Disturbing: Trump's favorability is HIGHER than it was pre-election.

[MadDAsHell]

Last week and a half before 11/8/16 - 37.5 Favorable, 58.5 Unfavorable
https://realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president/clintontrumpfavorability.html

6/1/18 - 7/3/18 - 41.8 Favorable, 53.2 Unfavorable
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/trump_favorableunfavorable-5493.html

These policies can't possibly be winning him more voters, can they? Maybe question is being asked differently today than in 2016? Where are all these alleged supporters?

[potone]

1. I can't even stand to read these articles.

WTF is wrong with people?

[NewJeffCT]

7. Trump is fantastic at self-promotion

and, he is selling mediocre to above average economic results as being fantastic and wonderful and the best thing ever, and there is really nobody with any sort of platform out there to counter his BS. The only good thing under Trump is that unemployment has continued to drop, like it had been under Obama. (And, even then, the unemployment decreases have slowed under Trump)

Pelosi and Schumer are out there doing what they can, but if nobody gives them a microphone, will they be heard?

Obama never went out & boasted about good economic numbers every week or every month, and he rarely got much media coverage for his any of his speeches (with the exception of his run for president in 2008). But, Obama was also smart enough to know that economic numbers can change in a week or a month to something bad - Trump just doesn't care.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. But will they vote?

[MadDAsHell]

5. I'd like to think these are racist hicks that won't bother to get off their ass...

and vote one election day. But I let a lot of folks convince me of that back in 2016, including the media, and I won't make that mistake again.

[Garrett78]

6. I'm afraid they will...and they don't have to put up with voter suppression tactics.

We must outnumber them.

[MadDAsHell]

10. We certainly seem to on issue polls. The challenge is turning that opinion into a vote. nt

[former9thward]

14. When they did polls in the 1980s more people were opposed

to most of Reagan's policies than supported them. But he won his elections in landslides.

[Garrett78]

19. There's a severe disconnect between policy and who deserves credit/blame.

As I've posted numerous times: https://www.vox.com/2018/5/1/17258866/democratic-party-republicans-trump-election

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. not surprising - before the election, the right wing noise machine didn't know who to push

now that it is president, the pro trump brainwash megaphone is in full gear.

His supporters are neither deep thinkers or particularly smart - all they can do is follow. They are truly pathetic.

[Garrett78]

4. I suspect his support among Republicans has gone up.

Quinnipiac has Trump's support among Republicans at 86%, which is crazy high. Only post-9/11 GWB could boast a higher approval rating (within his own party) at the 500-day mark.

[MadDAsHell]

8. Truly a fked up party. nt

[NewJeffCT]

9. yes - in early to mid 2017

Trump was in the high 70s/low 80s for approval among Republicans. That was actually low in comparison to GWB in his early months in office. However, since that time, Trump has solidified his support among Republicans (another poll had him at 90% among Republicans)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. But self-identified Republicans are only 24% of the country

according to Gallup last fall. I can't imagine that they've gained much in the meantime. 86% of 24% is nothing to write home about but it's the hopeless, die-hard base he's playing to.

[Garrett78]

16. 27% as of June. But we have to remember that most "independents" are highly partisan.

Many so-called independents are Republicans. Still, I have no doubt that we're in the majority...but we have to contend with race-based voter suppression and gerrymandering, Russian meddling and an irresponsible infotainment industry.

[unblock]

13. This is in part because anti-Donnie republicans are leaving the party.

Leaving what's left of the Republican Party more densely populated with Donnie supporters.

[Garrett78]

18. I've not seen any evidence to back that up. Gallup shows political affiliation holding steady.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

Republican affiliation is up 4 points since March, though there's always some margin of error.

There are anti-Trump Republicans to be sure, but there always have been. If he's creating more, it's not enough to adjust the affiliation numbers.

And Trump's approval numbers are also holding steady, at right around 40%. This is a very, very sick society.

[unblock]

12. Donnie's mistakes and bad policies are only just starting to hit home for many people.

neither the job market nor the stock market nor interest rates nor consumer prices nor the overall economy yet reflects how truly awful Donnie is.

Right now he's planting seeds of destruction. The trade wars are the only thing that people can fairly notice and directly tie to Donnie. But this is not yet major and widespread.

By November 2020, people will certainly feel the pain and will vote accordingly. But I really don't think what he's doing will hit home for most swing voters by the midterms.

[Garrett78]

23. Only a tiny fraction of the population would even know what you mean by "trade war."

And most don't properly connect policies with those responsible for said policies. Work, mindless entertainment, sleep...rinse and repeat. That's a typical day for most.

https://www.vox.com/2018/5/1/17258866/democratic-party-republicans-trump-election

Sean Illing
I definitely want to get into some of these structural barriers, but let’s be clear about this point you’re making. A lot of people still think there’s some meaningful connection between policy outcomes and voter decisions, but there’s a good bit of political science research to suggest that’s just a fantasy.

David Faris
Right. People just don’t seem to make the connection between policies and the party in power.

So, for example, the Democrats passed Obamacare and gave millions of people heath care, and yet tons of people who benefited from it have no idea what it is or how they benefited. And it’s like that with a lot of policies — voters simply don’t connect the dots, and so they reward or punish the wrong party.

I think the idea that we’re going to deliver these benefits to people and they’re going to be like, “Thank you Jesus, thank you for everything that you’ve done, let me return you with a larger majority next time,” is just nonsense. It’s the wrong way to think about politics.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do things for people, but we’ve got to be serious about how elections are won. And they’re not being won on the basis of policy proposals or policy wins.

[Amishman]

15. I believe it, he is very popular in my corner of rural PA

Local economy has really picked up and Trump is being given a lot of the credit.

[lagomorph777]

17. Within the margin of error and still terrible. Very far underwater.

[a kennedy]

20. Real clear politics??

Not real worried about what they publish. JMHO.

[bdamomma]

21. could these be fake???

trying to get people riled up.

[B2G]

22. Where are his supporters?

Probably keeping very quiet due to shit like this.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210831513