Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:07 pm
The new ABC News/Washington Post poll showed Hillary Clinton breaking the 50% threshold, which could be the first sign that a crushing defeat may be looming for Republicans in November.
The Washington Post reported:
Nevertheless, in a head-to-head general election matchup, Clinton leads Trump 51 percent to 39 percent among registered voters nationwide, the poll found. This is Clinton’s largest lead in Post-ABC polling since last fall and a dramatic reversal from last month’s survey, which found the race nearly even, with Trump at 46 percent and Clinton at 44 percent.
As the hard-fought general election gets underway, Trump’s political standing is on dangerous ground. Fifty-six percent of the public at large say the celebrity business mogul stands against their beliefs, while 64 percent say he does not have the necessary credentials to be president. Fifty-six percent feel strongly that he is unqualified.
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Nearly one-third of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say Trump is unqualified for office, and 18 percent say he does not represent their beliefs, exposing deep fissures in the GOP base as Trump struggles to unite conservatives going into next month’s national convention in Cleveland.
If Hillary Clinton begins to poll consistently over 50%, it is going to suggest a deficit in support that could be impossible for Trump to make up in November. The presumptive GOP nominee has not expanded the electorate outside of his Republican primary base of support. Trump has never gotten more that 50% of the electorate in any national poll. If Trump loses by double-digits, he will not only cost Republicans the Senate but also potentially most if not all of their House majority.
Trump’s flailing campaign is putting tons of pressure on embattled Republican Congressional incumbents to generate huge amounts of crossover support. Republicans in Congress are facing a situation where they will have to hope that voters split their tickets to keep their seats. The problem is that in 2012 straight ticket voting hit its highest level since 1952.
Voters aren’t splitting their ballots as frequently as they used to. This means that the presidential candidate who does well at the top of the ballot is likely to carry his or her party to victories in down-ballot races as well.
Democrats aren’t even completely unified yet, and Clinton is crushing Trump. Republicans knew a Trump nomination would be bad for their party. What they never imagined was that it could get this bad, this fast.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
