A new poll produced by Priorities USA, a Democratic super PAC, reveals that Donald Trump’s standing is beginning to rise. That could spell trouble for Democrats, McClatchy reports:
According to internal polling by the super PAC, President Trump’s approval rating climbed to 44 percent in the first week of February, compared to 53 percent who disapprove. That mirrors Trump’s improving position in public polls.
In November, the same survey found his approval rating at 40 percent, with 54 percent disapproving. The group’s survey also showed the Democratic Party’s generic ballot advantage had shrunk, with 46 percent preferring Democrats to 42 percent for Republicans.
The same report identifies the reason for Trump’s relative success: Democrats started focusing less attention on health care and the economy. It also recommended a shift in party priorities ahead of the all-important midterm elections. That shouldn’t be difficult for a progressive party—yet Democrats often don’t seem to know who they are or who they represent. They still aren’t united on single-payer health care, or on any other kind of health care reform. Senate Democrats signed a spending agreement with Republicans without ensuring protections for Dreamers. Democrats like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Alabama’s Doug Jones frequently vote in line with the Trump administration. The party’s overarching failure to decide on an economic message doesn’t just hurt their chances against the GOP; it also betrays their vulnerable base. Their only path to viability is to repeatedly draw the starkest possible distinctions between their policies and the policies of Donald Trump.