NEWS AND OPINION:
The Democratic Party’s dream has come true. It now controls the White House, the House and the Senate. In reality, this status also means the Democrats are now on the hottest hot seat of all — shouldering the burden of campaign promises plus all those vows to right every wrong, fix everything and unite everybody.
Even a friendly news media can’t mask the fact that the Democrats now essentially own the nation’s domestic challenges, political problems, security threats, global turmoil, pandemic panics and financial concerns. Several news organizations have already predicted that incoming President Joseph R. Biden will only get a brief honeymoon — and maybe no honeymoon at all — when he assumes office.
So how to how Americans feel about their chosen leadership?
The following surveys were all conducted between Jan. 6-14. A CNN poll found that 49% of the respondents have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party while 45% have an unfavorable opinion. An Economist/YouGov poll revealed that only 24% believe Mr. Biden can “bring the country together.” Meanwhile, an NBC News poll found the Democratic Party with an approval rating that is 39% positive — and 42% negative.
And that’s not all.
“When Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. takes the oath to become the country’s 46th president on Wednesday, he will face an increasingly polarized, pessimistic and pained nation, according to numbers from the latest national NBC News poll,” wrote Mark Murray, senior political editor for NBC News.
“More than 7 in 10 voters believe the country is on the wrong track, another 7 in 10 think the next four years will remain politically divided, and a majority say they are mainly worried and pessimistic about the nation’s future,” he said.
A SIMPLE ROUND OF APPLAUSE
Two columnists have penned candid tributes to President Trump as he leaves office.
“Despite a level of condemnation by the media that dwarfs anything to which Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Herbert Hoover or Ulysses Grant were subjected, Donald Trump ranks as one of our great presidents,” wrote columnist Dick Morris for the Western Journal.
“Nixon once said that ’history is written by liberals,’ so don’t count on any objectivity. But we, Trump’s supporters, need to keep the memory of his record in mind so we can unpack it for the next election,” Mr. Morris advised.
Howie Carr, a columnist for the Boston Herald, also had a say.
“Thanks for everything, President Trump. Thanks for the balance in my 401(k), tax cuts for the middle class and destroying ISIS. Thank you, Mr. President, for everything you’ve done,” Mr. Carr wrote.
“It shouldn’t be ending this way, but I and 74 million other Americans just want to thank you for all your efforts on our behalf over the past four years — actually since you came down the escalator at Trump Tower back in the summer of 2015,” Mr. Carr said, also citing 40 ways Mr. Trump bettered the nation.
FAREWELL, MELANIA
Outgoing first lady Melania Trump has offered a farewell video to the America people — closing it with a candid wish of her own.
“The promise of this nation belongs to all of us. Do not lose sight of your integrity and values. Use every opportunity to show consideration for another person and build good habits into your daily lives,” the first lady said.
“Together, as one national family, we can continue to be the light of hope for future generations and carry on America’s legacy of raising our nation to greater heights through our spirit of courage, goodness and faith,” she continued.
“No words can express the depth of my gratitude for the privilege of having served as your first lady. To all the people of this country: You will be in my heart forever. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America,” Mrs. Trump concluded.
ANNIVERSARY: EXACTLY 40 YEARS AGO
“On January 20, 1981, Ronald Wilson Reagan was sworn in as America’s 40th president. It was a historic day in so many ways — one that seemed to usher in a more hopeful era for America and the American people,” notes the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in a public advisory.
“President Reagan showed this nation and the world, over and over, that with strong leadership, God’s grace, and the heart and will of the American people, great things were still to come,” the organization said, citing Reagan’s inaugural speech that day.
“With God’s help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us,” the new president promised.
“Truer words were never spoken,” the organization says. “We never stop celebrating President Reagan’s legacy as we work to preserve and promote his enduring principles. Celebrate with us, and feel proud to be an American.”
A STUNNING LITTLE REALITY CHECK
“Joe Biden is only 1 percentage point more popular than President Trump in the latest NBC News poll,” observes Glenn Reynolds, founder of InstaPundit.
He also flags a new analysis by The Federalist:
“President Trump is leaving office with a higher approval rating and the Republican Party on better footing than after President George W. Bush exited the office in 2009, when the younger Bush saw historically low ratings. According to RealClearPolitics’ aggregate of polls, Trump is moving out of the White House with a nearly 40% approval rating overall. Bush enjoyed just under 30% of Americans on his side at this same point in his presidency,” the Federalist said in its review.
POLL DU JOUR
• 39% of U.S. adults think social media is “biased in favor of liberal views”; 72% of Republicans, 39% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.
• 22% say social media is “not politically biased either way”; 5% of Republicans, 19% of independents and 40% of Democrats agree.
• 9% think social media is biased in favor of conservative views; 7% of Republicans, 7% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.
• 30% are unsure about the bias of social media; 15% of Republicans, 34% of independents and 35% of Democrats agree.
Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 10-12.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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