NEWS AND OPINION:
Gallup recently asked Americans to rate the performance of 25 major U.S. industries, such as pharmaceutical manufacturers, airlines, banks, public relations firms, publishers and utility companies.
The results were so-so for many of these concerns. The worst news, however, was reserved for that very big industry known as the “federal government.”
It came in dead last on the list.
“Majorities of Americans now rate just four of the 25 sectors positively — farming and agriculture (59%), the restaurant industry (58%), the grocery industry (54%), and the computer industry (51%). At the other end of the spectrum, the federal government remains in the bottom spot, with 26% of U.S. adults expressing positive views of it,” reported Gallup analysts Megan Brenan and Jeffrey M. Jones.
There is a partisan divide here, of course.
Gallup found that only 9% of Republican respondents gave a thumbs up to the federal government in 2021, down 28 percentage points from 2020. In contrast, 44% of Democrats gave a positive rating to the federal government, up 20 percentage points since last year.
“The steep drop among Republicans this year is far greater than any previous drop for a party group. Republicans’ pessimism is consistent with their low levels of satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. To some degree, it may reflect a more antagonistic view of big business among supporters of the party than in the past, perhaps tied to some businesses taking stands on social issues such as racial justice and voting rights that are more in line with Democratic than Republican policies,” the analyst reported.
The findings are based on a Gallup survey of 1,006 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 2-17 and released Monday.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Good feelings about former President Donald Trump continue to percolate.
“Hope and change: I’m starting to see these around town,” reported Helen Smith, a columnist for Instapundit who is spotting “Trump 2024” bumper stickers on city streets, and has found a wealth of such stickers for sale, particularly online.
Some sites already have sold out, Ms. Smith said — while others have expanded their message repertoire to include such phrases as “Trump 2024: I’ll be back,” “Trump 2024: The rules have changed,” and at least two versions which include a few choice expletives.
BLAMING THE VOTERS
The news media is treating the California recall election as a national event. Whether voters will fire Gov. Gavin Newsom is an indicator for the power and resilience of the Democratic Party itself as the 2022 and 2024 elections approach. The special election could also reveal something about the voters themselves.
“Even if Larry Elder — the leading GOP contender in the recall bout — were to win, the Golden State is mighty tarnished at this point. Larry Elder can’t save California because nobody can,” noted Jazz Shaw, a contributor to HotAir.com.
“I do not for a moment believe that he would be able to ‘fix’ or ‘save’ California in any permanent fashion. The only people who can do that are the voters of the state agreeing in large numbers to do so,” Mr. Shaw said.
“They can’t even agree to take out someone as insulting and incompetent as Newsom. They keep sending the same pack of liberal Democrats back to the state legislature, to Congress, and to the governorship. And they repeat that performance year after year, even as the state becomes increasingly unaffordable to live in and crime continues to spread,” the columnist continued.
“They clearly can’t or won’t help themselves and nobody else can do it for them. Even a good man like Larry Elder can’t bail out a state like California as long as a majority of the voters keep drilling holes in the boat,” he concluded.
BUCKLE UP, DEMOCRATS
“Without drastic changes, Democrats are on track to lose big in 2022,” predicts Douglas E. Schoen, a political consultant and former adviser to former President Bill Clinton and former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
“The marked decline in support for President Biden and his administration nationally and in key swing states indicates that the Democratic Party could endure a blowout defeat in the 2022 midterm elections,” Mr. Schoen noted in an essay for The Hill, adding that Mr. Biden is in a “significantly weaker position” than Mr. Clinton and former President Barack Obama were at this point in their terms.
Mr. Schoen cited a massive Civiqs survey of over 100,000 voters which found that 50% now disapprove of Mr. Biden’s job performance. Voters in key swing states — Georgia, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — also give the president a thumbs down.
“It is noteworthy that, both nationally and in these key states, Biden’s approval has been driven down in large part by independent voters. Though Biden won national independent voters handily in 2020, a majority (58%) now disapprove of the president, while just 31% approve,” Mr. Schoen said.
The Civiqs poll of 100,021 registered voters was conducted online from Jan. 2 to Sept. 11.
ON THE RADAR
Some news from Sam Peters, Republican candidate for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District.
Mr. Peters will host a “Fight for Freedom” campaign kickoff event in Las Vegas on Tuesday evening, telling Inside the Beltway that it will be a “Trump-style rally meant to celebrate his pro-America campaign.”
Among his guests will be talk radio host Wayne Allyn Root, retired Brig. Gen. Rob Novotny, former wing commander of Nellis Air Force Base; evangelist Darrell C. Porter; and Las Vegas Councilman Stavros S. Anthony.
Mr. Peters is a retired Air Force major who began his career as an enlisted K9 Handler. His service included combat support in Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and tours in Panama and Korea. He is the married father of three. Find his campaign at Sampeters4congress.com.
POLL DU JOUR
• 27% of U.S. adults think they will never be able to “retire comfortably.”
• 20% think they will retire between ages 60 and 65.
• 17% say they are already retired, 14% are unsure or don’t know when they will retire.
• 9% think they will retire before age 60, 9% think they will retire between ages 66 and 70.
• 4% think they will retire after age 70.
SOURCE: A YouGovAmerica survey of 15,570 U.S. adults conducted online Aug. 18-25 and released Monday.
• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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