Democrats in Washington have few better friends in the liberal mainstream media than Politico, and they consider Morning Consult polls to be the gold standard in public opinion gathering.
So that should make the latest Politico/Morning Consult tracking poll a little disconcerting for congressional Democrats who are hoping to stall out President Donald Trump’s agenda and regain power in the U.S. Capitol. While their base might love it—the poll suggests a majority of them do—the general population has a different view.
The poll—which found Trump’s current favorability rating at 48 percent, when other mainstream media polls are putting it closer to 55 percent—found that 58 percent want Democrats to “focus on finding ways to work with President Trump to get things done.” Only 30 percent believed they should “stick to their principles … even if that means blocking all legislation or nominees for government posts.”
Given the liberal bias of the organizations conducting the poll, it’s not hard to imagine the actual numbers are much higher. This is the first poll to actually ask for an opinion on Democrat obstructionism.
So, while Democrats’ current course of action might be popular within the echo chamber of their own ranks, it’s clearly not what an overwhelming majority of Americans want. That kind of conundrum doesn’t bode well for their chances in 2018, when a large number of vulnerable “red state” Democrats in the Senate are up for re-election.
That didn’t prevent Politico to find a way to continue cheerleading for their obstructionism. The poll was published with the headline “Poll: Democrats Want Leaders to Block Trump.”
Other findings in the poll:
- 72 percent say they know “some” or “a lot” about the president’s Supreme Court nominee, 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch.
- 43 percent say they think the Senate should vote to confirm Gorsuch now, while 32 percent said they were unsure.
- 58 percent say the confirmation vote should be based solely on Gorsuch’s qualifications, not his assumed political stances.
- 45 percent say his joining the high court will make it more conservative, while 30 percent said they were unsure.
- 55 percent somewhat or strongly approve of the president’s temporary travel ban executive order.
- 53 percent say churches should not endorse political candidates or issues.
- 54 percent say churches should not engage in any political activity.
The poll included favorability ratings for various political figures. Here is a summary:
- President Donald Trump—48 percent
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—26 percent
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)—28 percent
- Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)—40 percent
- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)—29 percent
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