New York Times readers awoke Monday morning to disheartening news. The lead story, top right above the fold, three weeks out from the November 8 midterm elections was headlined, “G.O.P. Gains Edge in Poll as Economy Sways Voters”, with a subhead of “Democrats See Drop in Independents and Women.” Perhaps the most brutal news in the New York Times/Siena poll was the shift by independent women from supporting Democrats by 14 points in September to supporting Republicans by 18 points. Republicans lead the generic Congressional preference 49-45 percent a switch from September when Democrats led by one point.
Democrats have campaigned hard in recent months on abortion, yet the poll shows only five percent saying abortion is their most important issue with a combined 44 percent saying the economy inflation is their top concern. Among women, abortion is named by nine percent while the economy/inflation is tops at a combined 38 percent.
Not in the lede was Donald Trump topping Joe Biden among likely voters in the poll’s 2024 presidential preference question, 45 to 44 percent even though the poll also shows Trump’s favorable/unfavorable at 43/52.
Biden’s approve/disapprove is 39/58. Among independents Biden’s approve/disapprove is 33/63.
TRENDING: BREAKING: DOJ Recommending Steve Bannon Be Sentenced to Six Months in Prison
Right track/wrong track is 24/64.
Cross tabs at this link. “Methodology – The New York Times/Siena College poll of 792 registered voters nationwide was conducted in English and Spanish on cellular and landline telephones from Oct. 9 to 12, 2022. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.0 percentage points for registered voters and +/- 4.1 percentage points for the likely electorate.”
Tweets from reporters highlighting the poll:
The Times notes that rounding makes the GOP lead four percent when it is closer to three percent. With the dramatic shift in momentum to Republicans, that may be a distinction without a difference come election day.