A new Quinnipiac Poll shows the Democrat Party and its policy platform are the most unpopular they have ever been since the organization started asking about individual political parties in 2008.
The poll also shows President Trump begins his second term stronger than the first and that his strong stance on border issues is very popular. Trump is starting his second term in the White House with a job approval rating ten points higher than at the start of his first presidential term.
A majority of voters (54%) say they are generally optimistic about the next four years with Trump as president.
Democrats, on the other hand, besides taking a beating at the polls in November losing the White House and both Houses of Congress, are also polling at new lows with voters. The Democrat Party has a 57% “unfavorable opinion” with voters. This is the highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question in 2008.
“I see the Democratic Party is becoming less popular, I feel terrible. I never want to see political parties become less popular, you know,” said Gerry Kassar, Chairman of the New York State Conservative Party, with a wry smile that could be ‘heard’ through the phone.
Meanwhile, Forty-three percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, while 45% have an unfavorable opinion. This is the highest percentage of voters having a favorable opinion of the Republican Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question.
“When you campaign and you consistently bring out an out-of-touch message, you're going to eventually see that trickle down into the general support for your political party,” said Kassar when asked why the Democrats keep doubling down of far-left policies and rhetoric that have been so clearly rejected by voters – many voters that used to be in their camp. “It is an increase clearly in some strength among Republican voters, but there's also an increase in strength among people that feel most comfortable calling themselves Independents.”
Democrats have a window to listen to voters and take a policy turn but, it seems for now they can't admit that they got it wrong. They are doubling down on, on what have been shown to be unpopular ideas.
Kassar added that 12 years ago or so you couldn’t say that everything they're saying was unpopular, but as time went by, the truth came out that some of these ideas were just not what people wanted to hear and did not believe they were in their best interest.”
Liberals shouldn't become Conservatives, and Conservatives shouldn’t become Liberals, “but you can move within the greater framework to better connect with people,” said Kassar.
Opposition to an open border is also a huge issue in the minds of Americans. A majority of voters (60%) say they approve of sending U.S. troops to the southern border to enforce border security. Independents (57%), an important voting block in this last election, also approve.
More than 4 in 10 voters (44%) support deporting all illegal immigrants to their home countries.
"The huge deployment of boots on the ground is not to a dicey, far away war theater, but to the American border. And, a majority of voters are just fine with that," Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.