The campaign is revealing what Republican voters want


The Times of the 2016 Presidential Campaign: How American voters feel about the Trump legacy and the state of the United States and what they want from their leaders

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The left a crucial middle bloc that was Trump-friendly but also open to another choice, and it was 40% of the party. These were those Republicans who mostly hadn’t voted for Trump in the early primaries in 2016, who had regarded him as the lesser of two evils during his tilt with Hillary Clinton, but who had gradually become more authentically favorable toward him over the course of his presidency — because of the judges he appointed, because of the strength of the economy, because they reacted against the hysteria of his liberal opponents, or just because of the alchemy of partisan identification.

It was always clear, going into 2024, that a large minority of the Republican primary electorate would vote for Donald Trump no matter what — including, in the event of his untimely passing, for the former president’s reanimated corpse or his A.I. simulation. The smaller bloc preferred a Republican before Trump and now has become the Haley constituency.

If Ron DeSantis were to win the Republican nomination, it will be a triumph of a simple, intuitive, but possibly mistaken idea: Voters should be told what they actually want from their leaders.

The values that are left of center are in danger because of the leaders that have given license to intolerance and conspiracy, while not having the support of the majority of the country. They’re tired of what they see as minority rule. Democrats have won seven of the last eight popular votes in presidential elections, but only five presidencies in that time.

Conservatives don’t think a country is changing for the better. They see the culture as too liberal, weak and enabling — with too many who talk down the good qualities of the country.

What is the 2024 election all about, anyway? Why is the country divided on who should vote? How does the Republican presidential primary fight in the 1980s impact on American society?

Since 1824, when the popular vote was first tracked, there have only been four times since that time that a candidate has gotten more than 60 percent of the vote.

The country is sharply divided on that. America has always been split on who should lead it. Since 1984, a presidential candidate hasn’t got more than 50% in an election.

There is a particular volatility in American society. The country is undergoing significant change that includes economics, technology and culture.

Presidents can affect social policy, through the courts and legislation, that can reshape the country. They can either start the wars or embrace the role of leadership on the world stage.

Iowans will brave the cold to vote in the first election of the year. And that’s a word — consequential — that gets thrown around a lot when it comes to political campaigns.

Voters are going to have the say in the presidential election starting Monday after more than a year of campaigning, door-knocking and a massive amount of ad spending.

There is a major wild card and it could introduce some unforeseen surprises in the presidential election, which is set to start Monday with a Republican primary fight that features two of their own trying to challenge Trump as the leader of the party despite his leads in the polls.

Could it mean an increase in protest votes? If both Biden and Trump become the nominees, it would definitely be possible. There are already several third-party candidates running for office, who are threatening to peel off votes from both men.

Could it mean a decline in participation? Well, despite negative partisanship, voter turnout has only increased since the closely divided 2000 election. Anger, after all, is a key motivator.

Source: What is the 2024 election all about, anyway?

The American Dream: Why President Biden is Disgraced and How Americans Think about the Government and the State of the Economy: An Empirical Analysis

Despite Trump’s popularity with his base, majorities of everyone else think the former president, who is facing 91 criminal counts, has done something illegal.

They’re upset with the president because they giving him low approval on everything from the economy to immigration. At the same point in his presidency, Biden’s approval rating was the lowest since Truman.

They are less confident in the institutions that have been pillars of American society and democracy, at near-record lows in their trust in government – and it’s only gotten worse.

They are unhappy with the country’s direction. Just 1 in 5 said they’re satisfied with the direction of the country, according to Gallup, though they rate how things are going in their own personal lives much higher.

Voters in the “middle” do not agree on a lot of issues. According to the research center, the country is comprised of eight to nine distinct political ideologies and self-identifying independents have very little in common politically.

The increase in those calling themselves independent is a mirage. It doesn’t really reflect how they vote, merely the decline in the party’s brands.

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, neither party was well liked by the vast majority of Americans.