What The 2020 Election Is All About
More than anything, this election is about President Trump.
For most incumbent presidents running for re-election, approval ratings really matter. With Trump, there are several different striking ways to look at those numbers. He's historically unpopular, the most unpopular incumbent ever to stand for re-election.
He has a very locked-in base, with sky high approval in his own party. But those who strongly disapprove of Trump outnumber those who strongly approve. Likewise, no modern president has had such high numbers of people who say they will definitely vote against him for re-election.
There is tremendous intensity that motivates Trump's supporters and opponents. Despite the many advantages he has (more on that later...), he is incapable of sticking to a message that highlights those benefits. For every tweet about the great economy, there's another that picks a fight with a movie star or retweets something offensive. Trump.
