Inside the Beltway: 2020, Democrats and the Valium factor

NEWS AND OPINION:

Are Democrats resigned to a Trump victory in 2020? Oh, but it’s complicated, says a new University of Southern California, Los Angeles Times survey. Amazingly enough, 54% of all voters now say President Trump is going to win the White House race once again — that includes 40% of Democrats, 47% of independents and 74% of Republicans.

Well all right, then. Now comes either jubilation or the gnashing of teeth, depending on the political party.

“When asked how they would feel if Trump was elected to a second term, 18% of all eligible voters say they would be completely happy and 42% say they would be completely unhappy. Seventy-six percent of Republicans and 37% of GOP leaners said they would be completely or mostly happy, compared with 15% of unaffiliated and other party voters and only 2% of affiliated Democrats. An overwhelming 9 out of 10 affiliated Democrats said they would be completely or mostly unhappy if Trump wins again,” the survey analysis said.

“This poll says ’buy Valium stock,’” advises Mike Murphy, co-director of the Dornsife Center for the Political Future on the California campus.

“One huge chunk of the country is going to be really unhappy if Trump wins and another huge chunk will be unhappy if the Democratic nominee wins. We are so polarized now that it’s ’I’m right and you’re evil,’” he observes.

The poll of 5,390 registered U.S. voters was conducted July 12-Aug. 11 and released Aug. 22.

SO CONFIRM THEM, ALREADY

The Senate comes back into session Monday — and some say one item should top the to-do list: Confirm close to 150 pending Trump administration nominees.

“Senate Democrats are doing their best to ensure that the executive branch lacks the staff necessary to advance President Trump and the GOP’s bold, conservative agenda. It’s time for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the president’s Republican allies to pick up the pace and chip away at the nominees awaiting confirmation,” says Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a grassroots group embracing smaller government and lower taxes.

“President Trump has nominated these great candidates, and it’s the Senate’s job to confirm them. There are currently 146 nominees awaiting Senate confirmation, compared to the 91 at this point during Obama’s presidency. The Republican Senate showed potential, having recently confirmed more than 60 judges and other executive branch nominees, but there’s still more that can and must be done. FreedomWorks calls upon the Senate to keep up the good work and focus on confirming President Trump’s nominees,” Mr. Brandon observes.

The organization launches a national campaign Wednesday to bring this idea home; stay tuned.

THE FOX NEWS FOLKS HAVE A SAY

Yes, there has been chatter of a skirmish between President Trump and Fox News. The possibility has been covered in the news media, particularly by Politico media analyst Jack Shafer, who recently suggested this is a “fake feud” fostered by Mr. Trump to keep excitement brewing, and that Fox News benefited by appearing to “stand up” to the president and thus bolster its credibility.

Fox News folks responded to such ideas immediately, so much so that The New York Times provided a play-by-play. Here is the Times account, verbatim:

Neil Cavuto, an anchor for Fox News and Fox Business Network who has been critical of Mr. Trump in the past, said on the air: “Mr. President, we don’t work for you. I don’t work for you. My job is to cover you, not fawn over you or rip you. Just report on you — to call balls and strikes on you. My job, Mr. President — our job here — is to keep score, not settle scores.”

“You’re entitled to your point of view, Mr. President,” he continued. “But you’re not entitled to your own set of facts.”

Brit Hume, a senior political analyst for Fox News, echoed Mr. Cavuto’s comments and tweeted, “Fox News isn’t supposed to work for you.”

“We have tried to be fair to him in our news coverage,” Mr. Hume said in another tweet responding to someone who had asked why Mr. Trump thought Fox worked for him. “Best example: we didn’t fall for the Russia conspiracy theory that ended in such a fiasco for other outlets. Plus, some of our opinion hosts support Trump. (Others don’t.)”

Both Fox News and the White House declined to comment on the Times report.

READING, WRITING AND $459

Something to ponder as the nation’s school year gets underway. For some of the principal players, it is not an easy time. Teachers are tapping into their own wallets to buy classroom supplies, and 9 out of 10 will not be reimbursed according to survey data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

“The nation’s kindergarten through 12th-grade public school teachers shell out, on average, $459 on school supplies for which they are not reimbursed. This figure does not include the dollars teachers spend but are reimbursed for by their school districts. The $459-per-teacher average is for all teachers, including the small (4.9%) share who do not spend any of their own money on school supplies,” the Economic Policy Institute says in its analysis of the data.

Teachers in California spend the most at $664 each, followed by Hawaii ($561), Arizona ($552), New Mexico ($545), Rhode Island ($538), Washington, D.C. ($527), Delaware ($507), Alaska ($496), Maryland ($492) and New York ($480) to round out the top 10.

MEANWHILE IN THE LONE STAR STATE

Texas has become the first state to reclassify its 911 telecommunicators and include them as first responders alongside peace officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. It is cause for celebration.

The North Central Texas Emergency Communications District will host a 911 First Responder commencement ceremony on Thursday to mark the new designation spelled out in Texas House Bill 1090, which became law Sunday and ensures the reclassification. Prior to the legislation, the 911 folks had been classified as secretaries.

POLL DU JOUR

• 66% of Americans give the restaurant industry a positive review; 61% say the same of the computer industry and 58% of the grocery industry.

• 53% give the automotive industry a positive review; 50% say the same about banking and 46% about the sports industry.

• 42% give airlines a positive review; 43% say the same of the internet industry and 41% for the movie industry.

• 40% give the TV and radio industry a positive review, 38% say the same of the healthcare industry and 35% for the legal field.

• 33% give advertising and PR a positive review; 27% say the same of the pharmaceutical industry, 25% for the federal government.

Source: A Gallup poll of 1,525 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 1-14 and released Tuesday.

• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com