Donald Trump would be on track to win a historic landslide in November — if so many US voters didn’t find him personally repugnant.

Roughly 53 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of the former president. And yet, when asked about Trump’s ability to handle key issues — or the impact of his policies — voters routinely give the Republican candidate higher marks than President Biden.

In a YouGov survey released this month, Trump boasted an advantage over Biden on 10 of the 15 issues polled. On the three issues that voters routinely name as top priorities — the economy, immigration, and inflation — respondents said that Trump would do a better job by double-digit margins.

Meanwhile, in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, 40 percent of voters said that Trump’s policies had helped them personally, while just 18 percent said the same of Biden. If Americans could elect a normal human being with Trump’s reputation for being “tough” on immigration and good at economics, they would almost certainly do so.

Biden is fortunate that voters do not have that option. But to erase Trump’s small but stubborn lead in the polls, the president needs to erode his GOP rival’s advantage on the issues.

  • mwguy
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    8 months ago

    Trumps tax policies benefits the majority of Americans who take a standard deduction. He made sure his name was on the COVID checks and the Child Tax credit checks. He was the President that stopped student loan payments.

    None of these are historically GOP policies but they did help the average person. Trump is pretty good at making sure people know that he’s helping them in some way.

    • FreddyDunningKruger@lemmy.ml
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      8 months ago

      Trump didn’t STOP student loan payments, Trump PAUSED student loan payments. Biden was the President that actually stopped payments by providing real debt relief, while Republicans attempt to block it with all their heart and soul.

      • mwguy
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        8 months ago

        Stop vs. Pause is a distinction without substance when 30% of the population is illiterate, and over 50% can’t read or write at a 6th grade level or above.

        Like I get it, I get what you’re saying and it’s technically correct. But to the rube who’s going to be voting (or at least 30% who will), they just know that under Trump their student loans stopped; and then Biden restarted them.

          • mwguy
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            8 months ago

            You’d be surprised. No Child Left Behind caused a lot of schools to “auto-pass” failing students to get them off of their rolls. And if you pass high school you can almost always get into a lower-tier public school or a community college. Also, you have to combine that with straight-up Scam colleges that accept anybody.

      • laurelraven@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        8 months ago

        And sadly, a lot of voters don’t understand that, just “I got relief from Trump and got it taken away by Biden” and no amount of explaining will get them to see what really happened

    • DrPop@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      The child tax credit checks were for 2021 which was Biden. Also him making sure just name was on the checks created delays and is just an ego things. Also when they doubled the standard deduction they took away exemptions.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        For example, prior to increasing the standard deduction you could deduct a portion of your rent and bills if you worked from home. I used to take advantage of this and ended up owing taxes for the first time thanks to them taking away exemptions. Luckily my alimony is from 2018 or I wouldn’t be able to deduct that anymore either.

      • mwguy
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        8 months ago

        The supermajority of Americans take the standard deduction. You have to understand math to take the other routes. So removing those exemptions was not a negative to the majority of lower and middle class Americans.

        It may have delayed the checks, but the checks stopped under Biden. And that’s what people remember.

        They were paying the credit out early during COVID, not simply including it in your taxes. To the average person it looks like more moola.

        • DrPop@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          As someone who deals with this everyday for work I can tell you the tax cuts and jobs said act of 2018 did not help anybody but those that already had money. The tax returns got"simpler" but as for families they didn’t see that much of a difference or owed more.

      • mwguy
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        8 months ago

        I know that, but most people don’t care (or even worse agree with it). Trans issues are really only popular online; similar to homosexual issues in the 90s/00s.

    • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Trumps tax policies benefits the majority of Americans who take a standard deduction.

      Up until the tax breaks sunset during the Biden admin as it has been I tended to do, making it worse for the majority of Americans.

      Funny enough, THAT is a historically GOP policy: give just enough to make the opposition look bad when you take it away.

      • mwguy
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        8 months ago

        You and I get that. The average person doesn’t. That’s why it’s effective.

    • laverabe@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      It’s unusual this was down voted. I took your statement as to say Trump is better at messaging, and it’s something Biden needs to do better.

      Everyone seemed to take the tone as support for Trump, which doesn’t appear to be the intent.

      • mwguy
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        8 months ago

        What’s more; the majority of Americans don’t vote. Trump realized that if you can convince non-voters to vote you can crush in an election and that’s where the majority of his support has come from. Biden, the Democrats (and honestly the establishment Republicans) still don’t realize or are unwilling to utilize this fact.

        To win; Biden needs to help American’s pocketbooks and do so now.

        Everyone seemed to take the tone as support for Trump, which doesn’t appear to be the intent.

        Ya that’s pretty normal. Trump is the worst president in my lifetime. He should be easy to beat.

      • mwguy
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        8 months ago

        Cram it in your cram whole Lafleur!