Where Has the Love Gone? The Future of the American Political Duopoly

 America’s love affair with partisan politics (if there really was one) appears to be over for good. The Democrats, once the harbinger of inclusivity, has found itself mired in mediocrity and lacking in leadership, is able to maintain relevance through Identity politics.  I guess that’s what happens when you run out of ideas and don’t have a very deep bench.

The Republican Party, as a result has benefited, especially in America’s heartland and  in particular, at state and local levels. Yet, its support seems to rest on the last vestiges of a fading demographic white, mostly male, middle class voters, and there is a subtle cold and callous undertone to their call for austerity and “making America great again” by cutting back on social security and the public social safety net but continuing to spend more money on the military than the next ten nations (including China, UK, India, France, and Russia) combined!   

However, neither those who agitate on the Left or Right are satisfied with what their side is offering. The result is an America more deeply and widely divided than at any time since the years proceeding the Civil War.  Some ominously predict a pending revolution while others anticipate a second civil war at any moment, and still others foresee for a “civil divorce”.

Even during our formative years as a nation there were those among our Founding Fathers who questioned whether we were or could ever become a truly “United States” of America. We were fundamentally too different; a multitude of nations.  Over the subsequent decades and centuries, as millions came to our shores, those divisions have only intensified. Regardless, one thing is for sure. This is not the America our Founders intended. So, lets take a look at our political landscape. Perhaps we can even predict an America just a few years or a decade or two down the road.

First, despite the popular belief that America is a “two party” nation, the truth is that it was never established that way. In fact, the majority of the Founders opposed the creation of political parties, fearing that they could become powerful special interest cliques which would in time weaken the political power of the average citizen through deception and corruption and eventually dominate government (nah. That could never happen…could it?).

Secondly, that we’re only limited to just two parties. In fact, we’ve have numerous political parties. Most have either merged with other parties or simply faded away with whatever particular issues they supported. Today, we have two primary parties---Democrat and Republican, although the Libertarian, Green, and Constitutional parties are formable.

 However, despite their public perception of two differing parties, the fact is they’re more similar than not.  For example, they’re both owned by special interests from Wall Street. Wall Street controls the finances of both parties. It funds their campaigns, their leadership PACs, and sets their agenda. It dictates their domestic and foreign policies (which are not overly dissimilar). The corporate media defines their public persona and influences their political message. Both are legal fictions given the rights of the average citizen…and then some.  They are, in fact, a duopoly of Wall Street. Another thing they have in common is that both are actually minority parties.

According to the most recent polling, Independents are the largest political demographic in the United States with just over 43% of all registered voters not aligning with either the Democrats or Republicans. As an aside, did you know that Independents have been the dominate political demographic since 2011? Meanwhile, the two corporate owned parties are roughly equal with 28% each of the electorate making Independents (erroneously called “swing voters” by some) the literal “kingmakers” of today’s politics.

Something else the Democrats and Republicans have in common is that not many people like them. According to a Pew poll, 65% of registered voters, irrespective of registration, disliked Republican polices. 56% felt the same way about Democrat policies.

A 2025 NBC News Stay Tuned Poll, showed that 71% of Independents disapproved of the direction the Republican Party was going. 91% of Democrats agreed as did 13% of Republicans (could they be the nefarious “RINOs” so hated by GOP hardliners?).

When it came to Democrats, 64% of Independents disapproved of where the Democratic Party was wanting to take the country. 93% of Republicans concurred. Interestingly, so did 22% of Democrats (those nefarious “DINOs” this time).  In short, an overwhelming majority of Americans disapproved of both Democrat and Republican policies.

Amusingly, in 1960, 4% of Democrats and 4% of Republicans said they’d be unhappy if their son or daughter married someone outside of their party affiliation. In 2019, nearly half---45%---of Democrats said they’d be unhappy if their child married someone from a different party. Republicans were apparently a little more open minded. Just 35% said they would object. Today, I suspect they’d be disowned.

Another factor affecting both parties is that they’re losing their base. Demographics in America are constantly changing. Historically, America has been a predominate white European nation since its founding while blacks were considered the largest minority, As a result, legislation and funding was directed accordingly. But that’s all changing.

Today, whites are still the largest racial demographic at 58.4% (white males, often viewed as America's political, social, and economic “powerbrokers” are projected by the Census Bureau to become a de facto minority by the early 2040's).  The second largest population are Hispanics, who comprise 19.5% of the population (that number would likely be higher if all illegal immigrates were included. However, it's  only as an estimate). Black Americans make up just 13.7% of the population. Asians are 6.4%. Those claiming two or more races make up about 3.1% of the population (and growing). Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and others make up under 2%.

Based on projections, sometime in the next 25 years, America will no longer have a majority racial population. Whites and Hispanics are expected to have a near parity. Black percentages are expected to drop while Asians are anticipated to increase along with the number of those of mixed racial ancestry. So, what does that mean?

Well, for starters, it means that limited federal tax dollars are going to be redirected to the group with the most mouths to feed, and that’s going to be Hispanics. So, expect future federal (and likely state) programs will cater more to Hispanics which could increase competition between blacks and Hispanics for federal dollars.

Secondly, there will be an increase in the number of people of Hispanic ancestry being elected to office at all levels as a result of both a growing population and an increased concentration in key districts or dominate state with high electoral votes. So, don’t be surprised to see a Hispanic president in the next 25 years. Also, although historically, there’s been a decrease in ancestral allegiance over generations, that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to Hispanics.

 The reason is that historically, immigration came in waves, thus giving time to integrate into American society, aka the proverbial “melting pot”. Note too, this “absorption” was also encouraged by previous immigrants and society in general as well as newly arriving immigrants had a strong desire to become “Americans” as quickly as possible.

That’s no longer the case. First, the arrival of Hispanic immigrants (legal and illegal) are occurring as such regular rate and volume that there’s little time or opportunity to integrate. Secondly, many have no intention or desire in becoming “Americans”. They are here solely for a payday.  These are economic migrations. As a result, few bother to learn English, the laws, or adopt to customs, values, or traditions. They tend to congregate in their own ethnic enclaves. Many regularly support family back home. Therefore, nearly everything about them remain tied to their native country.

Black Americans have faced a series of serious issues since emancipation which the federal government has attempted to correct through legislation and various taxpayer based programs with varying degrees of success. As federal funding for programs and services are reduced or redirected, along with competition for jobs now being taken by Hispanics, black Americans are going to be forced to struggle harder.

Lastly, the percentage of Asians are growing more rapidly than previously. This is due to the influx of Asians from places like China, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan,  Vietnam, and elsewhere. Another factor is that Asians tend to have large families (as do Hispanics). Thus, in certain areas, especially along the West Coast, Asians could come to represent minority majorities.

This brings us to an interesting question. With Democrats and Republicans shrinking in number, generational dissatisfaction with existing partisan politics (especially among Millennials, Gen Z and facing a declining number of Babyboomers and aging Gen X), what does our political, economic, and social future look like?  Cities, starving for economic  resources, are gobbling up smaller surrounding communities. Corporations are also continuing to gobble up everything they can, thus eliminating or consolidating competition. It already controls the government, and with it, controls funding as well as domestic and foreign policy.

 Technology, especially AI, is already proving to be a double edge sword. It’s provided opportunities for a few while reducing or eliminating jobs thus contributing to the already enormous gulf between the rich and the rest of us. It is also the tool behind our evaporating personal privacy and becoming the ever watchful eye of our emerging surveillance state. It bears mentioning that Millennials and Gen Z, both raised on technology, don’t appear to have the same regard toward privacy as older generations.

As I briefly touched on, the wage/income gap between the elites and the rest of society (which also benefits Congress and others in power) is widening. For instance, did you know that the top 1% control 31% of the nation’s wealth compared to the bottom 50% which controls just 2.6%? From 1979 to 2023, the top 1% saw their wealth grow 182% while the bottom 90% had a growth of 44%. The average CEO makes roughly 334 times that of the average employee.  

Are either of the two corporate owned parties equipped to deal with issues like these over the long term? The Democrats try to maintain power by never saying “no” and kicking the debt can down a short dead end road without a worry about who’s going to pick up the tab. The Republicans hope they can prolong the inevitable by cutting programs affecting the politically weakest and forcing open foreign markets by rook, crook, or rocket. They believe cutting taxes on mega corporations and the wealthy will improve the lot for everyone else.

Neither party are willing or able to make the changes which we need. Besides, it’s not in their vested interests to do so. It’s taken decades crafting the perfect scam. The tune they dance to isn’t the voice of the American voter. It’s sound of vast sums of money played by Wall Street. Corporatism, as under Fascism or Communism, requires a compliant citizenry convinced into surrendering their integrity and wellbeing to a state absent any real accountability, which to me is a lot like an alley cat telling a mouse to “trust me”.  Bon Appetit anybody?

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Political Polarization in the United States

Digging into America’s sour views on both political parties:From the Politics Desk

GOP Holds the Edge in Party Affiliation for Third StraightYear

Wage inequality fell in 2023 amid a strong labor market,bucking long term trends

Corporatism

U.S. Census Bureau: Quick Facts

Partisan Politics drags U.S. towards failed-state status

 

Has the Season of MAGA Finally Arrived? Democrats Struggle for Relevance

Few doubted Donald Trump would win a second term as president. After incumbent President Joe Biden was forced aside due to supposed mental issues, all the Democrats were left with was Vice president Kamala Harris, and few thought she had any chance whatsoever in derailing the MAGA juggernaut, even with the not-so-subtle help of the so-called “impartial” mainstream media.

As Vice President and heir apparent to the Oval Office, Kamala accomplished little, although she did achieve the distinction of having the lowest approval rating of a Vice President for all four years of any party in recent history. So, I guess that’s at least something. Even the Republican Status Quo didn’t bother challenging “The Donald” with a primary.  There’s no question, the “Season of MAGA” is upon us.

During his first 50 days, President Trump signed over 70 executive orders (a record number by the way). He’s empowered billionaire Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency (aka “DOGE”) to root out government waste and inefficiency wherever it could be found.

 In the process, thousands of government employees have been let go, funding of USAID and other programs have been dramatically cut. Now, DOGE is threatening Social Security and Medicare in it’s hunt for waste and fraud. Already it’s found millions in waste, including checks going to individuals long dead.  But many are beginning to wonder if DOGE will reach too far in its zealous search.  

Tariffs have been implemented against Mexico, China, and Canada in order to level the global economic trading field. Of course, they’ve responded in kind. Now it’s a matter of who will blink first (hint: Canada appears to be first out).  In addition, President Trump, in keeping with his promise of eliminating illegal immigration, has begun widespread round up and deportation of thousands of individuals here illegally.

Trump is also planning on cutting federal funding to all “sanctuary cities” as well. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s even ordered that the name of Gulf of Mexico be changed. It will now be known as the “Gulf of America” to reflect our rediscovered “greatness”. Needless to say, Mexico and most of Latin America isn’t too keen on the name change.

Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, was the early bird to Washington, hat in hand, and wanting to be one of the first to ask for billions more of taxpayer money to continue the war with Russia. For Zelensky, it was a diplomatic and media disaster.

The Ukrainian president was publicly heavily chastised by President Trump for not having at least a proposal to stop hostilities rather than just perpetuating a war that’s lasted three years all ready and cost thousands of lives and billions in damage. Russia’s president, Vladmir Putin, has already made peace overtures which were all but ignored by Zelensky. NATO, of course, threw a fit and has promised to continue military aid to Ukraine, which itself can ill afford (or worse, to keep poking the Russian bear until it bites back).

So, what about the Democrats? They fared poorly in the election all the way around.  In today’s hyper partisan political world, it goes without saying that whatever the other side does, the opposing party is against. It could be a cure for cancer and some partisan faction would find a reason to complain about it.

Case in point, at President Trump’s recent Congressional address on March 4th, he introduced a young man (about 13 years old) by the name of “DJ” Daniel, who has been fighting a lifelong battle with a cancerous brain tumor. This young man has always wanted to be in law enforcement. Knowing that to be unlikely given his condition (in 2018, doctors told Daniel’s family that DJ had roughly five months to live), he started collecting police and other law enforcement badges.  

Along the way, he’s been made an honorary officer some 50 times (including an honorary FBI “Special Agent”). During the speech, DJ was introduced and received a rousing applause from everyone, well, except the Democrats in attendance. They sat on their hands and totally ignored the brave young 13 year old cancer survivor.

Even when he was made an honorary Secret Service agent by the director of the Secret Service himself, Sean Curran, there was crickets coming from the Democrat side of the aisle. What gives? Has partisan hatred (and I do mean “hatred”) gone so far as to take it out on some little kid? Well, the public noticed in a big way.

Democrats were overwhelmed with negative letters, especially coming from their own side, chastising them over their disrespect of DJ. Even Democratic rank and file members, in a rare instance of courage, went after their party leaders for not allowing them some leeway to respond during the speech.

For anyone who watched the address, all they saw from the Democrats was them holding up signs calling Trump names, making accusations, and playing video games, while a few got up and walked out. One, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) stood up and tried to shout over the president and heckle him, was thrown out. The end result was a political party in disarray and at each other’s throats.

 That’s not how you win back the American People, and in case you have any doubts, an NBC News poll released on March 17^th found just 7% of those polled have a “very favorable” opinion of Democratic Party and just 27% had a “favorable” opinion! To put it another way, 66% of respondents had a negative opinion of the Democratic Party.  That’s the lowest favorability numbers since 1990.

A CNN poll, conducted March 6 -9, showed similar results. Reflecting a new low for the Democrats, the poll showed a favorability rating of 29% among Democrats and liberal leaning Independents. 54% said they had an unfavorable opinion of the Democrats.

In comparison, the low point for the Republicans was in September 2017 during Trump’s first term when the GOP hit an all time low of 62% (their approval rating was 29%) with the rest having no opinion.

Also, according to the CNN poll, 57% of Democrats and liberal leaning Independents surveyed said they wanted the Democrats to oppose the current Trump agenda. Just 42% said they want the Democrats to try and work with Republican lawmakers.

Contrast those numbers with a September 2017 poll and Trump’s first term when 74% of Democrats and liberal leaning Independents wanted Congressional Democrats to work with Trump while only 23% said they wanted Democrats to stop the Trump White House. As for current Republican favorability among the GOP faithful and conservative leaning Independents,  the Republican Party was standing at 48%.

A CNN/SSRS poll from March 18^th show that voters in general had a low opinion of both corporate owned parties in general with neither polling over a 20% approval rating. This is especially true of the nation’s largest voting bloc, Independents.

Republicans and conservatives gave themselves an 80% approval rating whereas just 63% of Democrats and those who lean liberal could say the same thing about the Democrat Party. The majority of Democrats and those who lean liberal---52%---said the biggest issues with the party is a lack of leadership.

Among Independents, the Democrats have a 19% approval rating while the GOP’s approval rating is a paltry 20%. In our current “winner-take-all” system, 90% of all elections, including Congressional races, are safe for one party or the other, meaning that the losing side forgoes any real representation for the duration of the office term (of course, despite a lack of representation, you can bet that the tax bills keep rolling in).

A February 13^th Gallup Poll showed that 45% of liberal leaning Independents and Democrats alike say the Democratic Party needs to adopt a more moderate or centrist course. 29% would like to take the party even further Left.  Just 22% wants to stay the course.

In dropping back to 2021, 31% of Democrats and progressive Independents wanted to stay the course. However, it was a tie at 34% each between those who wanted a shift further to the Left and those who wanted a more moderate approach.

In looking at conservative leaning Independents and party Republicans, 43% are happy where the party currently is. 28% would like to take the GOP further to the Right whereas 27% would prefer that the Republican Party tone it down a bit.

With Republican and conservative leaning Independents, 40% in 2021 want to see the GOP get even more conservative. 34% were happy where they were, but 24% thought the party should dial it back a few notches. Among all groups, each wanted theirs to take the lead with moderates wanting more moderation, liberals wanting to be more liberal, and conservatives wanting to be even more conservative.

So, where does this leave us? President Trump has hit the ground running full tilt, much to the delight of his MAGA supporters while the Democrats are still suffering from election shell shock. They have yet to come up with an effective massage to counter Trump, primarily because their leadership is completely out of touch with the American People.

Meanwhile, the nation’s largest voting bloc---Independents---have had enough of the extreme partisanship of both corporate controlled parties. Remember that both the Democrats and the Republican constituted minority parties, which reflects why both are struggling with the American voter.

 Until one or the other party can tap into the large centrist bloc, this national divide will only continue to worsen. Perhaps now, more than ever, it’s time for a third party. 58% of Americans agree.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Trump makes 13-year-old cancer survivor  a Secret Service agent during speech to Congress

Polls Show Democrats Losing Popularity, Yet Making 2026Gains

CNN Poll: Only 19% of Independents View Democrats Favorablyand Don’t Think Much Better of Republicans

More Democrats Favor Party Moderation Than in the Past

Gallup: Support for Third Party Dips Slightly: Still Close to60%

 

 

 

Trump’s First 50 Days: How is He Doing?

 

With just over 50 days into office, Donald Trump’s approval rating stands at 47% as of March 11, 2025, a slight drop of 2% from his first 30 days, while his disapproval rating is currently 45%, which is up 4% from January according to an Emerson College Polling Survey. Compare that to President Obama’s job approval rating 50 days into his second term which stood at 41%. His disapproval rating was 53%.

Just for the record, incoming President John F. Kennedy had the highest approval rating with 72% (1961) followed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 with 71%.  Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, who had 67% in 1953. The worse approval rating for an incoming president was Donald Trump in 2017 with a 40% approval rating. These are all, of course, first terms.

Additionally, 40% of those polled thought that President Trump was doing a better job than expected thus far in his second term, with over 70 signed executive orders, more than any president in their first 100 days in 40 years. 35%  of those surveyed said he was actually doing worse than they originally thought he would and 25% thought he was doing as they thought he would. Overall, 51% of the population is giving Trump an overall thumbs up. Nevertheless, 49% disagree. So, it would appear that all in all, “The Donald” is off to a good start, or is he?

When it comes to the economy, public support isn’t where it should be with just 35% approving of Trump’s handling of the economy. 48% said they disapprove of how the economy is going under Trump. For reference purposes, Obama’s disapproval rating of the economy was 65% at the point in his second term.

53% of those polled said that tariffs are going to hurt the economy. 46% believe that Trump’s economy policies in general are hurting the economy while only 28% actually approve of his handling of the economy and 26% are either unsure at this point or don’t  think his policies will have a serious immediate impact.

However, 48% are happy with his handling of illegal immigration while 40% oppose his rounding up and ouster of illegal residents and tighter immigration standards. According to a Gallup Poll taken two weeks earlier, 46% was happy with Trump’s handling of the illegal immigration issue.

With respect to the economy, his approval rating was 42% two weeks ago according to Gallup. Foreign trade, which takes into consideration the tariffs Trump has imposed, has a disapproval rating of 53% with 5% unsure. 

When it came to foreign affairs, the Gallup poll reported that Trump’s handling of the situation in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas (as well as the Palestinians) polled a 51% disapproval rating with 9% not sure. As for the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, his approval percentage stood at 40% with a whooping 14% “unsure”, which statistically is a rather large number given that his disapproval rating was just 6 percentage points higher.

On a slightly unrelated matter, the same Gallup poll said that 93% of Republicans approved of Trump’s job performance thus far. On the other hand, only 4% of Democrats were happy with President Trump. Among the nation’s largest voting bloc, Independents, Trump had an approval rating of 37%. 

It bears mentioning that the 89% gap between Republican and Democrat approval rating is the largest Gallup has ever recorded for any president at any time. That dear readers is history making.

On single issues alone, Republican approval was 92% on immigration. Foreign affairs and the economy was 90% each. President Trump’s Foreign trade policies scored 89% with 80% of Republicans gave Trump a thumb’s up on his handling of the Ukraine/Russian War and the situation in the Middle East involving Israel.

On the same issues, Democrats gave the president an approval rating of 6% on immigration and foreign trade (tariffs being the biggest concern). When it came to foreign affairs, just 4% of Democrats approved of Trump’s policies while 5% like his handling of the economy (again, tariffs are a major factor). Trump polled the highest on his dealings with Ukraine/Russia and with the Middle East with a respective approval rating of 9% and 8%.

When the nation’s largest voting bloc, Independents, were asked, President Trump did a much better. With a 37% overall approval rate, Trump had a 40% positive rating on his handling of the illegal immigration issue. 37% like his handling of foreign affairs. However, when it came to foreign trade, the Middle East, and the Ukraine/Russian war, Trump managed only 33% each. His worse poll number was the economy with 31%.

As an aside, the Gallup Poll had some encouraging news for Congress. The approval rating for the “Millionaire’s Club” went from a pathetic 13% in May 2024 to a dismal 29% at the end of February 2025. Way to go folks! You need another raise.

A CNN Poll conducted on March 5^th,  just after President Trump’s tariffs against China, Canada, and Mexico went into effect resulted in a drop of 1300 points in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 fell 1.2% while the Nasdaq  saw a drop of  0.35% as the markets braced for the inevitable retaliatory response from America’s biggest importers.

Tariffs of 25% were imposed on imports from Canada and Mexico while an additional 10% tariff was added onto China’s already 10% tariff bringing the total tariffs on Chinese imports to 20%.

President Trump’s first address to Congress (which ran a record setting one hour and 40 minutes) was received well according to a poll conducted by a CBS poll. According to the results, 69% of viewers approved of the speech. A YouGov poll put the approval numbers higher at 76%. 

According to the CBS poll, the majority of the 37 million who watched Trump’s speech were Republicans, 51%, while 27% were Independents and 20% were Democrats. 74% thought Trump’s presentation was “presidential” as well as “entertaining” while 71% said they were “inspired” by the speech.

 63% of those surveyed said Trump focused on topics that mattered the most to them, especially eliminating government waste and cutting back on unnecessary spending (77%) which is being led by Elon Musk’s “DOGE” or Department of Government Efficiency program. Equally, 77% approved of President Trump’s plans for reducing illegal immigration and reforming our immigration system. Imposing tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico as well as his comments regarding the Ukraine/Russian war also received strong approval numbers.

Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats received a wave of negative backlash to their “protest” of the president’s speech, most notably Trump’s introduction of 13 year old cancer survivor Devarjay “DJ” Danie (“DJ” has been fighting brain cancer). The most common response about the Democrat’s refusal to acknowledge the young man was “heartless” and “cruel”. It certainly wasn’t their best moment. In addition to be honored by the president, “DJ” was made an honorary Secret Service agent by Steve Curran, the new director of the Secret Service.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) heckling of the president got him booted from the chamber and censured by House leadership as other Democratic lawmakers sat in silence, played video games on their Smart phones, held signs on ping pong paddles, while others walked out at key moments of the speech. All in all, the strategy by Democratic leadership greatly backfired.  

Finally, where is President Trump falling down? According to a new CNN poll released March 12^th, healthcare is really hurting the president. Just 48% of Americans approve of the president’s policies toward updating healthcare, which may mean reducing benefits (especially for seniors), higher premiums to offset promises of lower prescription costs on certain medications.

The poll also shows Trump’s tariff measures are increasingly unpopular with a 61% disapproval as was his management of government with just a 48% approval rating. In fact, out of eight key issues, the new poll showed Trump has positive numbers on just one---his handling of illegal immigration.

With every incoming administration there is a so-called “honeymoon” period, also known as the “100 days”. Few presidents anymore get the 100 days of their predecessors, and as for “The Donald”, it looks like the honeymoon period, if there really ever was one, is over and we’re headed for a rocky marriage at best.

So, where does that leave us?  Most of the mainstream media, with laughable façade of  “impartiality”, has long ago accused and indicted Trump while excusing the sins and treason of others, so don’t expect any objectivity. The partisan divide in America is perhaps too wide and too deep for Donald Trump, or any future president for that matter, to overcome.

The demonized conservative Right will in all likelihood laud his actions, no matter how austere, until they hit home while the ideological exhausted Left has already lit his effigy on the pyre of political wokeness. I suspect the only thing which can save the nation is some outside threat, which may explain America’s penchant for overthrowing governments and antagonizing nations.

 War has long been our more profitable export. It’s unaffected by tariffs or quotas.  It artificially stimulates the economy and rids us of “excess” human capital, reducing official unemployment numbers, while ensuring the empire expands. But is that what we really need or want?

What America needs is a strong leader who can redirect the economy to industrial and technological expansion, but that often means leaving people at the lowest rung of the ladder aside. That’s where trade and technical schools can help. A college education is not for everyone. However, equal opportunities doesn't always mean equal outcomes. Success comes with a lot of hard work and setbacks. Creating a level global playing field is another. Fair and balanced competition is good for all participants.

President Donald Trump is a “for profit” businessman attempting to manage a non-profit governmental system. The last “for profit” businessman to occupy the White House was “Silent” Cal Coolidge during the 1920’s. His famous maxim was “the business of America is business”, yet his policies in the long run helped set the stage for the Great Depression under Hoover’s watch. That led to FDR's "New Deal" and ultimately WWII. These are no less dangerous times for America.  There’s an old expression, made popular in 1929, “when America sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold” and there’s a strong cold wind blowing.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Trump’s approval dips amid concerns over the economy: Poll

Dow Drops 1300 Points in Two Days Amid Trump’s Trade War

DJ Daniel, 13 year old cancer survivor, honored by Trump,has plenty to say about Al Green, Elon Musk, Rachel Maddow

New CNN poll: Americans are negative on Trump’s handling ofeconomy

Donald Trump Approval Rating: March 12 Update as Unease OverEconomy Grows

50 Wins In 50 Days: President Trump Delivers for the Americans 

 

Never Trumpers? Not Quite: What the World Thinks About America and Trump

 In 2016, the liberal left governments of the world were stunned as Hillary Clinton, the Democratic heir apparent to Barack Obama, was forced to conceded her candidacy for president. How was this possible, that a brash businessman and political outsider had denied Hillary her long awaited “coronation”  that the Left believed was all but inevitable?

For the next four years, Donald Trump proceed to dismantle the Status Quo. Nothing and no one was safe. Even the “Deep State’s” hold on government was threatened. Few of Americas allies and trading partners felt safe. Even military alliances felt threatened as Trump began demanding that allies start picking up more of the costs for their own defense.

Up to then, the burden fell largely on the United States while they redirected money to their economies. Then came the 2020 election, and the Status Quo was back in power, and their nightmare was over.  It was time to restore order. But that wasn’t all that happened, the 2020 election displayed for the world to see just how deeply divided Americans were.

To make matters worse, it showed the extent the Status Quo was willing to go to retain its power by propping up a man in obvious mental decline and expecting everyone to play along. This was “The emperor has no clothes” writ large for all the world to see. Confidence in American was now in a freefall.

 President Biden’s approval rating  averaged just 42%. His Vice President, Kamala Harris, was polled as the worse VP in U.S. history (and then the Democratic Party had audacity to put her up as their presidential nominee!). By the time Biden and Harris left office, America’s allies and trading partners had serious concerns. It seemed that nearly everyone was talking about America’s power in the past tense.

We left Afghanistan, after 20 years of war, worse off than when we arrived. Iraq wasn’t doing so great either, and our regional “arch-nemesis”, Iran and all its “baby vipers” like Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Hezbollah, were feeling more emboldened than ever. China was now viewed as the new world economic superpower, and it wasn’t being shy backing it up. Not since WWII has nations in the Pacific felt so endangered.

We found ourselves butt deep in the shenanigans that triggered the war between Ukraine and Russia and even threatened the integrity of NATO over promises and deals which should never had been made.  Illegal immigration was out of control and our politicians lacked the will to stop it. But, as the expression goes, “history doesn’t often repeat, but it does rhyme”.

On November 7, 2024, Donald Trump accomplished what few---here at home or overseas--- thought was possible. He defeated the “swamp”, despite years of attempts to financially break him, attacking him and his supporters criminally, and constant political propaganda by the “impartial” mainstream media (cue sinical laughter). They even literally tried to assassinate him.  In Europe as well as Asia, Latin America, and Africa, friend and foe alike did their best to villainize  or humiliate him or anyone who openly supported “The Donald”.

It’s been written by biblical scholars that God would often consigned his chosen prophets to the desert wilderness, to be scourged by the blistering hot winds and sand, the blazing sun, the barren landscape, and constant thirst in order to prepare them for their chosen task ahead.

While no one (especially me) is claiming that Trump has been chosen by any other deity for anything, there’s no question that he has been purged of any doubts or illusions about who he is up against or what it will take to defeat an oligarchy which has destroyed the Republic and substituted in its place, a neo-fascist corporatocracy.  Perhaps more importantly, it has shown who has Trump’s back, both individually and globally.  So, where does the world stand?

Let’s start with Europe, which has traditionally been the focus of our interests for over 200 years. We were settled by Europeans and our country was founded on the ideals of the European Enlightenment and on the model of ancient Rome and Greece.  

Twice now we’ve bailed Europe out of two devastating world wars. We left some of our bravest behind, buried in European soil. Through the Marshall Plan, we invested billions to help raise the continent up from the ashes in which it found itself. We were also instrumental in saving western Europe from the clutches of communist tyranny. We’ve been there ever since, forging close partnerships politically, economically, and militarily.

According to a Visual Capitalist survey from January 2025,  40% Europeans generally are undecided about Trump’s second bite at the presidential apple (a Pew poll shows a 31% approval rating for Trump). While 38% see Trump’s presidency as a potential disaster of global proportions and 22% believe that it may herald in a new American “golden age” which could affect the world. Compare those numbers with that of President Obama where 53% had a positive opinion about him.

The UK is among those with a low opinion of Trump. Despite being our closest ally, 54% disapprove President Trump. 31% are on the fence and just 15% support Trump. As an aside, approval for Trump in Canada is a chilly 28% while the Aussie’s 35% positive rating.

In Germany, Trump’s confidence level is just 13% with 85% having low or no confidence in him. In Sweden it’s 81% no confidence. France and Spain both give Trump a thumb’s down with a negative 78% each. The Dutch and Greeks have only 25% approval rating for Trump. Among the Swiss, 44% are undecided while 23% like Trump, but 34% don’t.

The only place in Europe where Trump actually received positive numbers was in Poland with a 51% confidence level and Ukraine (which is heavily dependent on the U.S. for aid) which gave Trump an approval rating of 44%.  Still, 37% of Ukrainians had no confidence in Trump. As for Russia, 67% had a negative opinion about Trump with only 20% having a positive view of him.

Turning to Asia, only India and the Philippines had a positive impression on “The Donald”. In India it was 56% while in the Philippines that number was 77%. In South Korea, which is heavily dependent on U.S. military support, Trump’s confidence level was 46% with 52% have a negative opinion. In Japan, another country which depends heavily on the U.S., just 36% are confident in Trump and 61% aren’t. Lastly, in Indonesia, polling shows a 30% positive confidence level for Trump and a 40% negative.

In looking at Africa and the Middle East, our main ally, Israel has 71% approval rating of Trump. Israel’s neighbor, Lebanon, things were different. 67% voiced no confidence in Trump.  Nigeria, and Kenya do as well with a  58% and 65% positive approval respectively, whereas Turkey, a key NATO and EU ally, has an 84% negative level of confidence in President Trump. In Tunisia, just 12% said they had trust in Trump (75% didn’t).

In looking at three of the largest economies in Latin America, 89% of Mexicans reported no confidence in Trump (much of that, no doubt, coming from his crackdown on illegal immigration). Only 8% said they could trust Trump. In Brazil, President Trump’s positive confidence level was only 28%. 60% said “no”. Meanwhile, in Argentina, it was worse. 69% turned down Trump. 28% said “si”. It bears mentioning, that of the last five U.S. Presidents, Obama has had the highest global approval rating. First term Trump was the lowest.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that those on the political Right had the highest levels of confidence in President Trump. In Israel it was 86%. 55% in Australia and 50% in Italy. In Hungary, Trump polled a 57% positive rating. It was 58% among conservatives in South Korea. Among the Poles, it was a plus 61% for Trump.

Interestingly, however, among the Dutch and Spanish Rightwing parties, Trump’s numbers weren’t that high. Just 35% of conservative Dutch approved of Trump while 31% of the Spanish conservatives did. Conservative Germans had only a 21% positive opinion of him while it was just 21% among conservative Argentinians.

Looking at another poll, this one done by the European Council on Foreign Affairs, the question was posed as to whether Trump was a good thing for the American People, 69% of those surveyed in Saudi Arabia said “yes”. So did 50% in China, 59% in Russia, and 85% in India. Ukraine and Indonesia weren’t so sure. Just 37% of Ukrainians said “yes: as did 38% of those in Indonesia.

Interestingly, when it came to Europe in general, only 34% of those polled thought that President Trump would be a good thing for Americans in general. England polled the lowest with only 24%.

The same poll also showed that 75% of Indians felt that Trump’s reelection was going to be good for the world in general. However, from there the numbers quickly drop. Just 49% of those surveyed in Saudi Arabia agreed as did only 35% of Russians. In China it was 34% and 29% in Turkey.

Once again, Europeans displayed their low opinion of “The Donald”. 22% saw Trump’s second term as positive for the world. 15% of the English agreed with 50% a hard “no”. However, a paltry 13% of South Koreans were looking forward to Trump 2.0. It bears mentioning that 48% weren’t sure. 15% were sure…that Trump needs to go.

In a related poll, this one from June 2024 by Pew, respondents in 34 countries were asked their overall opinion of the United States. In general, 54% had a positive view of U.S. while 31% held a negative opinion. In looking at those with the highest opinions of the U.S., Poland had the highest with 86%. Ghana and Kenya were tied with 78%. They were closely followed with Israel, South Korea, and Thailand with 77% each.

In looking at the countries with the highest negative opinion of America, we have Tunisia with 87%. Our NATO partner, Turkey, was second with a 77% negative view of the U.S. Malaysia had a 65% negative opinion of the U.S. followed by Australia at 60% and Singapore showing a 50% negative opinion of the United States.  As an aside, just one in five Europeans regard America as an ally.

There’s no question that Donald Trump is a polarizing figure. Most people, whether here in the U.S. or abroad, either like him or hate him. There are very few in the middle or with no opinion. With America’s influence waning, confidence in the American Presidency could have a serious impact on global relations no matter how much saber rattling there is. In the high stakes game of global politics, the only thing worse than being disliked is being ignored like Trump's predecessor was. 

Trump has proven to be an excellent business negotiator despite (or because of) his bravado and unpredictability. That’s good for America. But in our highly integrated world, success has to be viewed from a position of a mutual win for all concerned. Furthermore, we have to accept that we are no longer the “big dog” on the block. Might alone doesn't make right. We sometimes have to allow others their time in the sun. Is Trump capable of that? I don’t know. Only time will tell.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

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America's Loss of Faith in Itself: Failing Confidence in Our Institutions

We Americans are facing a severe crisis. Some might rightly call it a crisis of trust. We no longer trust our social institutions, and that's a serious problem. Most governments likes ours exist solely by the consent of those governed.  Well, what happens when citizens withdraw that consent? That's not  meant to be rhetorical. That's where we are now as a country.

In 2022, Gallup published a poll about Americans confidence in our top 16 most important social pillars. Of those, 11 were total failures. Of the five which were positive, only the U.S. military and small business had a solid approval rating. The other three were only marginally positive.

Gallup's most recent approval poll from July 2024 shows that our trust in government and our institutions have gotten worse. A 2023 Ipsos report indicated that on average only 30% of Americans said we could trust each other.  So, given this is a presidential election years, lets' start with confidence in the presidency.

When questioned about their confidence in the role of the presidency, 26% of respondents said they had " a lot" or "great deal" of trust in the presidency. Compared that to 69% who said they had little or no confidence. 4% said they had absolutely no trust in the presidency at all. In 2013, while Donald Trump was President, 36% said they had a great deal or a lot of trust in the office. The Nixon Presidency went from a high of 71% to 24% post Watergate. Ronald Reagan left office with a approval rating of 63%. Bill Clinton's was 66% despite his impeachment.

Trust in Congress has historically remained low, yet somehow it magically manages to pull off a 95% reelection percentage. For the period of June 3 - 23, 2024, Congress had a 9% approval rating according to the Gallup poll. 4% said they trusted Congress a "great deal" while 5% said "a lot". But, 88% said they had no or little trust in Congress.

Just these two sets of numbers alone would have most politicians in other nations booking flights out to non-extradition nations, and yet here in America, many are campaigning for reelection based on the marvelous job they've been doing. How can we explain this?

So, if Congress and the President can't get the job done, who can? How about the third branch of government, the legal system? If we look at the justice system, 76% of respondents would find it guilty of not serving the people. 3% rejected it completely. A mere 11% was happy with how things are going.

The Supreme Court was once held in high esteem and could always be expected to be one of the few institutions with a positive approval rating. But ever since its 2010 "Citizens United" debacle, faith in the high court has taken a nose dive. Just 30% approved of the job being done by the Chief Justices. 66% would dismiss the lot of them. 3% had nothing but contempt for the nation's top court. Is it any wonder that America is labeled a "flawed democracy" and on the brink of being labeled a "failed democracy"?

What about the news media? Print media held themselves out to be the sole arbiters of truth and morality for over a hundred years.  Today, 96+% of all media is owned by just five corporations. Can we still trust them to provide fair and balanced reporting? Beginning with television, 12% say they have a "great amount" or "a lot" of confidence in network news while 83% lack any confidence in what we're told. Another 5% would cancel the lot of them. 

The overwhelming majority of Americans don't believe we're getting "non-partisan" or "fair and balance" reporting from any national networks. As for print media, it had a 18% approval rating. Americans, it seems, have come to expect print media (newspapers, magazines, etc) to publish biased or slanted stories. 79% of respondents agreed.

The survey didn't mention social media sites such as "X" (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Gab, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.  However, another survey showed 25% trusted social media. 42% had confidence in cable news, and 38% in podcasters. Who did they trust most? 56% said their local broadcasters.

A Pew poll reported that among those under 30 (Gen X) had a 50% approval rating of social media sites when it came to getting their news. It was 36% for those ages 30 to 49 (Millennials) and from 50 to 64, the approval rating was 25% and 20% for everyone 65 and older.

Next are those who protect us---law enforcement and the military. America has boasted having the best equipped, best trained, best fed, and best prepared military in the world. Ever since 1945, we have taken on the (mostly self appointed) role of the world's policeman. However, following a exhaustive 20 year war in Afghanistan, which ended where it started, the Pentagon announced that we are currently not militarily capable of fighting a sustained multi-front conflict.

Our planes, ships, tanks, and equipment are in desperate need of total overhaul or replacement. We've depleted our stockpile of spare parts  and other supplies, and all the while, men and women are getting out at a higher rate than average. But, despite our military loss, how did the poll indicate Americans felt about our men and women in uniform? Despite a 2.7% attrition rate, the 2024 Gallup poll showed that most American's still had the back of our military personnel. 61% had a positive opinion of our Armed Forces compared to 39% who didn't.

As an aside, a  Rand study reported that 54.4% of parents would discourage their children from joining the military as enlisted (non-commission). On the other hand, 75% of parent would encourage them to join, but only as an officer. Having been there, done that, I have to agree. Officer is the only way to go. They have a better choice of duty stations, pay, housing, retirement, and they are  treated much better.

When it came to law enforcement, 51% said they trusted the local and state men and women in blue. However,  a sizeable number---48%---puts little or no trust in them. 58% reported little or no trust in the FBI. 43% felt the same way about the Secret Service (the poll was taken prior to the attempted Trump assassination, so it's likely those numbers would be lower). Just 46% had any confidence in the CIA. 42% felt the same way about the Department of Homeland Security. 33% trusted the Justice Department.

Our currency is backed by the "full faith and credit" of the U.S. Government, which, if so, should give every American serious reason to pause. We have the biggest debt of any nation. Congress continually raises the "debt ceiling" so we can keep the government going. We routinely borrow billions from foreign countries (including China) just to keep our nation afloat and make the interest payments on that debt. Imagine having to borrow money just to pay the interest on your mortgage or credit card debt! How long do you think you could keep that up before ending up in bankruptcy court?

So, let's look at the Federal Reserve System, which  manages and regulates the nation's money supply. With a approval rating is mere 36%, most disapprove of how its job performance. 62% of Americans lack faith in the FRS. Next comes the banks. It should come as no surprised that 72% expressed little or no confidence in them.

Big Business, often portrayed as ruthless and immoral (not to mention puppet master of Washington) is deeply disliked by most Americans---83% to be exact. The Big Tech companies like Microsoft or Apple, have an approval rating of only 27%. Small businesses (the "Mom and Pop's" ) are liked by 64% of consumers (which is why Big Business spends billion to portray themselves as being community and people oriented). After peaking in the 1950's, only 27% now approve of unions.

Another key institution is healthcare. Globally, the U.S. healthcare system is last among the top seven industrial nations. It ranks highest among the top industrial nations and 54th overall in infant mortality rates, 60th in life expectancy (behind Estonia and Saudi Arabia), highest treatment cost, fewest hospital beds, and 22nd in quality of life.  Our healthcare system's emphasis is on repeat  treatment instead of prevention.  Could the problem be putting profits over patients?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a disapproval rating of 58% following their (mis)handling of COVID-19. Given the above, it shouldn't surprise you to learn that our healthcare system as a whole has an approval rating of just 36% while 64% disapprove.

Our currency boldly proclaims  "In God We Trust". So what about religious institutions? Surely we can safely put our trust in religion...can't we? Well, apparently not so much. According to the Gallup Poll, organized religion has a approval rating of only 32%. 67% of respondents placed little or no faith in doctrinaire religion. In the 1950's, according to a University of Southern California report, 57% of households belonged to some religious institution. By 1960 it rose to a high of  63.3%. Why?

America had come through two wars---WWII and Korea. The economy was booming. Suburbs were springing up everywhere. nearly everyone had a car and a nationwide highway system to drive them on.  We had a functional government where both sides tried to meet in the middle. There was a new sense of optimism to go along with our patriotism. Everybody liked Ike. But somewhere in the late 1970's and early 80's, it all began to fade.

Rev. Jerry Falwell's "Moral Majority" (which was neither) was became viewed as a religious form of McCarthyism; a stick to measure others by. It demanded conformity as it inserted its values into government and society. Televangelists ("pay to pray" preachers) like Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Ted Haggard, Oral Roberts, and Falwell, watched by 85% of religious households at one point, found themselves immersed in scandal amid a lifestyle of obscene wealth.

There were widespread reports of child molestation by Catholic priests (and the Church's efforts to intimidate victims and hide the perpetrators), pedophilia, hiring prostitutes, sex trafficking, and tax evasion as well as their positions on abortion, birth control, LGBQT acceptance, single mothers, support of illegal immigration, musical lyrics, and more. America changed as organized religions failed to adapt.  

A 2020 Pew Poll revealed that while church attendance was down considerably, 64% of Americans still self-identified as Christian. Given the current trend, its predicted that by 2030, that number will be 46% or less and 35% by 2070. Americans are leaving mainstream (mostly fundamentalist and conservative churches) at a rate of 10% to 15% annually. Many are becoming agnostic, atheist, or converting to Buddhism, Humanism, Hinduism, or to spirituality (Wicca, pantheism, paganism, etc). What's the fastest growing  religion in America? Islam. Non-doctrinaire? Secularism (aka "none").

Lastly, education. Our educational system is ranked 12th among 81 industrialized nations. We scored in the bottom half globally in math (the top five were all Asian countries). In science, we ranked 16th out of 81 countries,, placing us in the second tier. The top five? All Asian again.

The 2024 Gallup Poll showed our public school system had a approval rating of 29%. However, 70% of those surveyed said our public schools were failing. We had kids graduating high school who can't read at a 12 grade level (many have an 8th grade reading or comprehension ability). In math and the sciences, it's just as bad. History, English (including proper grammar) face a similar problem. In literacy, we rank 36th globally (note that poverty levels are closely tied to literacy rates).  

Higher education doesn't fair much better. To many colleges depend on quotas to fill their enrollment criteria rather than the best performing academically.  Many incoming Freshmen aren't prepared for college. As a result, they are usually required to take remedial classes. just to get started.

Bear in mind too that college isn't for everyone and not every job should requires a four year degree. The best alternative? Trade school. Tuition is much less. There is a strong job demand (many have jobs before graduating), it pays well, and the trades offer a wide range of opportunities.

A lot of students go for whatever major is easiest or trendy, This usually translates into degrees with little demand (such as gender or race based studies, art history, Humanities, Mass Communication, Anthropology, or Sports Health or Administration). These are the students who typically end up with the most debt and least likely able to find a job or pay off their academic debt.

So, there you have it. We have lost confidence in overwhelming majority of our foundational institutions; a trend which has been accelerating for years.  For some of these institutions, it may be possible to earn back some of that trust over time, but for others, perhaps the majority, that confidence appears gone forever, and with them an allegiance to our nation's future.

 

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