points may not seem like a lot, but Trump had held fairly steady between 43 and 44 percent for the past four months.
The last time he was as low as he is now was in March of this year when he got only 40.1 percent approval.
The results of this fall are apparent in the “generic ballot” where Democrats now sport an 8.2 edge — up from 4.4 in mid-August.
With economic news continuing to be good, two factors appear to account for the shift:
1. The Kavanaugh confirmation hearings have brought abortion to center stage, rallying women to back Democrats.
2. Former President Obama hit the campaign trail, likely rallying African-Americans to get involved in opposing Trump.
The message of these September blues is clear: Trump must not rely on good economic news to carry him to victory in 2018.
He has to make the case that the radical “progressives” who have taken over the Democratic Party are beyond the pale and would lead the country into peril.
The individual elements of the “progressive” agenda are superficially appealing but would have sharply negative consequences for the nation.
“Medicare for all” sounds good, but think of the impact adding hundreds of millions of new beneficiaries who already pay taxes into the system would have on the already fragile Medicare system.
Now, their taxes subsidize the care of their parents, but under the new system, spending would soar and easily overtake revenues.
A “$15 minimum wage” also sounds like a good idea. But the experience in Seattle, where the proposal was adopted, indicates that it, in fact, causes a drop in income for minimum wage recipients because it encourages businesses to cut their hourly workers and reduce their hours.
“Guaranteed income” would be nice, but the impact on our budget and economy of welfare for all would be a catastrophe.
Republicans need to get out and make the case against the left of the Democratic Party.
It is only by making such comparisons that we can overcome the individual constituency issues that are dragging down Trump’s and the Party’s poll numbers.
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