undefined | Better HN

0 pointspupppet20d ago0 comments

Approval ratings should be far lower than this.

0 comments

Agreed but we also have to stop saying "the majority support this" or "half the country supports this" it ain't true and leads people to feel hopeless.

ryandrake20d ago

Yet, if we re-did the election today, we'd have the same outcome. People might not support what is happening but they will never "vote for the other guy." I personally know people who disagree with everything that's going on, but they'll still vote (R) next time "because I'm a (R)," as if it's their intrinsic physical trait like hair color.

sumeno20d ago

The special elections that have been happening don't agree with this hypothesis. Dems are currently outperforming Harris by 30+ point margins even in places like Texas

cfloyd20d ago

This is a good analysis but I’ll say at least for me, it has been a lesser of two evils scenario. Both parties have some really crazy ideas and platforms. I loathe the two party system for this reason.

1 more reply

FireBeyond19d ago

Right. I realize Australia is not perfect, and from my visits back there to visit family, I know it's gotten more polarized, but when I moved to the US at 28, in the early 2000s, there was still the prevailing opinion that you could go to the pub, argue all night long with some bloke about politics while drinking beers together and still be mates, while here...

"I'd rather be dead than friends with a liberal", and such tropes.

mrbombastic20d ago

I am not confident that is as cut and dried as you are putting forth, there have been massive swings in heavily red districts the other way for special elections in the last few months and Republican polling is abysmal.

noisy_boy20d ago

If only they were willing to change their affiliations as easily as they do change their hair color.

Retric20d ago

Elections are decided as much by who shows up as who each individual supports.

If the election was held tomorrow it’s likely many people that voted for Trump wouldn’t go, and many people who didn’t care enough to show up would.

1 more reply

JumpCrisscross20d ago

> if we re-did the election today, we'd have the same outcome

Doubtful. The faithful will always be idiots. But around them are vast seas of folks who change their minds and even switch parties. Between foreign policy, vaccines (weirdly, not being nutter enough) and Noem turning ICE into a pageant show, a lot of Trump voters feel betrayed. It’s why the House flipping is almost a given.

wat1000020d ago

"The majority" I'll grant you, but I'd say 43.4% is close enough to "half" for these purposes. It's only a touch lower than his poll numbers right before the election.

Compare with Kier Starmer, who as of this writing has not sent armed goons into his own cities, wrecked all of his international trade and tourism, alienated his allies, or once again invaded the Middle East. His approval rating is about 20%!

nradov20d ago

Well Starmer giving away the Diego Garcia military base has certainly alienated at least one ally.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-calls-uks-chagos-...

1 more reply

iso163120d ago

44% is "about half"

If you had 1000 coins and put them into two piles one of 440 and one of 560 it would be "about half"

But if your argument is that only 154 million people support this government and that's fine because if it was 174 million there'd be a problem, then sure.

epistasis20d ago

Yes, and a major reason they aren't lower is because of tech executives that control the media and mass communication in the US.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

mrbombastic20d ago

Agreed but we also have to stop saying "the majority support this" or "half the country supports this" it ain't true and leads people to feel hopeless.

ryandrake20d ago

sumeno20d ago

The special elections that have been happening don't agree with this hypothesis. Dems are currently outperforming Harris by 30+ point margins even in places like Texas

cfloyd20d ago

1 more reply

FireBeyond19d ago

"I'd rather be dead than friends with a liberal", and such tropes.

mrbombastic20d ago

noisy_boy20d ago

If only they were willing to change their affiliations as easily as they do change their hair color.

Retric20d ago

Elections are decided as much by who shows up as who each individual supports.

If the election was held tomorrow it’s likely many people that voted for Trump wouldn’t go, and many people who didn’t care enough to show up would.

1 more reply

JumpCrisscross20d ago

> if we re-did the election today, we'd have the same outcome

wat1000020d ago

"The majority" I'll grant you, but I'd say 43.4% is close enough to "half" for these purposes. It's only a touch lower than his poll numbers right before the election.

nradov20d ago

Well Starmer giving away the Diego Garcia military base has certainly alienated at least one ally.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-calls-uks-chagos-...

1 more reply

iso163120d ago

44% is "about half"

If you had 1000 coins and put them into two piles one of 440 and one of 560 it would be "about half"

But if your argument is that only 154 million people support this government and that's fine because if it was 174 million there'd be a problem, then sure.

epistasis20d ago

Yes, and a major reason they aren't lower is because of tech executives that control the media and mass communication in the US.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse