Poll results released on Friday, following this week’s first Republican presidential debate of 2024, show that a majority of independent voters and those across the political spectrum supported the key Republican Party positions raised during the event , disagree.
While former US President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s front-runner, skippedFoxEight candidates participated in the debate: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Progressive think tank Data for Progress found that 67% of all likely voters — including 85% Democrats, 67% Independents, and 49% Republicans — oppose closing the US Department of Education, a plan advocated by Burgum, DeSantis, Pence and Ramaswamy.
Meanwhile, Christie and Scott have targeted organized educators, with the senator declaring in Wednesday’s debate that “the only way to change education in this country is to break the back of teachers’ unions.”
But, as Data for Progress noted, that position is unpopular with voters: 58% of respondents — including 78% Democrats, 54% Independents and 39% Republicans — said they oppose the dissolution of teachers’ unions.
The group also noted that a majority of voters oppose requiring citizens to pass a poll test before voting, that US forces are being sent to Mexico to fight drug cartels, and that Trump is against everyone against him criminal charges brought will be pardoned.
Trump – who recorded an interview with former Fox Moderator Tucker Carlson as a counter-program to the debate – faces 91 charges in four ongoing cases. He was first charged in April in connection with the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into alleged hush money payments during the 2016 election cycle.
The former president also faces federal charges in connection with two investigations led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, one into classified documents and another into his efforts to overturn the last presidential election. Trump’s failed attempt to redeem his 2020 defeat is also the subject of the case in Fulton County, Georgia, in which he was indicted Thursday.
On Wednesday night, all candidates except Christie and Hutchinson signaled they would support Trump if he were selected as the party’s 2024 nominee, even if he were convicted of a crime, and some are even willing to consider or grant a pardon . Data for Progress found that 52% of voters — including 83% Democrats, 53% Independents and 17% Republicans — would oppose such a pardon.
As shared dreamsAs reported Thursday, during the debate, several candidates voiced their support for various forced pregnancy measures, including a federal ban on abortion. A majority of all voters polled, 48%, told Data for Progress that they would not support a 15-week national abortion ban; This included 70% Democrats, 47% Independents, and 25% Republicans.
“The first Republican debate was nothing more than a race to the bottom. The big candidates failed to scare off independent voters and failed to offer voters a positive vision for America’s future,” said Danielle Deiseroth, executive director of Data for Progress in a statement.
“Rather than reversing the gains made during the Biden administration, voters would rather see our country boost clean energy production, expand Medicare and Medicaid, and increase taxes on corporations and the wealthy,” Deiseroth added.
Specifically, 77% of all voters — including 93% Democrats, 76% Independents and 62% Republicans — support expanding clean energy production in the United States, according to the poll. Likewise, 72% are in favor of combating climate change.
Additionally, Data for Progress found that 93% support lowering prescription drug prices, 88% support holding big tech accountable to the law, 84% support improving access to affordable housing, 76% support it , Medicaid and Medicare to more people, and 75% tax increases for corporations and the wealthy.
Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are seeking re-election and — with few major challengers to the presidency — are expected to run against Republican Party candidates next year.
Harris said during Wednesday’s debate, “each extremist Republican candidate, one by one, set out a vision for an America that is less just, less free and less secure. These candidates want to raise costs for working families to help special interests” and the super-rich. Expand Social Security and Medicare. Depriving millions of people of fundamental rights and freedoms. And reverse the Bidenomics strategy that has helped create 13 million jobs, the strongest two years of small business creation in history and in history – low unemployment.”
“President Biden and I will continue to grow the economy from the bottom up and from the middle and build a nation where all people can truly thrive,” she pledged. “We are totally focused on finishing the work we started: creating good jobs, cutting costs, repairing America’s roads and bridges, creating a clean energy economy, protecting a woman’s right to make decisions about their own bodies, to keep our children safe from gun violence and to ensure that all Americans can dream big and big about their future.
Source : www.commondreams.org