The latest Quinnipiac University poll is headlined “Majority Of Voters Oppose Deploying National Guard To D.C.”
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to Washington D.C. in an effort to reduce crime, voters 56 – 41 percent oppose the move, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll of registered voters released today.
56-41 would be deemed a “landslide” were this about an upcoming election or referendum. And it would seem to be an indicator that Americans overwhelmingly see the use of military force for routine law enforcement in violation of our norms.
Which would be encouraging news if we lived in a democracy. Alas, we do not.
Thus, the breakdown is what really matters:
Republicans (86 – 12 percent) support the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard to the nation’s capital to reduce crime, while Democrats (93 – 5 percent) and independents (61 – 34 percent) oppose it.
Men are split about the president’s decision, with 50 percent supporting it and 47 percent opposing it, while women (63 – 33 percent) oppose it.
The starkness of the partisan divide is really something to behold. But here’s the thing: the only ones who need to be concerned with public opinion on this are governors of the states who are supplying the forces. They’re all in heavily Republican states. So, if anything, this boosts their popularity.
Given the extreme gerrymandering of our House districts—which is increasing as I type, thanks to the new arms race to carve out even more uncompetitive seats—this will essentially be a live issue in only a handful of the 435 races next November. Assuming this is even still a thing, then it’ll have, at best, a marginal impact on a handful of races.
Assuming troops are still deployed in this manner in November 2028—which is doubtful—it’s possible that it’ll have some impact in the six or seven “swing” states. But, even then, it’s hardly likely to be one of the top issues driving voter turnout. And, after three-plus years, people will likely have gotten used to it, anyway.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: James Joyner
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.outsidethebeltway.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
