Voters Support Continuing Resolution

Scott Rasmussen sent me his latest poll, and it shows that 55% of voters support passage of the Continuing Resolution, including almost 80% of Republicans. 

If you look at how Scott describes the question, which in itself is fair, I can understand why even a fairly large fraction of Democrats approved of passing the CR. It describes what the Democrats are calling huge meataxe cuts as “slowing the growth” of government and increasing the security of the border.

That is true, but you could also describe the bill in myriad ways that seem far less attractive while also saying only things that are true. While Democrat catastrophizing is hyperbolic, Thomas Massie’s description of the bill as more or less business as usual is equally true. 

Sorry, Scott, I call ’em as I see ’em. 

This isn’t a push poll or intended to be biased, but it is impossible to word a question about a bill that nobody understands without picking and choosing a way to describe it. Asking “who will you vote for?” is a simple question with a binary answer. Asking “what do you think about the theory of quantum gravity” is rooting around in the dark because 90% of your poll sample is flummoxed by the question. 

The CR is more like quantum gravity than voting preference. Few people understand what it means aside from avoiding a “government shutdown.”

Still, we do learn something important: Trump is winning the argument in public. This question is much more a proxy for the question, “Whose judgment do you trust on making policy, Trump or his opponents?” It’s pretty clear that Trump is winning the argument there with Republicans and even some Democrats. 

Which brings me to a different Napolitan News polling question, which is approval of Trump. And Trump is still doing quite well in that poll. 

Trump’s approval in Scott’s poll is still strong, despite the nonstop attacks from the Democrats and Pravda Media. He is being given a lot of leeway despite the undeniable sense of chaos caused by Trump’s frantic pace and occasional swerves that are not easy to grasp. Even Republicans who are not full-on MAGA but support Trump are often nervous about all the chaos and criticism, but they are determined to give him leeway to make his reforms. 

People understand in a way they did not previously that Trump dodges and weaves because he looks solely to getting positive outcomes and cares less about ensuring the path he takes is steady. If it takes pissing people off and blowing things up to achieve his goals, then have at it Donald. 

And one of the results people want, desperately, is a radical reform of the federal government. 

Trump is less vulnerable on the issue of slashing government spending and employment for a simple reason: people don’t buy the argument that slashing government means less service and worse governing. Quite the opposite. People believe the government is corrupt. 

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of voters believe there is a lot of corruption in the federal government. A Napolitan News survey found that another 23% believe there is a little corruption. Only 6% of voters say there in no corruption or almost no corruption.

Twenty-five percent (25%) of voters say that bureaucrats who lead federal agencies are more corrupt that CEOs of large corporations, while 20% say CEOs are more corrupt. Fifty-two percent (52%) say the two groups are equally corrupt.

To which I say: “Well, duh.” Local, State, and the federal government are extraordinarily corrupt, and those of us who have paid attention have known this for a long time. 

Governments are always corrupt to some extent. Concentrate money and power, and corruption follows. Suppose a bookkeeper at a small business might steal $20,000. How much will people steal from a multi-trillion dollar behemoth, especially when the very people who are supposed to root out and punish the corruption are part of the scheme? 

Trump still has some political room to maneuver, and is more willing than most to spend political capital to reach his goals. His critics rely on people’s natural impulse to feel comfortable with the Devil they know than the Devil they don’t, but dissatisfaction with governance has reached a point where people are OK with Trump moving fast and breaking things. 

The alternative is living with a declining standard of living, a debt crisis on the horizon, and increasing authoritarianism. 

Trump is ramping up the pressure on the CR because he is looking for room to focus on his goals. People like me and Thomas Massie are frustrated that, once again, spending is going up. 

But we have no choice but to trust that Trump knows what he is doing. 

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