Just when Democrats thought they might finally gain momentum due to last week’s market downturn, a pair of dismal polls broadsided the blue team on Sunday.
According to a new CNN poll, only 29% of the public holds a favorable view of the party, the lowest mark ever recorded by the poll. Driven by high levels of dissatisfaction even among Democratic voters, the survey revealed a 20-point drop since January 2021 at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term.
An NBC News poll of registered voters also released Sunday showed Democratic approval a tick lower at 27%, with only 7% saying they hold a “very favorable” view of the party. Both figures are all-time lows for the NBC News poll.
To make matters worse for Democrats, the latter survey also showed the highest percentage of voters who believe the country is now (with Trump in the White House) on the “right track” since the early days of the second George W. Bush administration. The 44% “right track” result contrasted sharply with the final result released before Trump’s win in November, which found that only 28% of Americans took this view in Biden’s final days.
Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating rests more or less comfortably in the high 40s in both polls.
The twin surveys underscored Democrats’ dire political position as Trump asserts his will and the conundrum faced by Democratic leaders.
According to the CNN poll, 57% of Democratic voters want the party to “stop the Republican agenda.” But with little institutional power — the GOP controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, and the majority of governorships, and the Supreme Court has an originalist majority — and with historically low popular support, Democrats lack the means necessary to make this happen.
Their only play, they thought, was to shut down the government, a move Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wisely declined. The result? He is being tarred and feathered by what remains of the Democratic faithful. But what was he supposed to do? Greenlight a move that would have dug the hole deeper? The party seen as causing a shutdown gets the blame. With the public so clearly preferring the Trump agenda, a shutdown would have been a suicide mission.
As pleased as we are to see Republicans gain the upper hand and as disinclined as we are to signal support for Schumer, our two-party system suffers when one party is weakened to this extent. Healthy competition keeps both sides sharp and responsive to voters. A functional Democratic Party is good for the nation.
There are two paths open to Democrats. The first is to continue what they’re doing: cursing on television, throwing tantrums in the House, picking the wrong fights, and being goaded into defending unpopular positions. Their valiant crusade on behalf of Venezuelan gang members this week was the latest in a long string of terrible looks, from defending boys playing female sports to spending millions of dollars on Iraqi Sesame Street.
The alternative is to concentrate their energies on what they can control: governing blue states and cities well. New U.S. Census data reveal that people are fleeing blue states even faster than we thought. The Census estimated that since 2020, states such as California, New York, and Illinois have hemorrhaged population by the millions, while states such as Texas and Florida have seen a vast influx of new residents.
The reasons are obvious enough. Blue states have higher housing costs, higher taxes, and more crime, while red states are relatively affordable, have booming job markets, and lower crime outside of Democratic-led cities.
SUPREME COURT MUST REIN IN ACTIVIST JUDGES
Based on Census projections for 2030, red states stand to gain 14 electoral votes and 14 congressional districts.
Democrats feel as if they’ve hit rock bottom, but things could get much worse for them. To avoid a total collapse, Democrats must eat what’s on their plate for now. If they can plug the holes in their cities and states, they will have a shot at regaining credibility. Taking this path is in the best long-term interest of both the party and the nation.