An eye-opening new poll has to be seen to be believed

Let’s start our Wednesday by enjoying this delicious nut graph from NPR on their recent polling which reflects Trump and his GOP’s epic failures, and what that might mean for November’s key midterms:

More than 80% of Americans say pain at the pump is straining their household budgets and a striking majority blames the president, according to a NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. The poll found that President Trump faces his lowest popularity ever and is experiencing major declines with key demographics since being sworn in for his second term. Most Americans said the economy isn’t working for them. The war in Iran — which has directly led to higher gas prices — is increasingly unpopular. Those challenges have given Democrats a distinct advantage in the midterm elections. When asked which party’s candidate they’d vote for if congressional elections took place today, Democrats led by 10 points.

Pour another cup of coffee. Grab a danish. Now read that again. Let it soak in, and then we can discuss it a little further for a few minutes before we all go off to whistle while we work.

-The poll found that President Trump faces his lowest popularity ever …

-Most Americans said the economy isn’t working for them ...

-The war in Iran — which has directly led to higher gas prices — is increasingly unpopular ...

That ghastly noise you are hearing right now is a result of the sheer panic emanating from the offices of the nearest GOP rep to you. Thanks to their submission to the fascist Trump, they will have nothing but pain to run on the next six months.

Watching those reps — particularly in close congressional districts — trying to support their moronic president on one hand, while trying to delicately separate themselves from him with the other will be entertainment you just can’t find anywhere.

These people are called burnt toast.

Now for a caveat: As I typed Tuesday, we are now six months out from the most important elections of our lives, so nothing can be taken for granted. We have a deranged president, who instead of working toward consensus, is rallying his billionaire orcs, and soul-suckers in his broken cabinet to step on our necks in an attempt to finish us off.

Trump is failing spectacularly on every level, and rather than admit it, he will continue tossing grenades at our election apparatus and the American voters. Rather than fix his problems he will relish in making them ours.

That said … this poll is a real eye-opener.

OK, one more caveat: Yes, yes, I agree, how ANYBODY can still support this America-attacking, lying bigot is an ongoing sad commentary on America. The guy should be rotting in jail, but like it or not, we all must live with the reality that fully 35 percent of the American electorate is broken and refuse to be fixed. The people who told us for four years under Joe Biden that rising gas prices were a deal-breaker, are now looking under their hoods, while their orange idol makes their lives more expensive and meaningless.

It’s a cult.

Moving on …

The number that really stands out to me in this poll is that 10-pt. edge Democrats are currently enjoying on the congressional ballot test.

From NPR:

The ballot test asks which party’s candidate they would vote for if congressional elections took place today.
Democrats also have the edge on enthusiasm to vote, which is critical in midterm years when turnout is expected to be lower than in presidential-election years.

For some perspective, in the lead-up to the 2018 midterms, the Democrats’ had that exact 10 pt. margin in enthusiasm, and it fueled the Blue Wave that swept onto the beaches and across the American countryside.

The Democrats flipped 40 seats in the House that year and picked up seven governorships. Democrats would end up netting more than 8.6 million voters overall, or an eight-pt. margin on Election Day. That’s down from the 10-pt. margin the polls predicted, but still a convincing wipeout.

Democrats would sign on to a similar margin right now for November’s elections, but while we’re feeling good about things for a change, let’s hope for 10 this year, and make it 11 for a good measure.

Unfortunately, gerrymandering will mitigate some of the gains, but if this number stays within two or three pts. of 10, it will be a complete blowout — the kind we must have in November to hammer Trump’s odious party into submission, and send a signal loud and clear that the Trump regime cannot stand.

Maybe most important: If this number stays in the vicinity of 10, Democrats will almost certainly win the Senate, which would slam the brakes on Trump’s endless designs to celebrate himself, and turn Washington, D.C., into nothing but a cheap version of Moscow.

All this is not entirely a surprise. Since 2024, Democrats have been winning all over the map, and flipping seats in red, blue and purple states. That is the result of the work YOU are doing on the ground to protect America from Republicans’ ongoing attack.

Hard as it can be through all the blood, sweat and tears, we are doing what we can to hold the line. Maybe more important: We are doing all this while imploring the party we vote with to do more, and stop playing patty cake with the damn Republicans. We are reminding the Democratic National Committee, that if they persist to exist they damn well better start listening to the people who really run things: US.

Keep it up.

There will be more polls and endless analysis like this in the lead up to the midterms. You can count on more pain coming from the rubble of our White House and bought-off Supreme Court. But for today … just today … Why not enjoy this good news, while we navigate through the mayhem that is Trump’s America?

D. Earl Stephens is the author of “Toxic Tales: A Caustic Collection of Donald J. Trump’s Very Important Letters” and finished up a 30-year career in journalism as the Managing Editor of Stars and Stripes. You can find all his work here, and follow him on Bluesky here.