Conservative Blogger
Friday, April 6, 2018
Liz Peek: Trump gains ground, much to liberals’ horror
In 2010, as President Obama’s popularity spiraled downward, Jeff Greenfield wrote
for CBS News that “historically, no president in modern times has
significantly improved his approval numbers in his second year.” Don’t
look now, but some polls show President Trump is doing just that.
In the second year of his presidency, President Trump’s approval ratings are climbing, to the utter horror of liberals, who cannot for the life of them understand why.
Some 51 percent of the country now supports the president, according to the Rasmussen poll – up from 42 percent a year ago.
President Obama, at the same date, had 47 percent of the country behind him, down from 57 percent the year earlier.
The stock market is skittish, trade wars loom, President Trump tweets with abandon, Stormy Daniels dominates headlines, White House staff members come and go, and – oh yes – there’s pesky Special Counsel Robert Mueller trying to find evidence that President Trump obstructed justice or that he or his campaign conspired with the Russians.
Democrats wonder, how on Earth can Trump be gaining ground?
Here’s a clue: real growth is running above 3 percent, unemployment claims are the lowest since 1969, wage growth is the best since 2009 and Americans are more optimistic than they have been since 2004.
These are stunning stats, but just as important is this: many Americans think the president is trying to do the right thing. They view him as confronting a hostile media and an entrenched bureaucracy. And on numerous policy issues – like immigration, gun control and trade with China – President Trump is in synch with most Americans.
The same cannot be said for progressive Democrats or, for that matter, many of the Freedom Caucus very conservative types.
How do we know? Polling on the “direction of the country” indicates that Americans are more positive on what’s going on in the United States than they have been since 2009.
Meanwhile, approval ratings for Congress show it surely isn’t our legislators who are getting credit for the positive trend.
The president has long called out media bias; the public is beginning to agree with him. In a recent Gallup survey, nearly half the country thinks that there is a “great deal” of political bias in our news coverage, up from 37 percent in 2012.
A new Rasmussen poll finds that 52 percent of likely U.S. voters believe “when most reporters write or talk about the president, they are trying to block him from passing his agenda,” up from 44 percent a year ago and 47 percent in August.
This is why President Trump calls out the media at every opportunity. Not only is he right, it makes him an underdog, and Americans love underdogs.
On immigration, the president, like most of the country, supports a path to legal status for the so-called Dreamers, but also favors tightening our borders. A huge majority of the country agrees, with both those opinions.
A Harvard Harris poll conducted earlier this year found that 79 percent of Americans favor a secure border, and nearly 70 percent oppose the diversity lottery system now in place. Almost 80 percent prefer merit-based immigration to a policy that prioritizes family ties. A Morning Consult/Politico poll also revealed a preference for merit-based immigration.
The left has become untethered on this topic, increasingly equating legal and illegal immigration. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez says that asking about citizenship on the U.S. census form is a "craven attack on our democracy." He’s got it exactly backwards; sending legislators to Congress to represent people who are in the country illegally is an attack on our democracy, and most Americans agree.
Gun control is another issue on which the president has veered towards the popular middle, demanding that his administration produce a rule banning bump stocks, for instance.
President Trump’s open White House meeting after the Parkland shootings shocked the political establishment, as the president called out his GOP colleagues for being in thrall to the National Rifle Association and proposed expanded background checks as well as other controversial measures. Though he later walked back his endorsement of further gun controls, he left no doubt that he was behind commonsense reforms, even if political necessity required a more tempered approach.
It appears that President Trump’s efforts to confront China have widespread appeal, and not just in the rust belt.
Pew Research reports that Americans’ view of China has deteriorated in recent years, with more than half the country having an unfavorable view of the world’s second-largest economy and, as of last year, 65 percent saying that China is either an adversary or a serious problem. Moreover, the president has the support of businesses operating in China, which have been on the front lines of China’s unfair trade practices and discriminatory rulings.
As many Americans applaud President Trump for his hard line on China or efforts to resolve the DACA issue, they see him hamstrung by unceasing Democratic resistance and a lack of cooperation even from some GOP members of Congress.
But that’s not the only reason that President Trump’s popularity may be inching higher. Unlike President Obama, President Trump did not enter the Oval Office burdened by high expectations.
In describing President Obama’s tough first year, in which he “suffered the steepest decline in job approval of any first year president since they started keeping such data,” Greenfield suggested that the drop was because Obama’s fans were overly optimistic. People expected too much and “more important, he did not come to office with a strong sense of where he was going.”
That is not the case with President Trump. He ran on boosting job creation through lower taxes and lighter regulation, and on making the country more secure. Whether it’s demanding fairer trade with China, tightening our control of our border or passing a big hike in defense spending, his agenda is surprisingly consistent for a man often guided by impulse.
Maybe the increase in approval comes from a much simpler place: President Trump is doing what he promised he would.
In the second year of his presidency, President Trump’s approval ratings are climbing, to the utter horror of liberals, who cannot for the life of them understand why.
Some 51 percent of the country now supports the president, according to the Rasmussen poll – up from 42 percent a year ago.
President Obama, at the same date, had 47 percent of the country behind him, down from 57 percent the year earlier.
The stock market is skittish, trade wars loom, President Trump tweets with abandon, Stormy Daniels dominates headlines, White House staff members come and go, and – oh yes – there’s pesky Special Counsel Robert Mueller trying to find evidence that President Trump obstructed justice or that he or his campaign conspired with the Russians.
Democrats wonder, how on Earth can Trump be gaining ground?
Here’s a clue: real growth is running above 3 percent, unemployment claims are the lowest since 1969, wage growth is the best since 2009 and Americans are more optimistic than they have been since 2004.
These are stunning stats, but just as important is this: many Americans think the president is trying to do the right thing. They view him as confronting a hostile media and an entrenched bureaucracy. And on numerous policy issues – like immigration, gun control and trade with China – President Trump is in synch with most Americans.
The same cannot be said for progressive Democrats or, for that matter, many of the Freedom Caucus very conservative types.
How do we know? Polling on the “direction of the country” indicates that Americans are more positive on what’s going on in the United States than they have been since 2009.
Meanwhile, approval ratings for Congress show it surely isn’t our legislators who are getting credit for the positive trend.
The president has long called out media bias; the public is beginning to agree with him. In a recent Gallup survey, nearly half the country thinks that there is a “great deal” of political bias in our news coverage, up from 37 percent in 2012.
A new Rasmussen poll finds that 52 percent of likely U.S. voters believe “when most reporters write or talk about the president, they are trying to block him from passing his agenda,” up from 44 percent a year ago and 47 percent in August.
This is why President Trump calls out the media at every opportunity. Not only is he right, it makes him an underdog, and Americans love underdogs.
On immigration, the president, like most of the country, supports a path to legal status for the so-called Dreamers, but also favors tightening our borders. A huge majority of the country agrees, with both those opinions.
A Harvard Harris poll conducted earlier this year found that 79 percent of Americans favor a secure border, and nearly 70 percent oppose the diversity lottery system now in place. Almost 80 percent prefer merit-based immigration to a policy that prioritizes family ties. A Morning Consult/Politico poll also revealed a preference for merit-based immigration.
The left has become untethered on this topic, increasingly equating legal and illegal immigration. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez says that asking about citizenship on the U.S. census form is a "craven attack on our democracy." He’s got it exactly backwards; sending legislators to Congress to represent people who are in the country illegally is an attack on our democracy, and most Americans agree.
Gun control is another issue on which the president has veered towards the popular middle, demanding that his administration produce a rule banning bump stocks, for instance.
President Trump’s open White House meeting after the Parkland shootings shocked the political establishment, as the president called out his GOP colleagues for being in thrall to the National Rifle Association and proposed expanded background checks as well as other controversial measures. Though he later walked back his endorsement of further gun controls, he left no doubt that he was behind commonsense reforms, even if political necessity required a more tempered approach.
It appears that President Trump’s efforts to confront China have widespread appeal, and not just in the rust belt.
Pew Research reports that Americans’ view of China has deteriorated in recent years, with more than half the country having an unfavorable view of the world’s second-largest economy and, as of last year, 65 percent saying that China is either an adversary or a serious problem. Moreover, the president has the support of businesses operating in China, which have been on the front lines of China’s unfair trade practices and discriminatory rulings.
As many Americans applaud President Trump for his hard line on China or efforts to resolve the DACA issue, they see him hamstrung by unceasing Democratic resistance and a lack of cooperation even from some GOP members of Congress.
But that’s not the only reason that President Trump’s popularity may be inching higher. Unlike President Obama, President Trump did not enter the Oval Office burdened by high expectations.
In describing President Obama’s tough first year, in which he “suffered the steepest decline in job approval of any first year president since they started keeping such data,” Greenfield suggested that the drop was because Obama’s fans were overly optimistic. People expected too much and “more important, he did not come to office with a strong sense of where he was going.”
That is not the case with President Trump. He ran on boosting job creation through lower taxes and lighter regulation, and on making the country more secure. Whether it’s demanding fairer trade with China, tightening our control of our border or passing a big hike in defense spending, his agenda is surprisingly consistent for a man often guided by impulse.
Maybe the increase in approval comes from a much simpler place: President Trump is doing what he promised he would.
Sen. Kamala Harris raises eyebrows on 'Ellen' with Trump joke
Sen. Kamala Harris, D- Calif., a rising Democratic star and potential 2020 presidential candidate, raised eyebrows during an appearance on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” Thursday for one of her answers to a hypothetical question.
Ellen Degeneres, the host, asked Harris a series of light-hearted questions, ranging from whether she has any tattoos (no) to her celebrity crush (Tito Jackson).
She was then asked, “If you had to be stuck in an elevator with either President Trump, (Vice President) Mike Pence or (Attorney General) Jeff Sessions, who would it be?”
“Does one of us have to come out alive?” Harris asked, prompting cheers from the audience. Harris laughed hysterically at the joke and took a second to compose herself.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s report pointed out that “Even Degeneres applauded the senator's wit.”
Conservatives responded to the remark on social media. Fox News’ Sean Hannity called the comment a “shocking new low.”
Harris, California’s first African-American senator, has not responded to the conservative response online.
Degeneres asked her if she is considering a 2020 run, and the senator responded, "Right now, we are in the early months of 2018, and at this very moment in time, there are people across America who have priorities around their health care, have priorities around: Can they get through the month and pay the bills? Can they pay off their student loans? Can they afford to pay for gas, housing?" Critical issues."
This is not the first time a Democrat received backlash over comments about Trump.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, a possible 2020 candidate, made headlines in March when he said he would “beat the hell” out of Trump back in high school for disrespecting women.
Stock futures fall after Trump threatens $100b in tariffs on Chinese goods
What's Walmart going to do now :-)
President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened an
additional $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, which sent stock
futures tumbling after a day that saw stocks rise for a third day.
Dow Jones futures were down triple digits, or 0.86%. The S&P 500 was lower by 0.77% and the Nasdaq Composite was off 0.84%.
The move by Trump comes one day after China imposed $50 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products.
Stocks had rebounded since then, as trade tensions seemed to ease as the threats were seen more as a way to begin negotiations.
Trump
added that he’s instructed the Agriculture Department to explore
protections for U.S. farmers in light of China’s recent measures.
China’s
commerce ministry warned it would fight back "at any cost" with fresh
measures to safeguard its interests if the United States sticks to its
protectionist actions.
Chinese equity markets remained closed for a holiday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed up 1.1%, after beginning the session higher as the market caught up following Thursday’s holiday.
Japan’s Nikkei ended the day down 0.4%, and up half a percent for the week.
European markets opened lower.
Germany’s DAX was lower by 0.83%, France’s CAC was down 0.57% and London’s FTSE was off 0.21%.
Before
Trump’s announcement. the story that traders and investors thought
would be the main topic, would be the monthly jobs report that will be
released Friday morning.
The U.S. economy is
expected to have added 193,000 new nonfarm jobs last month in the
closely watched report, according to economists surveyed by Thomson
Reuters.
The unemployment rate is expected to fall one-tenth of a percentage point to 4%.
In
the Thursday trading session, the Dow increased by 240.92 points, or
1%, to 24,505.22 at the close of the regular trading session. The
S&P 500 rose by 18.15, or 0.7%, to 2,662.84 while the Nasdaq climbed
by 34.44, or 0.5%, to 7,076.55.
Oil prices fell after Trump’s threat was announced. U.S. crude was down 0.55% to $63.19 a barrel.
Trade war or war of words? Experts sound the alarm as China promises to 'fight to the end'
Experts warned Thursday that the United States and China are barreling towards a potentially catastrophic trade war, citing each country's increasingly heated rhetoric and unique economic pressure points.
Most Asian stock markets were holding early Friday, in an early sign that investors—for now--are brushing off concerns about the brewing brouhaha between the world's two biggest economies.
President Trump on Thursday called for Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, to consider $100 billion in additional tariffs against China. The two nations have already slapped each other with planned tariffs totaling $50 billion this week.
But economic analysts said the situation -- which some U.S. news outlets have already branded a "trade war" -- could change rapidly, especially given the nations' ongoing war of words.
“This is what a trade war looks like, and what we have warned against from the start,” National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay said in an interview with Reuters.
For their part, Chinese officials said they won't capitulate to U.S. demands.
CHINA PROMISES TO FIGHT US 'AT ANY COST' AFTER TWO SIDES THREATEN HUGE TARIFFS
One trade policy expert specifically faulted Trump's communications strategy in an interview with the AP.
"Mr. Trump is upping the ante, but the lack of a clear game plan and an incoherent messaging strategy from the administration is setting this up for an all-out trade war rather than a fruitful negotiation," said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University.
"I like to say that there is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow."Chinese officials know they can effectively target specific sectors of the American economy, experts said, decreasing the likelihood that they will feel the need to retreat from the brink.
“The American agricultural sector is quite influential in the Congress,” Peking University economics professor told The New York Times. “China wants the American domestic political system to do the work.”
Some of that work was being done by Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, who said this week that Trump was “threatening to light American agriculture on fire" and calling the White House's approach "the dumbest possible way to do this.”
China, by contrast, has unique tools to counteract U.S. tariffs, according to analysts. President Xi Jinping's government controls huge swaths of the country's economy and has an iron grip on the press, which would insulate the administration from some political and financial pressures in the short-term.
“My impression is that there is in Washington an exaggerated sense of how painful these tariffs might be” in China, Gavekal Dragonomics director Arthur R. Kroeber told the paper.
But as President Trump noted on Twitter on Wednesday, the U.S. runs a significant trade deficit with China, giving the White House its own blunt leverage.
"We are not in a trade war with China, that war was lost many years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S.," Trump wrote. "Now we have a Trade Deficit of $500 Billion a year, with Intellectual Property Theft of another $300 Billion."
Trump economic advisor Larry Kudlow told Fox Business that negotiations are underway, suggesting that talk of a trade war is premature.
“There is a process here, there’s going to be some back and forth, but there’s also some negotiations and we may talk about that, but that’s the key point," Kudlow said, describing Trump as "the first guy with a backbone in decades" to take some action on China — "at least preliminary actions."
Kudlow downplayed the urgency of the situation, saying tariff discussions won't play out overnight.
“In the United States at least, we’re putting it out for comment, it’s going to take a couple months," he said, referring to the proposed new tariffs. "I doubt if there will be any concrete action for several months. ... Trump’s putting his cards on the table. He’s standing up for this country, but he’s also standing up for better world trade.”
China on Thursday also formally challenged the U.S. tariffs at the WTO, setting the stage for a potentially lengthy legal battle.
The result of all the tension and brinksmanship, the White House says, will be a fairer international business climate for U.S. industries.
"I like to say that there is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow," Kudlow told Politico this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
NEW YORK (AP) — As New York City faced one of its darkest days with the death toll from the coronavirus surging past 4,000 — more th...
-
Tit for Tat ? ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass was ripped from its base in Rochester on the an...
