Massive Shift From Dems to GOP

Gallup’s polling finds a massive shift in party allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans over the course of 2021. The rapidity of the shift is remarkable; Democrats began the year with a nine-point advantage, and the year ended with Republicans holding a five-point edge. Gallup’s data points are quarterly during the calendar year 2021:

Party affiliation has usually tilted toward the Democrats for decades. But why did they enjoy such a substantial advantage at the beginning of 2021? Notwithstanding that he was a very good president in my opinion, and that of most conservatives, Donald Trump was unpopular by that time. He was a millstone around the neck of the GOP.

What happened in a short time to work such a change in party loyalty? Joe Biden:

Shifting party preferences in 2021 are likely tied to changes in popularity of the two men who served as president during the year. Republican Donald Trump finished out his single term in January, after being defeated in the 2020 election, with a 34% job approval rating, the lowest of his term. His popularity fell more than 10 points from Election Day 2020 as the country’s COVID-19 infections and deaths reached then-record highs, he refused to acknowledge the result of the election, and his supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent Congress from counting the 2020 Electoral College votes.

Democrat Joe Biden enjoyed relatively high ratings after taking office on Jan. 20, and his approval stayed high through the early summer as COVID-19 infections dramatically decreased after millions of Americans got vaccinated against the disease. A summer surge of infections tied to the delta variant of the coronavirus made it clear the pandemic was not over in the U.S., and Biden’s approval ratings began to sag. Later, the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan caused Biden’s ratings to fall further, into the low 40s. His ratings remain low as the U.S. battles rising inflation and yet another surge of COVID-19 infections, tied to the omicron variant of the virus.

Gallup’s recitation fails to capture the full catastrophe that the Biden administration has become, and it doesn’t mention the growing realization that the Democrats are bats**t crazy, which undoubtedly plays a part in their steep decline. Still, it seems basically correct. Given this history, it is a little hard to understand why some Republicans want to run Trump out for another go in 2024. Meanwhile, though, let’s enjoy the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party as we head toward the midterm elections.

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