# Trump Approval Hits 50% **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2017, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676 "2017-04-17T23:06:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/21 "2017-04-18T03:25:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m getting flashbacks to 2016 and the immediate SDMB rejection of any poll numbers that showed Trump doing well. > > But this time, it’s different. > > Right? Just speaking for myself here, my opinion of Mr. Trump has never rested on poll numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/22 "2017-04-18T03:57:00Z")
How about we use poll numbers _and_ protest marches in determining popularity? Even at the lowest levels of poll ratings for Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, and Regan, were there corresponding nationwide reoccurring protests as well? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/23 "2017-04-18T05:01:14Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Just speaking for myself here, my opinion of Mr. Trump has never rested on poll numbers. nor mine. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/24 "2017-04-18T05:32:49Z")
I live in a red state and most of the Republicans I know IRL think Trump is kicking ass and taking names. They blame Paul Ryan for the failure to repeal the ACA. At most they’ll say that Trump should stop tweeting so much or that he uses too much hyperbole which only gives ammo to liberals who want to take him out of context. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/25 "2017-04-18T10:34:57Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m getting flashbacks to 2016 and the immediate SDMB rejection of any poll numbers that showed Trump doing well. > > But this time, it’s different. > > Right? People already explained their reasoning further up the thread. If you have a problem with those reasons, why not explain them instead of just insinuating that people are making up reasons to fit their preconceived ideas? I cannot recall any discussion where “But this time it’s different” has been remotely useful. It’s just a thought terminating cliche. Because, generally, different events are different. It’s up to those asserting they are the same to establish that. The issue here is that Rasmussen is an outlier, and thus its 50% number is misleading. It’s not a big a change as it would seem. You cannot parse polls by looking at individual numbers. Is it possible it captures an upward trend for Trump? Sure. But it’s not as high as the OP would lead you to believe. I don’t see rthe need to insinuate anything in response to that. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/26 "2017-04-18T11:09:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I cannot recall any discussion where “But this time it’s different” has been remotely useful. It’s just a thought terminating cliche. Because, generally, different events are different. It’s up to those asserting they are the same to establish that. > > The issue here is that Rasmussen is an outlier, and thus its 50% number is misleading. It’s not a big a change as it would seem. You cannot parse polls by looking at individual numbers. > > Is it possible it captures an upward trend for Trump? Sure. But it’s not as high as the OP would lead you to believe. I don’t see rthe need to insinuate anything in response to that. I usually try to conform my posts to areas in which you see the need to offer an opinion, but this time, I decided to try out my own sense of need. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/27 "2017-04-18T11:47:30Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Somebody liked [Heil Honey, I’m Home](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heil_Honey_I%27m_Home!) as well. > > There’s another data point for you. I’m seeing a musical out of all this. - Springtime for Trumpster and America! Nuclear winter for Korea and Japan! Springtime for Kushner and Ivanka! Come on, alt-righties, go ahead and spooge your pants! \* Stranger ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/28 "2017-04-18T13:30:31Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m getting flashbacks to 2016 and the immediate SDMB rejection of any poll numbers that showed Trump doing well. > > But this time, it’s different. > > Right? The poll numbers turned out to be pretty accurate. I don’t know why people keep forgetting that. The aggregate of the polls was that she’d get about 2, maybe 3 percent more popular votes, and that is precisely what happened. The thing is, you don’t win the election with popular votes. You also don’t win or lose elections with popularity levels. I don’t see why it’s unreasonable to think Trump has poor popularity levels - most Americans didn’t want him to have the job in the first place, and his first three months in office have been largely devoid of successes and filled with gaffes. But it doesn’t change anything. The only polls that matter are the ones held by the states and DC every fourth November. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/29 "2017-04-18T17:12:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The issue here is that Rasmussen is an outlier, and thus its 50% number is misleading. It’s not a big a change as it would seem. You cannot parse polls by looking at individual numbers. > [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > I’ll point this difference out between Rasmussen and the rest of the pack. As far as I know they are the only ones applying a likely voter screen on their presidential approval poll. Every other poll is either registered voters or adults. It’s not really an apples to apples comparison. > > Rasmussen says 50% of **likely voters** approve of the job Trump is doing while Gallup says 41% of **adults** approve of the job Trump is doing. It is possible that they are both perfectly accurate since they are not answering the same question. Note: I copied these quotes out of order from their original appearance in this thread. The problem with the CNN article, and many media attempts to compare polls, is that they have no freaking clue (or simply don’t care) about poll details and methodology. **Lance Turbo** points out why 2 of the polls can’t be compared, yet CNN does it anyway. We don’t know from cites here whether the Rasmussen result is an outlier or not. We do know that they polled a different pool of people, which will almost always result in different numbers. That says absolutely nothing about the veracity of the results. Sorry, I do data analysis for a living and these things drive me batty. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/30 "2017-04-18T17:45:19Z")
I’m not at all surprised. Americans love war and violence. We don’t like complicated diplomacy and politics. We like big bombs and missiles dropping on our enemies. ---
**Author:** ![Beren\_Erchamion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90ced4/32.png) [@Beren\_Erchamion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beren_Erchamion)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/31 "2017-04-18T18:08:33Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > How about we use poll numbers _and_ protest marches in determining popularity? Even at the lowest levels of poll ratings for Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, and Regan, were there corresponding nationwide reoccurring protests as well? B-b-b-b-but (((George Soros))) wasn’t funding protests during the Bushes or Reagan years, and of course he’s not going to fund protests against his best friend the Obamunist! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/32 "2017-04-18T18:13:55Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Do you really expect that to change? I mean even many of the few conservatives here who might be taking a little vicarious pleasure in liberal tears didn’t vote for the man. And even if you were to eventually convert every one of those “I’m a conservative, but Trump is a buffoon” voters into pro-Trump boosters, you still wouldn’t hit 50% on the SDMB. It’s a strongly left-leaning board and astorian’s recent musing in GD aside, I really don’t think the left will ever embrace Trump. > > I mean, I’m pretty sure I won’t . No I do not really expect things to change. Not overnight or even in the next year or two. I do however like to enter into civil discussions sharing differing ideas and viewpoints. I like to learn from the other side, and see if my position needs adjusting, and I also like to share my viewpoints to see if I can help to expand the discussion and perhaps do some enlightening. I do not however, want to participate in any junior high-ish name calling and cheap word bomb throwing from what I consider to be scaredy-cats hiding behind their mama’s skirts. Or at least hiding behind a keyboard and monitor. I’ve seen a lot of that on the Dope, and I’m not talking Pit either. I try not to do that myself, but I’m afraid there were probably times where I have. But I do try to avoid that. As for this thread, it has so far been pretty good, pretty civil. So if we can have a civil discussion (and hey maybe some good-natured ribbing too, as long as the sarcasm is clear or at least with smileys) then I’m all for it. If my ribbing and sarcasm goes too far please let me know. But if not a civil discussion then I’m not interested. I am not out to change others’ opinions, although if people have things of interest to share then that is cool. And if I have things of interest then it would be nice and polite if people acknowledge that too. And not I’m not looking for any “poor me, please love me” crap. Just mutual respect, going both ways. I hope that’s not too much to ask? Can we agree to disagree? That type of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/33 "2017-04-18T18:24:09Z")
As long as he keeps killing foreigners, Trump’s numbers will go up. Why do you think he’s been eyeing North Korea lately? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/34 "2017-04-18T18:26:57Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I am not out to change others’ opinions, although if people have things of interest to share then that is cool. And if I have things of interest then it would be nice and polite if people acknowledge that too. And not I’m not looking for any “poor me, please love me” crap. Just mutual respect, going both ways. I hope that’s not too much to ask? Can we agree to disagree? That type of thing. I can’t see how there can be “mutual respect” when dealing with a Trump supporter. The bastard could put _ **me** _ on the Supreme Court and I’d still not be able to say a nice thing about him. I will try to be nice and polite, but really? Trump? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/35 "2017-04-18T20:19:33Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I can’t see how there can be “mutual respect” when dealing with a Trump supporter. The bastard could put _ **me** _ on the Supreme Court and I’d still not be able to say a nice thing about him. I will try to be nice and polite, but really? Trump? Less snarkily, we’re talking about a man with no respect for (or apparent knowledge of) the Constitution, who got his position by apealing to racism, xenophobia, bigotry, misogyny, sexism, violence, class warfare, lies, lies, lies, lies, falsehoods, lies, and appealing to an appalling lack of basic human decency-- and certainly made no attempt on his part to “see the other side” or achieve “mutual respect.” There are lines I’m not willing to cross. He’s so far on the other side of several of them that there’s no middle ground to be had. When his supporters start agreeing to basic reality rather than invented paranoid fantasies, _then_ I’m ready to talk. If his approval numbers are really going up (which I doubt, except for noise in the system), that’s reinforcing my belief that people suck, not trying to tell me I should be more accepting of the other side’s hateful views. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/36 "2017-04-18T20:25:46Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > … > > I do not however, want to participate in any junior high-ish name calling and cheap word bomb throwing from what I consider to be scaredy-cats hiding behind their mama’s skirts. … It sure _sounds_ like you dont! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/37 "2017-04-20T11:07:01Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I can’t see how there can be “mutual respect” when dealing with a Trump supporter. The bastard could put _ **me** _ on the Supreme Court and I’d still not be able to say a nice thing about him. I will try to be nice and polite, but really? Trump? The election, as is usual, came down to choosing between the lesser of two evils. I hate Trump less than I hate Clinton. That does not make me a Trump supporter, he has many flaws. But Clinton had more flaws. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/38 "2017-04-20T11:08:01Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > It sure _sounds_ like you dont! Explain, please? ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/39 "2017-04-20T11:12:55Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > … the other side’s hateful views. I am not a hater. All of the other people I know of who voted for Trump are not haters, and some of them are non-white (like me), and females. I am certain that many many who cast a vote for Trump are not haters. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676/40 "2017-04-20T11:16:04Z")
> [@](#): > > **cheap word bomb throwing** from what I consider to be **scaredy-cats hiding behind their mama’s skirts** > [@bobot](#): > > It sure _sounds_ like you dont! > [@Bullitt](#): > > Explain, please? Are you serious? You need that explained? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-approval-hits-50/784676.md?page=3)