Sunday, May 8, 2016

An Omen

Based in Pittsburgh, Salena Zito writes today for RealClearPolitics about the impact of the Trump candidacy on down-ballot races, particularly the House. Along the way, she makes an interesting point.
Trump and the Democrats' presumptive nominee, Hillary Clinton, have “unfavorable” ratings of 60 percent and 59 percent, respectively, which means a large part of the electorate feels it faces a choice of being shot or stabbed. Do they vote for Hillary over Donald, not vote at all, or skip the presidential ballot in order to support their down-ballot representatives? 
In a 50-50 nation, both having "unfavorables" so high means each party contains many people who dislike their party's presidential nominee. This could portend a major realignment of voting blocs.