Since before the election, voters on both sides of the political aisle have been plenty concerned with Trump’s behavior.
Not only did thin-skinned candidate Trump spew his share of juvenile insults, but his mental capacity and short temper were called into question. As we’re well aware seven months into this administration, those concerns were more than valid.
President Trump is obsessed with Twitter. He routinely tweets embarrassingly petty slams against the mainstream media as well as against those in the GOP who have failed to drink the MAGA Kool-aid. Such a fighter.
Away from his iPhone, the behavior isn’t much better. When he reads from a teleprompter things go well, but honestly, that’s not saying much. Unscripted is another story. Trump remarked three times about the Charlottesville incident and succeeded in only making things worse. His political rallies are all flash and bluster. Essentially, all that Trump is good at doing.
Substance need not apply.
According to the recent George Washington University Battleground Poll, there is a fair amount of concern among voters regarding Trump’s behavior, emphasis mine.
The survey, taken August 13-17, found a large majority of voters — 71 percent — agreed his “behavior is not what I expect from a president” (27 percent disagreed), and 68 percent agreed his “words and actions could get us accidentally involved in an international conflict” (29 percent disagreed).
Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the registered voters polled said the country is on the wrong track, and a majority (56 percent) had an unfavorable view of President Trump (41 percent favorable). A similar number disapproved of the job he’s doing as president (55 percent), while 42 percent approved, and 56 percent also said he has not been effective as the president, while 39 percent said he has been effective.
“The Battleground Poll data show that more Americans object to President Trump’s character than his agenda,” said GW Associate Professor of Political Management Michael Cornfield. “If there is anything approaching a consensus in today’s sharply divided America, it’s that Trump speaks and behaves inappropriately given the office he holds.”
To be sure, Trump’s character is questionable, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Before and during the campaign, and already during his brief stint in the Oval Office, he could never be confused with someone who is presidential. Yes, he’s the president, but his antics, attitudes, and words chip away at the decorum of the office.
[Disclaimer for the MAGA fans: stating this doesn’t mean that I believe Obama was entirely presidential or that I believe Hillary would have been.]
Do we see these polls numbers improving? That would mostly depend on whether President Trump begins conducting himself in an appropriate manner. Sure, it’s entertaining, but an Entertainer-in-Chief is not what we need right now, is it?
Donald Trump’s demeanor is an issue for voters, and it should be. The president of the United States should conduct himself in an acceptable manner. He should not give in to every whim and attack others. He should strive to be a stable leader in an ever-changing world.
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