CNN poll: America turns irate, glum

NEWS AND OPINION:

Americans are fuming and pessimistic at this time, that’s for sure.

A new CNN poll finds that 74% of U.S. adults now say they are “very or somewhat angry” about the way things are going in the U.S. today — that includes 88% of Republicans, 70% of independents and even 67% of Democrats. But wait, there’s more.

Another 69% of U.S. adults now say that things are going “pretty or very badly” in the country these days — that includes 91% of Republicans, 72% of independents and 49% of Democrats.

And by the way, illegal immigration is still a concern for many in this nation. The CNN survey also found that 77% of U.S. adults say that it is important that the federal government “stops the movement of undocumented immigrants into the United States.” And the partisan breakdown: 95% of Republicans, 76% of independents and 52% of Democrats agreed.

“The tentatively positive public outlook that marked the first months of the Biden administration has faded, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. The survey, released Friday, finds a rising share of Americans who say things in the US are going badly and that the economy is in poor shape, with increased worries about the coronavirus, the economy and crime,” wrote CNN analysts Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy.

See more revealing numbers on public opinion and the state of the nation in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.

BIDEN’S ‘RULING CLASS’

Matt Schlapp — the energetic and fearless chairman of the American Conservative Union — is still mulling over President Biden’s “foolish decisions” on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Mr. Schlapp also recalled the challenges former President George W. Bush faced in the region.

Remember that? Here’s a reminder:

“From aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, standing directly under a ‘Mission Accomplished ’banner, President George W. Bush declared, ‘In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.’ Bush’s claim of victory in what became known as the ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech drew criticism as the war in Iraq continued for several years thereafter,” History.com noted in an analysis of the situation.

Mr. Schlapp acknowledged in a new essay for The Federalist that “the Bush administration also made hasty mistakes amid a desire to spike the ball and declare ‘Mission Accomplished.’ But lessons are supposed to be learned so mistakes are not repeated. For Team Biden, it should never have been about when we would leave Afghanistan, but how.”

“Unfortunately, Biden has allowed his administration to be overrun with overconfident, ideological warriors, who may read intelligence reports but do not believe or learn from them. Replete with the best degrees, and long pedigrees earned by slavish commitment to all the politically correct causes, there is a ruling class in this administration that always knows best, blames America, and cynically relies on national media to cover up for all the errors and omissions of socialism, globalism, and elitism,” Mr. Schlapp said.

THE TRUMP DOMINO EFFECT

The Democratic Party is still fixated on retaining control of Virginia — and consider the commonwealth a lynchpin state in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race.

They are also wary of former President Donald Trump’s potential for a return stay at the White House.

“If we’re not careful, Donald Trump’s 2024 comeback will start in Virginia. Just look at the numbers,” notes a fundraising message from Terry McAuliffe for Virginia, the state’s former governor now facing Republican challenger Glenn Youngkin in the gubernatorial bout.

“In 2020, Virginia voters came together and helped Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump by ten points. But now, Terry’s opponent has been endorsed by Donald Trump three times. Polls show he’s within just two points of catching Terry McAuliffe, with one even showing him ahead. We’re trending the wrong way, and we’ve got to do everything we can to turn this around,” the emailed message stated.

“Joe Biden’s win was only possible last year because of grassroots supporters helping out whenever and however they could. We’ve got to do that all again if we’re going to elect Terry McAuliffe this year. Joe Biden made it perfectly clear when he campaigned for Terry in Virginia. Virginia is the next battle in the soul for America. If we elect Terry, we stop Donald Trump,” the message concludes.

A ‘PANIC’ IF YOUNGKIN WINS

A Democratic loss in the aforementioned Virginia race — or in the California recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday — would definitely send a shiver of fear among the Democrats.

Panic, even.

“Democrats should win each race comfortably. However, even a closer than expected win by the Democratic candidates in either race could send a political message. If Democrats’ margin of victory is under 10 percentage points in California or less than 5 percentage points in Virginia, then it could be a sign of voters’ frustration with Democrats and reinforce the anxiety that some moderate Democrats might be feeling about the 2022 midterm elections which could in turn impact how these lawmakers vote on the infrastructure bills, especially the ’soft’ infrastructure bill. A Democratic loss in either race could induce outright panic,” predicts Brian Gardner, chief Washington policy strategist for Stifel, a global investment banking company.

POLL DU JOUR

• 77% of U.S. adults are worried about the state of the economy in their community; 85% of Republicans, 76% of independents and 70% of Democrats agree.

• 70% overall are worried about the coronavirus pandemic; 49% of Republicans, 67% of independents and 89% of Democrats agree.

• 69% overall say their views are “not too or not at all well represented” in Washington, D.C.; 90% of Republicans, 77% of independents and 45% of Democrats agree.

• 57% overall are worried about the “risk of crime”; 53% of Republicans, 56% of independents and 61% of Democrats agree.

• 56% overall are worried about “the impact of racism”; 31% of Republicans, 53% of independents and 80% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: A CNN/SSRS survey of 2,119 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 3-Sept. 7.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.