If The 2024 Election Were Held Today, Would Trump Win?
Nov 13, 2023
01:03:42
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Analyzing early polls for the 2024 election, experts discuss Trump's potential advantage, impact of Biden and Trump's policies, significance of swing states and black voter support, likelihood of Trump winning the nomination, unpopularity of Biden and Trump, and the possibility of third-party candidates. They also reflect on poll results on trust in Republicans vs Democrats and views on abortion, emphasizing the importance of understanding the issue landscape.
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Quick takeaways
Early polls taken one year before an election have a high margin of error, making them unreliable predictors of the national popular vote.
Early polls provide insights into voter sentiment and candidate weaknesses, but they don't capture the full context and future events that may influence voter preferences.
Former President Trump currently holds an advantage in the electoral college, but this lead is not insurmountable and the race could shift as events unfold.
Deep dives
Polling one year before an election is historically not very predictive
Historically, polling conducted one year before an election is not very predictive. The average margin of error for a poll taken 360 days before an election is around 25 percentage points, making it unreliable in predicting the national popular vote. While some argue that the increased polarization and stable voting preferences in recent years may make early polls more informative, the margin of error is still significant, particularly when candidates are closely tied. Therefore, while early polls provide some insights, they should be taken with caution.
The advantages and limitations of early polls
Early polls can provide a snapshot of the voter sentiment and highlight the weaknesses of the candidates. However, polling this far in advance does not capture the full context and decisions voters will make closer to the election day. Factors like the events unfolding in the coming year, such as potential trial outcomes or health emergencies, may significantly impact the race and voter preferences. Additionally, the attitudes captured by early polls may not align with the eventual choices voters make when the campaigns intensify and the election becomes more salient. Therefore, while early polls offer some indications, they should be interpreted with caution.
Trump holds an advantage in the electoral college, but uncertainties remain
Based on recent polls, former President Trump currently holds an advantage in the electoral college. However, it is important to note that his lead is not insurmountable, and the race could shift as events unfold. Factors like legal trials, potential convictions, or health concerns for both Trump and Biden may significantly impact the dynamics of the election. At this stage, it is challenging to predict the exact outcome and the magnitude of these uncertainties. Therefore, while Trump has an advantage, the fluidity of the race makes it important to closely follow future developments.
Decreasing Electoral College Edge
The podcast discusses how the electoral college advantage for Democrats has decreased, particularly in states with lopsided margins like California, New York, and Vermont. However, Democrats have performed better in the state-level House votes in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, indicating a narrow electoral college edge.
Changing Dynamics Among Minority Voters
The podcast highlights the changing dynamics among minority voters. It mentions that non-white voters under 45, who previously backed Biden by a large margin, are now barely supporting him. Additionally, it highlights that black voters, traditionally a stronghold for Democrats, are registering 22% support for Trump, an unprecedented level in modern times. The discussion also points out that economic concerns, rather than social issues, seem to be driving black voters' decision-making process.
To mark one year out from the 2024 election, Galen tries to make sense of the political environment based on all the data we have with a crew of election data nerds: G. Elliott Morris, ABC News editorial director of data analytics; Ruth Igielnik, editor for news surveys at The New York Times; and Lakshya Jain, partner at the election modeling website Split-Ticket.org.
In recent days, a spate of polls have come out, mostly showing a similar picture: Not only does former President Donald Trump outperform President Joe Biden in the swing states, he leads, on average, in national polls as well. The suggestion being that if the election were today — and Trump and Biden were the nominees — Trump might be favored to not just win the Electoral College, but the national popular vote too.
But there’s a catch, or two. Perhaps most importantly, the election is not today. Also, we got other data last week, from actual elections, showing Democrats performing relatively well. So, one year out, where does that leave us? The crew tries to answer that and later on in the show they also play a game.