AP Photo/Lance Iversen
A poll released by the far-left CNN shows that optimism about the direction of the country under President Trump has hit an 11-year high of 57 percent. The last time this same poll registered a number that high was in January 2007. This includes 40 percent of Democrats, which is a leap of 15 points from just last month.
Only 40 percent say things are going badly.
Also of note is that CNN polled a random sample of adults. Polls that screen for registered or likely voters generally produce a more favorable result for Trump. This poll is a good example. While Trump’s job approval rating sits at 41 percent with all adults, when CNN’s polling firm (SSRS) screened for registered voters, the president’s job approval rating jumped to 44 percent.
The fact that 57 percent of Americans are expressing optimism about the direction of the country is a very big deal and bodes well for Republicans in the upcoming midterm election. What’s more, if the number holds, it is a very good sign Trump will be re-elected despite his own personal job approval ratings.
What we are seeing with Trump’s job approval number appears to be the exact opposite of what we saw with former President Barack Obama. While Americans were much less satisfied with the direction of the country under Obama (pessimism climbed steadily throughout his first term), his approval ratings always seemed to defy gravity. This, I think, had to do with the establishment media’s constant cheerleading for Obama, as well as the 44th president’s demeanor.
It is the exact opposite with Trump. While the president is presiding over a country filled with growing optimism, the Russian collusion hoax hangs over his head and the media continue to cover Stormy Daniels as though an alleged 12-year-old roll in the hay with a porn star is Watergate. Americans are also still not used to Trump being Trump. His refusal to roll over in the face of 24/7 media bias, which is what presidents are supposed to do, most especially Republican presidents, remains a shock to the system. All of the above has probably kept Trump’s job approval rating artificially low.
Nevertheless, if the American people are happy with the direction of the country, especially if that number is as high as 57 percent, they are going to be much less eager to fire the stagecoach driver and replace the horses.
Another important number is that 52 percent approve of the way Trump is handling the economy.
Trump’s numbers also jumped on the issues of foreign trade (38 to 43 percent), foreign affairs (39 to 42 percent), and immigration (36 to 40 percent). Again, keep in mind that these numbers are of all adults, and, therefore, lower than we would see with a screen of registered or likely voters.
America’s right track/wrong track number is something I have personally been watching for some time. That number has not been above water in the RealClearPolitics poll of polls since June of 2009, and only then. just barely. By the middle of 2015, that number was below water by 30 points, which is why I believed 2016 would be a change election. Despite people’s personal regard for Obama, by huge majorities, people were pessimistic.
Today, that average has dipped to a negative of just 14 points.
Finally, keep in mind that this poll was taken before unemployment dipped to 3.9 percent, three American hostages came home from North Korea, and the summit with North Korea was finalized for next month.
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