The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Survey of the Democratic Party: The Challenge of Biden’s 2020 Campaign Against the Republican Dilemma

The economy continues to dominate as the most important issue facing the country, followed by preserving democracy, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

The Democrats have vulnerabilities when it comes to the economy, crime, and whether or not to ban TikTok, while the Republicans have vulnerabilities when it comes to trans rights and business practices.

“The image of the Republican Party has gotten even more extreme than it was” before the 2020 election, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the survey. If winning the election is predicated on getting some swing voters in the middle, they’re moving in the opposite direction.

As much as the progressive wing allows President Biden some freedom to move toward the middle, he is not where he wants to be, and that’s a problem for the Democrats.

The survey was conducted by live phone calls to cell phones and landlines during the week of March 20 through March 23, and also by online research panels and text message in English and Spanish. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points, meaning results have a range of about 4 points lower or higher than the number reported.

There was no other issue in double-digits. Health care was third at 9%, then immigration and climate change. Crime, gun policy, abortion and education rounded out the topics people were asked about.

The policy priorities, as expected, are different by party — with Republicans and independents more focused on the economy and Democrats saying preserving democracy is tops, followed by the economy, health care and climate change.

On crime, Biden is particularly vulnerable. Just 35% approve of how he’s handling it, including just 27% of independents. There is a lack of approval across some key Democratic coalition groups, like nonwhites and people under 45.

Although crime doesn’t register as a top issue in polls, it’s a real threat to most communities and isn’t an issue that’s overblown by politicians as a way to win votes.

That includes 58% of Democrats and 7 in 10 independents. Notably, nonwhites, who are a pillar Democratic group, are among the most likely to say it’s a real threat. That’s in line with several core groups vital to former President Donald Trump’s political fortunes — whites without college degrees, white evangelical Christians and people who live in small towns.

Republican governors, legislatures and candidates across the country have focused on gender identity issues, something they see as a political wedge issue.

There is some evidence for that — 50% in the 2022 midterm exit polls, for example, said society’s values on gender identity and sexual orientation are changing for the worse.

There was an increase in support for criminalizing medical care of gender transition-related disorders for minor children in April of 2021, from 28% to 43% now. Almost all of the Republicans are in favor of it.

There is also a big split between parents of children who are under 18 and those without kids — 59% of parents support criminalizing the practice, while 59% of people who aren’t parents are opposed.

What’s more, a majority of respondents said they oppose laws that would restrict drag shows or performances in their states. In less than a month, Tennessee passed a bill to do that, while other states are trying to do the same.

But the majority is not on their side — 58% oppose such laws. Republicans, on yet another issue, stand out against the majority, as 61% support these laws. Only a quarter of Democrats and fewer than 10% of independents do.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/29/1166486046/poll-economy-inflation-transgender-rights-republicans-democrats-biden

A Democratic Senator’s Perspective on the Environmental, Social and Inclusion-Preserving Practices of Companies: The Case Against TikTok

The majority of respondents think it is more important to invest in companies that make money, but care about the environment and society, than in companies that make the most money.

More than a third of Republicans choose to invest with companies that are conscious of the environment and society. Many in the GOP have made ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practices in companies bogey men.

Some Republicans blamed the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, for example, on these practices, when, in reality, the bank’s collapse was the result of bad investments, increased interest rates and depositors asking for their money back.

A majority of Democrats and independents agree that it is a basic right to have health care.

The generational divide is a thing that stands out on this question and is something that “government” continues to be the best of. Three-quarters of members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations say it’s the government’s responsibility, but just 60% of Gen Xers do, followed by 56% of Baby Boomers and 49% of the Silent/Greatest generation.

The finding is yet another example of younger Americans being more likely to want the government to step in on pocketbook issues, like raising taxes on the wealthy to help close the national debt and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Paul is a lawmaker who supports TikTok. A small group of House Democrats held a press conference to oppose the ban on TikTok.

There’s a generational divide here, which is to be expected, considering younger Americans are more likely to use the app. Gen Z and Millennials, though they are split, are less likely to support a ban, and they are far less likely to see it as a national security threat.

“I hope saner minds will reflect on which is more dangerous: videos of teenagers dancing, or the precedent of the US government banning speech,” Paul said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Paul’s remarks followed an attempt by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) to ban TikTok nationwide on the Senate floor Wednesday. Earlier this year, Hawley, a long-time China hawk, introduced the No TikTok on United States Devices Act, a bill that would direct the president to ban use of the app on US devices, including those belonging to consumers.

“I can be darn sure that there is no special First Amendment carve-out for communists,” Hawley said, responding to Paul’s objections Wednesday. “Now the First Amendment may protect dance videos. Sure, upload those all you want. The right to spy on Americans is not protected by the First Amendment.

A day before the House Energy and Commerce Committee was to hear testimony from the CEO of TikTok, it was held a press conference. Throughout the hearing, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle voiced deep concerns over the app and its potential to harm national security.