Joe Henderson
In today’s Game of Trump episode, a new Florida poll should give Democrats pause about, well, a lot of things. And the President erupts at Chuck and Nancy.
First things first.
That poll from Florida Atlantic University shows Donald Trump has pulled ahead of every Democrat presidential candidate except Joe Biden in our state. The two of them essentially are even.
Couple that with some composite numbers on FiveThirtyEight.com. They show the President’s approval ticking up — still underwater, but nationally 3 points higher than in February.
This is after Trump changing his mind (shocking!) about releasing the unredacted version of the Robert Mueller report. It’s also after Democrats have been ramping up impeachment talk. Even some Republicans began publicly questioning the president’s behavior.
These things traditionally sink a President. But we’ve never had a President like this guy.
Trump’s supporters know he is a boor, and don’t care. They might wish he wouldn’t throw Twitter tantrums, but they don’t care about that, either.
He tells them they’re winning, and they believe him.
In a reversal of fortunes, Trump could be benefiting in Florida by the popularity of Gov. Ron DeSantis. We remember how this time last year DeSantis was campaigning as a Trump Mini-Me. Since being elected though, he has impressed even some Democrats and has strong approval numbers.
Democrats don’t have anything — or at this point, anyone — to counter that.
When DeSantis hits the campaign trail for the president, Democrats may find the oxygen sucked out of the room. Andrew Gillum, who narrowly lost to DeSantis, is working to register more Democratic voters. Who can predict how effective that will be?
After all, nothing Trump does seems to hurt him with his base. When he does things like he did Wednesday, it probably makes his most loyal supporters love him more.
He was supposed to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about a $2 trillion infrastructure initiative. Instead, the President threw a hissy and said Pelosi was accusing him of a cover-up.
“I don’t do cover-ups,” he later told reporters in what a news report described as “a meandering 10-minute address.”
You could almost hear the base cheering.
And Democrats, at this point, look like Yosemite Sam, frothing, screaming, jumping, while not focusing on the actual target. People care, as always, about stuff that affects their daily lives. Impeachment doesn’t register.
Health care. Clean air and water. Education. Wage inequality. Safety.
Add your concern to the list.
They don’t care about the things cable talking heads obsess about 24/7.
While Democrats scream about impeachment, people are too busy making a living to listen. The new poll is really saying that for Trump, Florida could be the tip of the sword.
16 comments
Joe cone
May 22, 2019 at 9:10 pm
I see where a number of his alleged base are turning. Don’t forget Hillary got 4.3 million more votes than he did. This time the Democrats will have a better choice for the country!
JOHN H FLEMING
May 23, 2019 at 11:32 pm
Thats silly. His base is only dissatisfied with Democratic Party collusion and juvenile antics. getting more votes from a few Los Angeles and NYC counties are irrelevant on the national vote. Take a look at the counties he won. 2018 was a pre-Mueller Report and Democratic Party meltdown election. You should be worried that Trump will win back the house. But we are all on board with either an old-Party elite with his fingers caught in the Global corruption pie or a true referendum on communism.
gary
May 24, 2019 at 7:46 pm
You hit it out of the park John! This is not rocket science! The hard working sensible people of America are fed up with politicians! They are not going to retreat in 2020 oh countryaire… I see a LOT of democrats flipping with the #WalkAway movement, simply look at that # on Youtube, blowing up!
Pedro
May 22, 2019 at 10:56 pm
I have to disagree with you today Joe. I do see what Trump is doing as a threat to our American way of life and see him as a cancer and impeachment as the surgery. I do understand that because the majority Republican Senate is mostly made up with yes men and cowards, impeachment might not be possible but it is still the right thing to do.
JOHN H FLEMING
May 23, 2019 at 11:43 pm
The American way of life is to lift ALL boats. Blacks, hispanics, and the poor were hit hard in the Obama years. They are now being sacrificed for the Democratic Party’s latest “oppressed tribe” illegal aliens. The American way of life is to be left alone to raise our families and pray as we see fit. Democrats are anti-Christian, anti-Constitution, and anti-Republic. They continue to be on the wrong side of racism by keeping inner city kids in their broken schools. The American way of life is to be good neighbors. Democrats believe an elite administrative state in the corrupt District of Columbia should control our lives. While we all accept he is not the most moral President, just remember the two most moral and kind Presidents in recent history were disasters: Ford and Carter. Remember, too that his foibles occurred before he was President, not while he was in the oval office with an intern or in the State Department managing a worldwide Pay-to-play scheme. Impeachment will only hand the President an overwhelming victory in 2020 and set up Pence in 2024.
gary
May 24, 2019 at 9:48 pm
You are pissing up a rope here John. They are all full of fake news, they have no idea how well the economy is doing, and the ones that do give credit to the man that said the current 1.3 gdp is the NEW normal! That man being Obama of course.
gary
May 24, 2019 at 7:56 pm
And what would you impeach with Pedro? Also, they will NEVER impeach with the his poll numbers being so high, the people would revolt against the dems in the election!
Dorine
May 23, 2019 at 7:55 am
Good analysis, but I had to laugh out loud about ‘Democrats, at this point, look like Yosemite Sam, frothing, screaming, jumping, while not focusing on the actual target’… so very true.
Carol Hale
May 23, 2019 at 9:19 am
As a Florida resident, I am worried how democrats get their votes, such as what happens in Broward County. I feel there is a lot of underhandedness with the Democrats in how they get their votes, not only in Florida but nationwide. President T rump’s economy and jobs is so great; how could the previous administration, ie Joe Biden, compete with that. People need to remember the $s spent on welfare and food stamps because people could not get a job then. President Trump found the magic wand. That is he knows how to achieve and run a great economy and put money in people’s pocket. This should be first on everyone’s list,
not the piddly crap Democrats are trying to spread.
gary
May 24, 2019 at 9:51 pm
Carol, very on point
Kim Brady
May 23, 2019 at 1:13 pm
The talking heads on cable news may be discussing impeachment, but the Democrats aren’t frothing at the mouth, screaming or jumping up and down. The majority of congressional Dems have fallen behind Nancy Pelosi, who is focused on passing legislation while her committees collect information on Trump’s overt obstruction of justice and (now) money laundering. Donald Trump can’t stand the fact that Dems haven’t brought impeachment charges against him. It would be the perfect opportunity to raise more campaign money and whip up some sympathy.
As for legislating, the House of Representatives has advanced at least 14 significant bills addressing the issues you mentioned. Mitch McConnell refuses to consider any of them in the Senate. There are an equal number of bills still moving through the House. Trump is incapable of focusing on his job during good times, but he refuses to do anything productive whenever Americans point out his poor leadership. Eventually, Floridians will wake up to the truth.
JOHN H FLEMING
May 23, 2019 at 11:49 pm
You may want to rewrite that. 50 Democrats in the house already voted for impeachment. Even before the President was cleared of any illegal activity. Montages of Democratic Party leadership are all over you tube that directly contradict your statement. Nadler and virtually every one of the 24 “candidates” support impeachment.
Those socialist bills that teh majority of Americans don’t want that were passed in the house will never see the light of day. The real bills, like border security, opioid crisis, more help for hurricane and fire victims are all being held up by Democrats.
gary
May 24, 2019 at 9:57 pm
That is just the latest spin. Pelosi is trying to get her wild dogs bag in line and off the impeachment nonsense. She knows it’s DOA if they push it. You should expand your news source, clearly you intake fake news
Kim Brady
May 23, 2019 at 1:20 pm
The talking heads on cable news may be discussing impeachment, but the Democrats aren’t frothing at the mouth, screaming or jumping up and down. The majority of congressional Dems have fallen behind Nancy Pelosi, who is focused on passing legislation while her committees collect information on Trump’s overt obstruction of justice and (now) money laundering. Donald Trump can’t stand the fact that Dems haven’t brought impeachment charges against him.
As for legislating, the House of Representatives has advanced at least 14 significant bills addressing the issues you mentioned. Mitch McConnell refuses to consider any of them in the Senate. There are an equal number still moving through the House. Eventually, Floridians will wake up to the truth.
joe fornito
May 23, 2019 at 8:29 pm
joe Henderson is a liberal hack, he should go back to sports writing. he lives in tampa area and has been a partisan hack for over 30 years. liberal idiot that got canned from the tampa trib and st pete times.
gary
May 24, 2019 at 10:09 pm
Clearly, it so easy to spot the #FakeNews
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