48
ELECTION 2020- PEOPLE
CHARACTERISTICS ○ Supporters of the president’s policies, Republican and independent, who are
weary of his anticsPoliticalanalystshavebeenpuzzledbyananomalyinTrump’spollingsupport.A steadyseriesofpollshasshownthatmorevoters
approveofhispoliciesthanplantovoteforhiminNovember.Thisisunprecedentedinrecentpoliticalhistory.Approvalratings
havealwaysrunevenwithvotingintent,whichintuitivelymakessense:If youapproveofa president’spolicies,you’llprobablyvote
forthemagain.Pollstershavespeculatedaboutwhataccountsforthisgap,andthelikeliestexplanationis“TiredTrumpers”—
Republicansandindependentswholikedthegoodeconomy,likedTrump’sjudges,andinitiallylikedtheideathathe’dcometo
Washingtonandshakethingsup,buthavegrownexhaustedbyanddisillusionedwith his behavior. If the president can’t find a way
to revivify this group, he may be toast.�Esmé E. Deprez and Mark NiquetteTIRED TRUMPERSLINDA LOCKWOOD ○ 72 →○ OHIO ○ former sales
representative“Ilikemostofthe
thingsthathe’sdone.I
wishhecouldfinda little
bitkinderandgentler
waytodosomeofthem,
though.I thinkMr.Trump
openshismouthbefore
hethinksaboutwhathe’s
goingtosay,andI wishthat
hewouldorcouldchange
that—andI don’tthinkhe
can.I don’tthinkthat’s ever
goingtohappen.
“Hewouldhavea
betterchanceofgettinghis
pointacrossif hecatered
moretothemoderate voter
out there.
“IthinkBidenwill
haveanedgeinsome
states.AndI thinkthat
someofthatis Trump’s
fault,andI thinksomeof
it is not.I certainlydon’t
thinkwecanblamethis
virusonanyoneperson
or party.” �M.N.WILLIAM F. CLARK ○ 71 �○ MAINE ○ chairman
of Hancock County
Commissioners and a
retired sheriff“I’mjustsorrywedon’t
havea betterpersontoget
behind.MaybeI won’teven
voteatall.I’ma conservative,
I believeinconservativevalues.
Ithinktherearepeopleout
herewhoaregoodleaders,butI
don’tthinkTrumpis interested
inleadingthecountry.It’sjusta
shame,becausewedon’thavean
alternative.I’mnotgoingtovote
forJoeBiden.That’s not a better
option.”�E.D.ANDREW TEMPLE ○ 31 �○ FLORIDA ○ health-care
recruiter“Hisrhetoricis awful.
Peoplesayhepunchesback,but
he’sthemostpowerfulperson
intheworld—youdon’treally
havetogoafterthispersonand
thatpersonwho’sbelowyou.
I justthinkit’schildishand
unnecessary.”�E.D.