NEWS AND OPINION:
The 2024 presidential election is already on the radar for most Americans. But what do they actually expect from their president? Here’s some insight.
“One year out from the 2024 election, we see a stark divide over what Americans want in a president, one that is a reflection of our country’s deepest fault lines,” said Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan organization centered on the intersection of religion, culture and public policy, according to its mission statement.
“A slim majority of Americans, including most Democrats, want a president who can make America work economically; but nearly half of Americans, including most Republicans, prefer a president who will preserve their vision of American culture and way of life in the face of the country’s changing demographics,” Ms. Deckman said in a written statement.
“Most Republicans prefer a candidate who can preserve American culture (58%), while most Democrats and independents prefer a candidate who can manage the economy (57% and 53% respectively),” she said.
See more numbers and details in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
SOMETHING FOR UKRAINE
The Defense Department has announced additional security assistance for Ukraine’s “critical security and defense needs” — marking the Biden administration’s 49th tranche of equipment to be provided from defense inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
This security package is valued up to $150 million — and here’s what’s on the list, verbatim from the Defense Department:
Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems; AIM-9M missiles for air defense; Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin anti-armor systems; more than 2 million rounds of small arms ammunition; night vision devices; demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; cold weather gear; and spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.
“Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security. It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people,” the Defense Department said in a statement.
WHERE’S TRUMP?
For those who wonder, here’s where former President Donald Trump will be this weekend. The always eager candidate arrives in Las Vegas on Saturday for an appearance at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country at an event titled “Team Trump Nevada Commit to Caucus Event.”
On Sunday, Mr. Trump will skedaddle on over to Sioux City, Iowa, where he will headline an event and “deliver remarks” at the classic Orpheum Theater, built in 1927, with the capacity to seat 2,650 people.
THAT OLD LIBERAL BIAS
Late-night comedians have long mocked Republican politicians — a phenomenon that has been documented for years by Newsbusters.org, a conservative press watchdog that has tracked liberal bias in media and entertainment since 2005.
This week, Newsbusters has turned to late-night shows on the major broadcast networks — now back up to speed following the end of the five-month Writers Guild of America strike. Things are back to normal.
“In the first three weeks after the writers’ strike, the late night joke tellers picked right back up where they left off: telling Donald Trump jokes at the expense of almost everything else,” wrote Alex Christy, a Newsbusters analyst.
“An examination of all jokes told on ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ CBS’s ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,’ NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,’ ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers,’ and Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ has found that from Monday, October 2 through Friday, October 20, the men of late night told 247 jokes about Donald Trump over the course of 42 shows,” he noted.
“Meanwhile, President Joe Biden was the target of 45 jokes, mostly about his age. That equates to 85% of the jokes between the top two presidential candidates being directed towards the Republican,” Mr. Christy said.
Find his study and much more at Newsbusters.org.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: Historic Pueblo-style landmark adobe and rock home built on four acres in 1750 in Galisteo, New Mexico. Three bedrooms, three baths, completely updated to “incorporate nature and light for a minimalist vibe.” Four fireplaces, beamed ceilings, radiant heat, open floor plan, designer kitchen with Viking appliances plus large window with desert views; 3,733 square feet. Property includes a two-car garage, patio, garden with native plants. Priced at $1.8 million through Bethcaldarello.com; enter 202335174 in the search function, found on the upper left side of the property page. Look for the little magnifying-glass icon.
POLL DU JOUR
• 75% of U.S. adults believe that “the country is going in the wrong direction; 90% of Republicans, 81% of independents and 59% of Democrats agree.
• 75% of U.S. adults agree that “the future of American democracy is at stake in the 2024 presidential election”; 77% of Republicans, 73% of independents and 84% of Democrats agree.
• 55% of adults overall agree that “since the 1950s, American culture and way of life have changed mostly for the worse”; 73% of Republicans, 57% of independents and 34% of Democrats agree.
• 52% of U.S. adults agree that “America’s best days are now behind us”; 67% of Republicans, 55% of independents and 35% of Democrats agree.
• 51% would prefer a 2024 presidential candidate who can manage the economy; 40% of Republicans, 53% of independents and 57% of Democrats agree.
• 46% prefer a presidential candidate who “can best preserve and protect American culture and the American way of life”; 58% of Republicans, 45% of independents and 40% of Democrats agree.
• 38% agree that things have gotten so far off track in the U.S. that we need a leader “who is willing to break some rules to set things right”; 48% of Republicans, 38% of independents and 29% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: An American Values Survey by PRRI of 2,525 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 25-30 and released Thursday.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.