NBC Poll Reveals the Most Unpopular Major Political Figure—and Where Things Are Headed – Opinion

NBC News’ latest poll shows who is the least popular major politician in America. It also provides a useful indicator of the direction things will go as we get closer to November’s mid-term elections.

Below are some topline results.

All the politicians and political parties the NBC poll tested…

– Liz Cheney: 23% fav, 29% unfav (-6)
– Biden: 39% fav, 48% unfav (-9)
– GOP: 34% fav, 44% unfav (-10)
– Trump: 37% fav, 51% unfav (-14)
– Dem Party: 33% fav, 48% unfav (-15)
– VP Harris: 32% fav, 49% unfav (-17)

— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) January 23, 2022

Kamala Harris was awarded the top prize. Yes, Black Hillary, as my colleague Jeff Charles likes to refer to her, has only a 29 percent favorable rating with a -17 favorable/unfavorable differential. But perhaps that comparison is unfair because I’m not sure Hillary Clinton was ever this bad at politics. Harris is a true pioneer in modern politics, setting a high standard that may not be surpassed again.

From her “dog ate my homework” interviews to the awkward cackle that so often makes an appearance when she gets nervous, Harris is truly the worst politician of this generation, and that’s really saying something. Democrats are forced to support Harris in 2024, or risk losing their party’s core values. Imagine the accusations of racism that could be made if Harris is not taken seriously by the Democrat establishment or the donor class.

Past that, though, I found the popularity of the individual parties to be revealing, and it’s important to look at these kinds of things in context. The Democrats tend to do well in general polling matchups, which are head-to–head. That doesn’t mean they win every election, obviously, but it does mean that the GOP can and has taken control of Congress while technically being “down” in the polls. That’s especially true 10 months out.

The Democrats led by about a point on this date in 2014’s cycle. That advantage had flipped to +2.4 for the GOP by Election Day. Further, the 2016 election saw the Democrats leading the generic ballot up to Election Day but losing all three branches.

The point is that the GOP being in any kind of hole isn’t actually indicative of much — given they have often prevailed anyway. But when Democrats are down, it’s red alert territory because of the dynamics at play.

The NBC poll that has been favorable to the right is showing that the Democrat Party favorability is below the GOP by five points. Things are almost tied on the generic ballot. The Democrats are in absolute chaos, if you look at the numbers on either the wrong or right tracks.

All of these factors taken together make it clear that the Republican Party will be in a strong place heading into 2022. That’s not really news, as the trends have been apparent for a long time, but it is a continuation of an important theme. And every single day that passes represents a day Democrats can’t get back in order to try to turn things around. If this election isn’t already set in stone, we are approaching that point of no return.

You should not underestimate the potential for the Republican establishment in finding a way to win. The results of the Virginia elections should be a sign that things are changing. All I know is that I’d much rather be a Republican right now vs. a Democrat.