Midterm Elections: Networks Comb Through First Poll Of Electorate Showing Dismal View Of Trump And The Economy

Networks got their first glimpse at the sentiment of the electorate, with a batch of preliminary voter poll information showing dismal approval ratings for Donald Trump and the state of the country.

Per CNN, Trump’s approval rating was at 38% with 62% disapproving.

The top issue for voters was the economy, at 39%, followed by democracy at 32%.

On another question, 44% of voters said that their financial situation was worse than two years ago, 18% said it was better and 38% said that things were about the same.

Some 37% of voters said that they were dissatisfied with the state of things in the country, and 38% said that they were downright angry. About 25% said they were enthusiastic or satisifed.

“That is an electorate that is hungry for change,” said CNN’s David Chalian, who cautioned that the numbers will shift as the day goes on.

That said, Jake Tapper noted that the 44% of voters saying they were worse off was below some of the recent polling on a similar question, although that may be just a small bright spot for Trump and Republicans.

Other polls showed that 65% thought that Trump has worsened economic conditions, 28% thought he had improved conditions and 8% thought he had no impact. Some 61% thought that he has prioritized his personal interests, and 39% thought he had put at the forefront the country’s interests.

CNN debuted a new set, with its team and different stations around a giant studio, and a roving camera keying in on them for analysis. Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, reported that the mood is “fatalistic” in the White House. “The question still is how he takes it and how he responds to it,” she said.

The data, known as The Voter Poll, is from early, vote-by-mail and election day voters and is conducted by SSRS, with all the major networks subscribing.

The midterms will be a test for legacy media, not just as they deploy new technology, but because of the flood of polling that generally showed Democrats were in for a possible “wave” election, with rising odds to take the House and the Senate.

But a number of pollsters have been cautious about addressing the potential for a polling error, particularly the difficulty of reaching right-leaning voters in rural areas. Trump has often dismissed his bad polls as “fake,” but the issue of polling reliability came to the fore when his FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, warned broadcasters about amplifying fraudulent surveys. Although his statement came after the revelation that two polls cited by prognosticators were made up, he remark drew pushback from Democrats and others that he was trying to chill election coverage.

The evening is the biggest night of the year for the linear networks, a chance for them to put forth their star anchors and personalities. But this cycle they face substantial competition for eyeballs from a wave of influencers and content creators, even news stars formerly in their ranks. They include Jim Acosta and Katie Couric, teamed for a live stream as results come in, and Chris Cillizza and Chuck Todd, who will have their own coverage in a partnership with Decision Desk HQ.

Legacy networks have been trying to keep viewers within their universe. NBC News, for example, is planning 13 hours of coverage on the broadcast network, along with a stream of its data expert, Steve Kornacki.

Will it be a blue wave? That will be a prevailing question throughout the evening’s coverage, starting with the first poll closings at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT in the eastern part of Kentucky and Indiana. The rest in the states close at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. ET, as do Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.