Based on its latest national poll, the New York Times writes that nothing short of a "calamitous misstep" by Joe Biden could boost Donald Trump's electoral fortunes now. Of course, it's also perfectly clear that Trump is simply too self-absorbed to save himself because that would involve actually giving a damn about voters.
Voters seem to have gotten the message loud and clear based on the results of the Times/Siena poll released Tuesday. Not only are the two candidates now neck-and-neck on who voters prefer to handle the economy—once a singular bright spot for Trump—they also prefer Biden on every other single issue of peak importance to them.
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Overall, the poll gives Biden a 9-point lead among likely voters nationally, 50%-41%, but the strength of Biden's position is built upon the issues voters care about.
Likely voter preferences on the issues
|
Biden |
Trump |
Economy |
47% |
48% |
Coronavirus |
52% |
40% |
Unifying America |
55% |
36% |
law and order |
50% |
44% |
Choosing a Scotus justice |
49% |
43% |
Trump has been effectively neutralized on the two issues he has deliberately pushed most over the closing months of the election: the economy and law and order. The poll also found that voters broadly support passage of a new $2 trillion stimulus deal to boost the economy, 72%-21%, but Trump hasn't had the juice to get that done amid a revolt by Senate Republicans (who would sooner die than do anything to help struggling Americans).
But Trump's fall on the economy could be an indication that at least half of voters now view the national economic outlook as inherently linked to how well the country is handling the pandemic. Michael Zemaitis, an independent voter in Minnesota who is supporting Biden, said he clearly believed a Democratic administration would better tackle the coronavirus than Trump has. “Once that is dealt with, the economy will fall back into line,” he said.
Additionally, most voters reject Trump's assertion that we've "turned the corner" on the pandemic, with 51% saying the worst is yet to come while just 37% believe the worst is behind us.
Trump is also losing important demographics in the poll, with 56% of women holding a "very unfavorable" view of him along with 53% of white college-educated voters. In 2016, Trump lost women by 13 points while the Times poll shows him losing them by 23 points, 35%-58%. Likewise, Trump won white college-educated voters by 3 points last cycle while he is losing them by 19 points now, 37%-56%.
Trump won his strongest demographic—non-college whites—by 37 points in '16. The Times poll shows him winning that bloc by just 23 points now, 36%-59%.