DC & MARYLAND'S YOUNG BLACK MEN REMAIN UNEMPLOYED & ARRESTED (EARLY VOTING 2018)

))

DC & MARYLAND'S YOUNG BLACK MEN REMAIN UNEMPLOYED & ARRESTED (EARLY VOTING 2018):

IT APPEAR AS IF DC & MARYLAND'S BLACK POLITICIANS HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUNG UNEMPLOYED BLACK MEN.

JOB NUMBERS AMONG BLACK MEN IN DC & MARYLAND STILL LAG.

WHERE ARE THE JOBS IN DC & MARYLAND FOR YOUNG BLACK MEN?

YOUNG BLACK MEN IN DC & MARYLAND BELONG ON JOBS NOT IN JAIL.

BUT HOW DO YOU EXPECT YOUNG BLACK MEN TO STAY OUT OF JAIL WITHOUT JOBS WHICH THEY NEED TO SURVIVE??


Post Sources: EPI, Baltimore Sun, WTOP, Youtube


****** In 14 states and DC, the African American unemployment rate is at least twice the white unemployment rate.


The highest African American unemployment rate is in the District of Columbia at 12.9 percent, while the highest white unemployment rate is in West Virginia at 5.2 percent.

In the first quarter of 2018, African American workers had the highest unemployment rate nationally, at 7.2 percent, followed by Hispanic (5.1 percent), white (3.3 percent), and Asian workers (3.0 percent).1

This report provides a state-by-state breakdown of unemployment rates by race and ethnicity and racial/ethnic unemployment rate gaps for the first quarter of 2018. It shows that while there have been state-by-state improvements in prospects for black and Hispanic workers, their unemployment rates remain high relative to those of white workers. Following are some key highlights of the report:

While the African American unemployment rate is at or below its pre-recession level in 17 states (of the 22 states and the District of Columbia for which these data are available), in 14 states and the District of Columbia, African American unemployment rates exceed white unemployment rates by a ratio of 2-to-1 or higher.

The District of Columbia has the highest black–white unemployment rate ratio overall, at 8.5-to-1, while South Carolina and Maryland have the highest ratios among states (3.2-to-1 and 2.8-to-1, respectively).

The highest African American unemployment rate is in the District of Columbia (12.9 percent), followed by Illinois (9.1 percent) and New Jersey (9.0 percent). The highest Hispanic state unemployment rate is in Connecticut (10.0 percent). In contrast, the highest white state unemployment rate is 5.2 percent, in West Virginia.

While the Hispanic unemployment rate is at or below its pre-recession level in 13 states (of the 16 states for which these data are available), there is no state where the Hispanic unemployment rate is lower than the white rate.

In five states and the District of Columbia, Hispanic unemployment rates exceed white unemployment rates by a ratio of 2-to-1 or higher (Connecticut, 3.4-to-1; Massachusetts, 2.1-to-1; Washington, 2.1-to-1; Colorado, 2.0-to-1; District of Columbia, 2.0-to-1, and Idaho, 2.0-to-1).

Background

In March 2018, the national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, unchanged from at the end of the fourth quarter of 2017.2 State unemployment rates in March ranged from a low of 2.1 percent in Hawaii to 7.3 percent in Alaska.3 According to a previous EPI analysis of unemployment by state, from December to March 2018, 25 states and the District of Columbia saw their unemployment rates decline, 7 states saw unemployment rates rise, and 18 states saw no change.

State unemployment rates, by race and ethnicity

EPI analyzes state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity, and by racial/ethnic unemployment rate gaps, on a quarterly basis to generate a sample size large enough to create reliable estimates of unemployment rates by race and ethnicity at the state level. We only report estimates for states for which the sample size of these subgroups is large enough to create an accurate estimate. For this reason, the number of states included in our map and data tables varies based on the analysis performed (unemployment rate, change in unemployment rate since the fourth quarter of 2007, and ratio of African American or Hispanic unemployment rate to white unemployment rate).

Trends among white workers

In the first quarter of 2018, the white unemployment rate was lowest in the District of Columbia (1.5 percent) and highest in West Virginia (5.2 percent), as shown in the interactive map and underlying data, which present state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity. Among states, North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate for white workers (1.9 percent).

Trends among African American workers

African American unemployment rate estimates are available for 23 states and the District of Columbia.

During the first quarter of 2018, among states, the African American unemployment rate was lowest in Indiana (4.8 percent) and highest in Illinois (9.1 percent); in the District of Columbia, it was 12.9 percent. The District of Columbia also had the highest black unemployment rate during the previous six quarters.

In the first quarter of 2018, of the 23 states with African American unemployment rate estimates, all had black unemployment rates below 10 percent; in 14 of these states, the rate was at or below the first quarter national average for African American workers (7.2 percent).

The black unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2018 was at or below its pre-recession level in 17 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

(Data on the change in black unemployment over this period are available for 22 states and the District of Columbia).

However, all states except for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas have black labor force participation rates that were lower in the first quarter of 2018 than at the end of 2007, indicating that the return to pre-recession levels of unemployment in these states was not a full recovery for African American workers because not all discouraged job seekers have returned to the market.5

Trends among Hispanic workers

Hispanic unemployment rate estimates are available for 23 states and the District of Columbia, and data on changes in Hispanic unemployment rates since the fourth quarter of 2007 are available for 16 states. In the first quarter of 2018, among states, the Hispanic unemployment rate was highest in Connecticut (10.0 percent) and lowest in Arkansas and Virginia (both at 3.3 percent).

The Hispanic unemployment rate was 3.1 percent in the District of Columbia. Connecticut and Washington were the only states with Hispanic unemployment rates above 8.0 percent in the first quarter.

The Hispanic unemployment rate is at or below its pre-recession level in 13 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The Hispanic unemployment rate was most elevated above its pre-recession level in Washington (by 2.3 percentage points).

In no state was the Hispanic unemployment rate lower than the white unemployment rate. In Arkansas, the Hispanic unemployment rate and white unemployment rate were exactly the same (3.3 percent). The ratio of Hispanic unemployment to white unemployment was highest in Connecticut (3.4-to-1), Massachusetts (2.1-to-1), and Washington (2.1-to-1).

Trends among Asian workers

Asian unemployment rate estimates are available for 10 states, and data on the change in Asian unemployment rates since the fourth quarter of 2007 are available for seven states. For the third consecutive quarter, the Asian unemployment rate was lowest in Hawaii (1.6 percent). The highest Asian unemployment rate was in Massachusetts (6.2 percent).

The Asian unemployment rate was at or below its pre-recession level in California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington. In only one state—New Jersey—was the Asian unemployment rate was more than 2 percentage points above its pre-recession level (at 2.6 percentage points higher).
Methodology

The unemployment rate estimates in this report are based on the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The overall state unemployment rate is taken directly from the LAUS. CPS six-month ratios are applied to LAUS data to calculate the rates by race and ethnicity.

For each state subgroup, we calculate the unemployment rate using the past six months of CPS data. We then find the ratio of this subgroup rate to the state unemployment rate using the same period of CPS data. This gives us an estimate of how the subgroup compares with the state overall.

While this methodology allows us to calculate unemployment-rate estimates at the state level by race and ethnicity by quarter, it is less precise at the national level than simply using the CPS. Thus, the national-level estimates may differ from direct CPS estimates.

In many states, the sample sizes of particular subgroups are not large enough to create accurate estimates of their unemployment rates. We report data only for groups that had, on average, a sample size of at least 700 in the labor force for each six-month period.

LARRY HOGAN - I ENDORSE FOR 2018 MD GOV RE-ELECT, HE IS FOR ALL (HIGH POLL NUMBERS)

LARRY HOGAN - I ENDORSE FOR 2018 MARYLAND GOV RE-ELECT (POLL NUMBERS):

I DON'T RUBBER STAMP ALL HIS POLICIES BUT I TRUST HIM.

HOGAN APPEARS TO BE MOST BI-PARTISAN GOVERNOR CANDIDATE RUNNING TO LEAD MARYLAND.

MOST BLACK DEMOCRATS IN MARYLAND APPEAR TO ONLY CARE ABOUT WEALTHY BLACK PEOPLE.

HOGAN APPEARS TO CARE ABOUT ALL PEOPLE, INCLUDING YOUNG BLACK MEN.

BLACK DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS NEED TO SHOW THEY CARE ABOUT ALL INCOME LEVELS & YOUNG BLACK MEN.

LARRY HOGAN FOR MARYLAND GOVERNOR, AGAIN.


Post Sources: Washington Post, WTOP, Goucher Poll, 98 Rock Baltimore, WBAL-TV, Youtube


****** Poll: Hogan’s approval ratings sky-high; Democrats stronger among women, millennials


Gov. Larry Hogan remains highly popular in Maryland, according to a new poll, despite being a Republican in an overwhelmingly blue state in an election year when Democrats hope to capi­tal­ize on opposition to President Trump.

Sixty-nine percent of Marylanders approve of the way Hogan is handling his job, an increase from 61 percent in February, according to a Goucher College poll released Tuesday. It’s his highest approval rating in the Goucher poll since fall 2016.

He receives praise across party lines: from 65 percent of registered Democrats, 64 percent of independents and 81 percent of Republicans.

Hogan is vying to become the second GOP governor in 60 years to be reelected in Maryland, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 2 to 1. He has tried hard to avoid a partisan label and has repeatedly distanced himself from Trump and Republicans in Congress.

So far, the strategy seems to have worked. Seventy percent of Marylanders disapprove of Trump, nearly the opposite of Hogan’s approval rating, according to the Goucher poll. But 47 percent of Marylanders polled say Hogan has distanced himself “about the right amount” from Trump. Twenty-seven percent say he’s distanced himself too little, and 9 percent say too much.

A 53 percent majority think the state is heading in the right direction; 28 percent say the state is on the wrong track.

“If I were Larry Hogan, I’d probably be doing somersaults,” Todd Eberly, a political scientist at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, said after looking at the poll results. “If there’s going to be a blue wave, I think Hogan is in the best position he could be in a Democratic state if you were going to withstand that wave.”

Mileah Kromer, director of the Goucher polling team, cautioned that there remain plenty of un­decided voters and — with the wide-open Democratic gubernatorial primary still nine weeks away — a long road to November.

“What probably concerns them is the fact that approval isn’t necessarily the same thing as support for reelection,” Kromer said. “We’re really far out. It’s not like he can pack it in.”

If Hogan were pitted now against one of the contenders in June’s Democratic primary, between 44 and 47 percent of likely voters say they would choose Hogan, according to the poll. Between 22 and 27 percent of likely voters say they are undecided.

Hogan holds a 44 percent to 31 percent lead against Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, the Democratic front-runner in other recent polls. He leads by an identical margin against former NAACP president Ben Jealous, who narrowly trailed Baker and former Michelle Obama policy aide Krishanti Vignarajah in this weekend’s Western Maryland Democratic straw poll .

A February Mason-Dixon poll found Hogan leading Baker by 15 points in a general-election matchup, while a Gonzalez poll released in January gave Hogan a 10-point advantage.

The governor performed well in the Goucher poll on the question of whether Marylanders trust him or Democratic leaders on several specific issues. Fifty-five percent of Maryland adults say they have more confidence in Hogan to deal with the state’s budget and finances, vs. 28 percent who had more confidence in Democrats. He is more trusted on crime (48 percent to 32 percent), taxes (47 percent to 35 percent), economic development (49 percent to 35 percent) and transportation and infrastructure (45 percent to 36 percent).

Democrats have a double-digit advantage only on the environment (47 percent to 34 percent). They have a narrower edge on education (44 percent to 37 percent).

The poll revealed age and gender gaps that show that it is crucial for Democrats to get millennials and women to the polls.

Hogan has a 24-point advantage over Baker among likely voters age 55 and older, a higher-turnout group in a nonpresidential election year, when fewer than half of voters typically cast ballots. He trails his top Democratic rivals by roughly 20 points among likely voters under 35. Hogan leads by about 2 to 1 among men, but is tied with the Democrats among women, who made up 54 percent of voters in the 2014 gubernatorial election, according to the Census Bureau.

The Goucher poll was conducted April 14-19 among a random sample of 617 residents of Maryland, including landline and cellphone respondents. Full results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The margin of error was 4.6 points among the subset of 449 likely voters.

NFL RATINGS vs FLAG PROTESTS: BYE-BYE FANS (STOP USING U.S. MILITARY)

NFL RATINGS vs AMERICAN FLAG PROTESTS:

CORE FANS ARE QUIETLY SLIPPING AWAY.

PLEASE STOP USING U.S. MILITARY TROOPS TO PUSH DIVISIVE AGENDAS.

THIS PROTEST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE U.S. MILITARY.

THIS PROTEST IS ABOUT 400 YEARS OF INTENTIONAL INSTITUTIONAL RACISM CONGRESS REFUSES TO STOP.


Sources: USA Today, Washington Examiner, Fox News, Youtube


***** Shock poll: NFL now least liked sport, core fans down 31%


Over just one month of player, coach, and owner protests of the flag and National Anthem, the National Football League has gone from America's sport to the least liked of top professional and college sports, according to a new poll.


From the end of August to the end of September, the favorable ratings for the NFL have dropped from 57 percent to 44 percent, and it has the highest unfavorable rating – 40 percent – of any big sport, according to the Winston Group survey provided exclusively to Secrets.

Worse for football, which was already seeing lower TV ratings and empty stadium seats, the month of protests and complaints about them from President Trump drove core fans, men 34-54, away, the most significant indicator that NFL brass aren't in touch with their base.

The Winston Poll from the Washington-based Winston Group found that the attitude of those fans went from an August rating of 73 percent favorable and 19 percent unfavorable to 42 percent favorable and 47 percent unfavorable, a remarkable turn against the sport.

According to the poll analysis, "more critically for the NFL, the fall off in favorables occurred among important audiences. Among males, NFL favorables fell 23 percent, going from 68 percent to 45 percent. In looking at a more specific audience, males 34-54, NFL favorables fell 31 percent, going from 73 percent to 42 percent. Among this group the NFL has a surprising negative image, as it went from +54 percent in August to -5 percent in September."

The Winston Poll was of brand images for the NFL, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and college football and basketball. It was of 1,000 registered voters and taken August 29-30 and then again September 28-29.

In August, baseball had the highest favorables, just a few points above the NFL.

August Winston Poll

MLB/61 percent favorable to 13 percent unfavorable.
NFL/57 percent favorable to 23 percent unfavorable.
College football/53 percent favorable to 16 percent unfavorable.
College basketball/48 percent favorable to 17 percent unfavorable.
NBA/47 percent unfavorable to 23 percent unfavorable.
September Winston Poll

MLB/63 percent favorable to 16 percent unfavorable.
College football/51 percent favorable to 21 percent unfavorable.
NBA/46 percent favorable to 28 percent unfavorable.
College basketball/45 percent favorable to 25 percent unfavorable.
NFL/44 percent favorable to 40 percent unfavorable.
During the month, the college basketball drop was likely influenced by the suspension of Louisville Coach Rick Pitino who is linked to a scandal.

According to the Winston Poll, every category of NFL fan saw a drop in support.

HANDEL vs OSSOFF - GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION CONGRESSIONAL RACE (POLLS)

HANDEL vs OSSOFF - GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION CONGRESSIONAL RACE:

CURRENT POLLS ARE TOO CLOSE TO SPECULATE.


Sources: Newsweek, WSB-TV, YouTube


****** GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION BETWEEN HANDEL AND OSSOFF TOO CLOSE TO CALL, POLL SUGGESTS


Democrat Jon Ossoff holds a very slight lead over Republican Karen Handel in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District as Tuesday’s much-anticipated special election runoff approaches.

The most recent poll, from Atlanta local television station WSB and Landmark Communications, has Ossoff up by just under two points. Ossoff is supported by 49.7 percent of likely voters, while 48 percent support Handel.

The runoff election in the traditionally solidly Republican district has attracted immense national attention as Democrats look for their first major electoral victory during President Donald Trump’s presidency. It is the most expensive congressional race in history, with over $50 million spent, mostly from out-of-state donors.

"Ossoff has the lead.… Handel is very close behind him,” pollster Mark Rountree told WSB. “So either candidate could win.”

Ossoff and Handel are running to fill the seat left vacant by Tom Price, appointed by Trump as secretary of health and human services. Ossoff, a former congressional staffer, nearly won the election outright with 48.1 percent in the primary. Handel, the former Georgia secretary of state, topped nearly a dozen other Republicans with just under 20 percent of the total vote.

Both sides have poured money into the campaign, which many are calling a referendum on Trump. The poll, which surveyed 800 likely voters, found that 91 percent of Ossoff voters had an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while 78 percent of Handel voters have a favorable opinion of the president. While Price won the suburban Atlanta seat by 23 points in 2016, Trump only edged Clinton by 1.5 points.

In response to the poll, Handel and Ossoff both said the race was too close to call.

"It's about where we would've expected,” Handel said. “It's a dead heat, neck and neck, and is all about turnout.”

Ossoff has maintained a lead over Handel since the primary, with a late May poll putting him seven points ahead. More recent polls have shown a tighter race.

Last week’s shooting at a GOP congressional baseball practice and subsequent threats against Handel may be last-minute game changers. Police blocked streets in Handel’s neighborhood after packages “with threatening letters and a suspicious substance” were delivered to her and her neighbors, according to her campaign.

The suspicious packages have increasingly become a campaign narrative. Some believe the shooting and threats may be able to push Handel to victory.

“I think the shooting is going to win this election for us,” Brad Carver, chairman of the Republican party in the neighboring 11th congressional district, told The Washington Post. “Because moderates and independents in this district are tired of left-wing extremism.”

Ossoff, who said he has also received threats, condemned the shooting and called for unity.

CNN vs TRUMP (MORE DISTRACTION MEDIA BIAS DRAMA)

CNN vs TRUMP (MORE DISTRACTION MEDIA BIAS):

CNN INTENSIFIES ATTACKS AGAINST TRUMP AS DIRECTED BY OBAMA & SOROS TO UNDERMINE HIM.

TRUMP STRIKES BACK; WARNS WH LEAKERS; DEFEATS ELIZABETH WARREN IN 2020 POLLS.


Sources: Fox News, Boston.com, CNN


******* Trump blasts ‘out of control’ media, defends agenda at heated press conference



President Trump’s feud with the media turned into an all-out war Thursday afternoon.

His early presidency beset by damaging leaks and a burst of staff turmoil, Trump used a hastily called press conference to blast the media’s coverage of his administration in his strongest terms yet. He claimed the press is “out of control,” reports on his team’s ties to Russia are “fake,” and news outlets are attacking him because they oppose his agenda.

"The media’s trying to attack our administration because they know we are following through on the pledges that we made, and they’re not happy about it," Trump declared at the White House.

The president spoke and took questions for more than an hour and 15 minutes, even joking with some reporters toward the end and saying he was having fun. In a bid to preempt negative coverage of his remarks, Trump insisted he was not "ranting and raving." But he lamented that the "tone" of coverage of his administration is one of "such hatred."

"The public doesn't believe you people anymore," he said.

Trump, who is dealing with the roughest stretch of his nascent presidency so far, unleashed the battery of accusations after first announcing his newest pick for labor secretary. After his original nominee withdrew, Trump nominated law school dean and former federal prosecutor Alexander Acosta for the post Thursday.

has had a tremendous career," Trump said, noting he's been through Senate confirmation three times for past positions.

But Trump pivoted to tout his administration's record so far and to blast the media for allegedly underplaying progress made.

"The press honestly is out of control," Trump said, vowing to take his message "straight to the people."

Amid a court fight over his controversial immigration executive order, which he maintained is “lawful,” Trump said he would announce a "new and very comprehensive order to protect our people."

He also staunchly defended his administration’s work on everything from the economy to energy to security. "This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine,” he said.

The press conference was held days after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser over a controversy regarding his past contacts with Russia’s ambassador. Those contacts emerged in news reports. Fast food chain CEO Andrew Puzder also withdrew from consideration for labor secretary on Wednesday amid deepening scrutiny of his personal and professional past.

Trump on Thursday personally denied having any contact or connections with Russia, saying: "I have nothing to do with Russia. I have no deals there. I don't know anything."

While acknowledging he sought Flynn’s resignation, he also said Flynn was just doing his job by contacting Russia. He said Flynn was asked to resign because he was dishonest about the details of the call with Vice President Mike Pence.

And he dismissed recent reports that campaign aides had been in contact with Russian officials before his election. Trump called the reports a "ruse" and said he had "nothing to do with Russia." Trump added, "Russia is fake news. This is fake news put out by the media."

In a free-wheeling event that, before Trump, would have been unprecedented in a modern presidential news conference, the president by turns teased and lambasted members of the press corps.

Toward the end of the press conference, Trump summed up his complaints by suggesting he was being blamed for problems that have existed for years: “I didn’t come along and divide this country. This country was seriously divided before I got here.”

He also blasted Senate Democrats for holding up his Cabinet nominees.

His latest pick for Labor Department might have an easier time. If confirmed, Acosta would be Trump’s first Latino Cabinet member. According to top GOP sources, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and other Hispanic leaders are enthused about the pick.

Acosta currently is dean of Florida International University College of Law. He previously served as the first Hispanic assistant attorney general and as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, as well as on the National Labor Relations Board.

In the wake of the Flynn reports and other damaging stories, Trump also has vowed to root out those leaking sensitive information.

“We’re going to find the leakers. ... They’re going to pay a big price for leaking,” Trump said at a meeting ahead of the press conference.

TRUMP LEADS HILLARY IN NEW RASMUSSEN POLLS; BLACK VOTERS SHOW STRONG SUPPORT (NOV 8, 2016)

TRUMP LEADS HILLARY IN NEW RASMUSSEN POLLS; BLACK VOTERS SHOW STRONG SUPPORT

VOTE ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 8, 2016:

VOTE LIKE AMERICA'S FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT.

LATEST RASMUSSEN POLL RESULTS.

Sources: Rasmussen Poll, Fox News, CBS News, Youtube


****** Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are dead even in the latest White House Watch survey.


The new national telephone and online survey shows Clinton and Trump each with 45% support among Likely U.S. Voters. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson has fallen to a new low of three percent (3%), while Green Party candidate Jill Stein earns two percent (2%) of the vote.

Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and another two percent (2%) are undecided.

Clinton held a negligible 45% to 44% lead yesterday. She and Trump have been within two points or less of each other nationally all week in a survey with a +/- 2.5% margin of error.

In the latest survey, 88% of voters say they are now certain how they will vote. Trump leads 49% to 47% among these voters, with Johnson at three percent (3%) and Stein at one percent (1%). Clinton has the most to lose among voters who still could change their minds: She earns 49% in this group to Trump’s 30%, Johnson’s six percent (6%) and Stein’s 16%.

Rasmussen Reports updates its White House Watch survey daily Monday through Friday at 8:30 am Eastern based on a three-day rolling average of 1,500 Likely U.S. Voters.

The survey of 1,500 Likely Voters was conducted on October 25-27, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 2.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

[Rasmussen Reports analysts Amy Holmes and Fran Coombs are available for interested media. Please call 732-776-9777 ext. 205 for interviews.]

Americans aren’t exactly upbeat about the economy and housing prices over the next year, but fewer expect a weaker economy in a year’s time compared to past years. Democrats are a lot more optimistic, though, than other adults are.

The economy remains the number one issue for all voters this election cycle, but Republicans are a lot more worried about national security than Democrats and unaffiliated voters are.

Clinton still leads among women, Trump among men. The Democrat has a sizable lead among those under 40, while her GOP rival remains ahead among their elders.
The older the voter, the more certain he or she is of how they will vote.

Trump appears to be growing his lead among whites, while Clinton is growing hers among blacks and other minority voters. But whites are more sure of their vote as of now than the others are.

Sixty percent (60%) of all voters think race relations have gotten worse since the election of the first black president in 2008. Just nine percent (9%) believe race relations are better now.

Speaking of President Obama, 89% of voters who Strongly Approve of the job he has done in office favor Clinton. Ninety-two percent (92%) of those who Strongly Disapprove of his job performance prefer Trump.

Ted Cruz was the first Republican hopeful to announce for the presidency 19 months ago. Clinton was the first Democrat in the race less than a month later. Seventy-one percent (71%) of all voters think the presidential campaign lasts too long.

Unlike in neighboring Utah, Republican-turned-Independent candidate Evan McMullin isn’t making much of an impact on the presidential race in Idaho.

Trump is calling for term limits on members of Congress even though his party currently controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voters agree more strongly than ever with the need for congressional term limits.

HILLARY CLINTON LEADS TRUMP BY ONLY TWO POINTS IN POLLS (IS SHE LOSING??)

@Polls

HILLARY CLINTON LEADS TRUMP BY ONLY TWO POINTS IN POLLS:

DONALD J TRUMP PERSUADED MANY DEMS TO SWITCH PARTIES.

THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL BE VERY CLOSE.

HOWEVER TRUMP WILL MOST LIKELY PREVAIL IN NOVEMBER.

Sources: USA Today, Quinnipiac University Poll, Young Turks, CNN, Youtube

***** Poll: Clinton barely ahead of Trump nationally

Hillary Clinton holds just a slight advantage over Donald Trump nationally, but her lead grew tighter when third-party candidates are added into the race.

A Quinnipiac University Poll out Wednesday found that when Clinton and Trump were one-on-one in a national general election matchup, she held a 4-point lead over the billionaire, 45% to 41%.

That number tightens even more when Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein were added. When all four candidates were factored in, the former secretary of State had 40%, Trump had 38%, Johnson had 5% and Stein got 3%.

The Trump-Clinton matchup had a noticeable gender gap. Fifty-one percent of men went Republican, while 35% of men went Democratic. Meanwhile, 54% of women surveyed backed Clinton, while 30% supported Trump.

There is some good news for Bernie Sanders in the survey. The Vermont senator led Trump in a general election matchup 48% to 39%.

However, with Democrats he lagged behind Clinton 53% to 39%. In the Democratic delegate race, Sanders is hundreds of delegates behind Clinton when superdelegates (party leaders and elected officials) are included.

The Quinnipiac poll of 1,561 registered U.S. voters was conducted May 24-30. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 points.

The poll of Democrats included 678 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 points.

HB2 IS THE 2016 ELECTION LITMUS TEST

HB2 IS THE 2016 ELECTION LITMUS TEST

OBAMA FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMED AMERICA'S FABRIC.

Sources:  NCSPIN, WRAL, News Observer

The HB2 Political fray is NOT about Anti-Discrimination or LGBT Rights.

Instead it's about forcing 2016 voters to choose whom they will serve Fundamentally.

**** WRAL Poll: HB2 Could Have An Impact On Elections

The conflict over House Bill 2, the recently passed measure setting statewide discrimination standards, could reverberate into the fall general election, likely voters told a WRAL News poll.

Conducted by SurveyUSA exclusively for WRAL News, the poll found Republican Gov. Pat McCrory trailing Democratic challenger Roy Cooper 43 percent to 47 percent, with more than two-thirds of voters saying that a politician’s position on the bill will either “strongly” or “somewhat” influence their votes.

“Probably the past two weeks have taken a toll on McCrory, and he needs to hope for a short ‘short’ legislative session this summer so he can get into the summer and re-balance the political equation,” said Michael Bitzer, a professor of political science at Catawba College.

McCrory has defended the bill after signing it only hours after it passed the General Assembly on March 23. Cooper has labeled the bill “a disgrace” and refused to defend it in court.

“For both McCrory and Cooper, it’s a dynamic that probably both of them want to go away, except that it seems to energize their respective bases,” Bitzer said.

Both of the candidates have used House Bill 2 to raise money and have been regularly communicating with supporters about the bill.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, meaning that Cooper and McCrory are still in a statistical tie. However, the result is the reverse of a finding by liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling, which found McCrory leading Cooper by 2 percentage points just before lawmakers passed House Bill 2.

The WRAL News poll reflects a “significant” gender gap, Bitzer said, with Cooper leading McCrory among women 50 percent to 38 percent.

It’s unclear whether House Bill 2 played a role in Cooper’s overall lead on McCrory. The numbers of voters who said they approve or disapprove of McCrory’s job performance did not move significantly between a WRAL News poll released just before the March 15 primary and this week’s survey. However, Cooper’s approval rating climbed 18 points during the same time period.

Similarly, only 30 percent of respondents said they approve of the job the North Carolina General Assembly is doing, with 51 percent disapproving. Those numbers are about the same as a month ago.

Of respondents likely to cast ballots in November, 58 percent said a candidate’s position on House Bill 2 would strongly influence his or her vote, while another 24 percent said a candidate’s position would somewhat influence his or her vote. Only 14 percent said the bill would have no impact. Voters who identified themselves as strongly liberal or conservative were more likely to report that the measure would have a strong impact on their votes.

It’s one of those cultural issues that can get legs,” said Carter Wrenn, a veteran Republican political consultant. “It has landed in politics where it has gotten plenty muddied up, but it’s a cultural issue.”

Wrenn said it was typical for partisans to feel more strongly about an issue like House Bill 2. But 56 percent of voters who identified themselves as truly independent – leaning neither Republican nor Democratic – said it would also be on their minds when they go to the polls.

Gary Pearce, a longtime Democratic consultant, pointed out that the law has dominated newspaper headlines and local television news and has even been featured on national news programs.

“Here’s the one thing that is different right now – there’s an enormous amount of coverage. It dominates anything else in North Carolina politics. The question is, will that continue?” Pearce said.

If the intensity of news coverage slackens, he said, so will electoral passions with regard to the bill.

TRUMP vs HILLARY: WOMEN VOTERS ARE NOT MONOLITHIC (MEDIA LIES)

TRUMP vs HILLARY: WOMEN VOTERS ARE NOT MONOLITHIC

MOST 21st CENTURY MILLENNIAL WOMEN

VOTERS DON'T TRUST HILLARY.

THAT'S WHY DEMOCRATS NEED BERNIE SANDERS.

Sources: Cosmopolitan Magazine, Washington Free Beacon, Newsweek, TIME, WLS, YouTube

~ Story Highlights:

Despite propaganda coming from the Gov't-controlled Mainstream media, Women voters in America are not Monolithic on Political issues regardless of their age, education, 

faith, nationality, race or where they live.

Women are Not Stupid!

No two Women voters possess the same views or same perspective on anything.

This includes issues such as Abortion, Same-sex marriage, LGBT rights vs Civil Rights, CRIME, Religious Freedom and Business (Trade).

In fact most 2016 Millennial Women voters don't trust Hillary due to her issues with Benghazi, her email situation and how she protected her husband Bill during the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal.

That's exactly why the Democrat party's key leaders need Bernie Sanders.

Many Millennial Women voters trust Bernie Sanders and are attracted to his Political Revolution platform.

Trump's bold monumental success in the Business world also makes him attractive to Women voters as a viable candidate.

Why?

Because Women have BRAINS not just Uteruses and we want to be Successful business owners and Job creators too!

However just as Obama did in 2012, the Mainstream media wants to once again divide Women voters based on Age, Education and Faith for the sole purpose of Politics.

For the 2016 election, with help from Women Journalists like Megyn Kelly and Michelle Fields, the Media wants everyone to believe that Hillary's Gender would make her a better president for Women than Donald Trump.

And while we are on the subject of Women........

Can someone please explain why Ted Cruz who is a Lawyer and a US Senator, has yet to file a Slander or Libel lawsuit against the National Enquirer for publishing a bombshell story about him being a huge Womanizer and Adulterer allegedly??

Does it matter to Women voters, GOP establishment leaders and the state of Wisconsin if Ted Cruz is a Womanizer and Adulterer, allegedly??

Does it matter to Women voters, GOP establishment leaders and the state of Wisconsin if Ted Cruz is an extremely Vindictive man who loves to DESTROY people who get in his way, allegedly??

I repeat.

Despite propaganda coming from the Gov't-controlled Mainstream media, Women voters in America are not Monolithic on Political issues regardless of their age, education, 

faith, nationality, race or where they live.

Women are Not Stupid!

No two Women voters possess the same views or same perspective on anything.

This includes issues such as Abortion, Same-sex marriage, LGBT rights vs Civil Rights, Religious Freedom and Business (Trade).

**** Here's Why Young Women Aren't Voting for Hillary Clinton

The former secretary of state has a shot at becoming the first woman in the White House. 

But young women say that's not their priority — ​and are going for Bernie Sanders instead.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is a 74-year-old presidential candidate who's attracting a ton of support from people in their 20s, women included. He won the New Hampshire Democratic primary by a landslide, just a week after losing in Iowa to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by the narrowest of margins, thanks in large part to the twentysomethings who voted for him.  

In New Hampshire, CNN exit polls showed he won over 83 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 29. Clinton only won with the over-65 set. Iowa was pretty similar — 84 percent of voters between the ages of 17 and 29 went for Sanders, according to CNN entrance polls, while Clinton only had the edge among voters 45 and older.

Those numbers may not be unique to Iowa and New Hampshire — and they're not just "Bernie bros." A USA Today/Rock the Vote poll released on Jan. 14 showed that Sanders held a 19-point lead over Clinton among Millennial women who identified as Democrats and independents. A poll conducted by Monmouth University on Jan. 19 showed that age, not gender, was a better predictor of who supports Clinton versus Sanders. 

Cosmopolitan.com talked to four college students who have been vocal supporters of Sanders on their campuses about the issues that really matter to them — and why they don't see the urgency in electing America's first woman president.  

What issues do people on your campus care about the most?

Elizabeth Lee, 21, junior at Middlebury College and head of College Students for Bernie: Student loans are probably nationally what I think get people the most excited. Environmental activism is big at Middlebury, and the idea of taking down Wall Street is appealing as well. That is the most appealing part of Bernie's campaign to me, is to take down the idea of having big institutions that control your life and limit your choices about what kind of career you want to pursue.

Isabel Youngs, 23, senior at the University of Nevada at Reno: One of the most important issues for college students right now is a federal minimum wage. It's a persistent problem for us college students. Even if [college] weren't free, raising minimum wage would change how college students live. I have a lot of friends who had to drop out of school because the extra five to six hours a week would make a difference at work. If it were $15 an hour, it wouldn't make a difference. I have friends who work in the food service and they go to work with the flu because they literally can't afford not to. I see the federal minimum wage as a big one.

What other issues matter to you personally?

Youngs: For me, one of the biggest things is health care. That might be more because I'm an LGBT student, and I've also seen my family grow up without health care. My friends and I, we often need more medical care than most of the community because of surgeries, hormone therapy, and especially mental therapy and counseling. I have friends who can't access any of that stuff. They're having horrible mental health crises, getting no help to get the health care they need.

Megan Taylor, 20, sophomore and head of University of South Carolina for Bernie: Student loans matter a lot to me because in the current economy, it's essential to have a degree. It's not really an option anymore if you want to have social and economic mobility. I don't think that we can require something of people in the job market and also ask them to pay for it no matter their circumstances. I'm also very passionate about social issues; I'm a bleeding-heart liberal. I'm interested in social welfare, food stamps, making health care accessible to people, reforming the prison system and the judicial system so that it's more equitable and produces the results. Let's think of people first and think of how to pay it later. As much as I respect moderate candidates and know that they are necessary for compromise, I'm also very liberal. My dad's Canadian and socialism is in my blood. I very much love the socialist parts of our government that do very well for us — roads, bridges, all those things that are created through the government.

What makes you support Bernie Sanders?

Lee: I support Bernie because I think that he takes very strong policy stances, which I really admire. He's unafraid to say what he thinks, and what he says is reasonable and very human-focused. He doesn't have strings attached to Wall Street and different interest groups. He speaks his mind and caters to what the actual majority wants and needs.

Emmy Ham, 22, senior at the University of New Hampshire: I think that the main thing we all have in common is we really want a change in our political system. We want to go against mainstream politics and Bernie represents that for us. When I heard about his platform, I really identified with that pretty quickly. I jumped on board. He exposed so many things about our political system that I have been frustrated with for a very long time. I think that's where it stems from.

Youngs: I don't want to see us getting involved globally as a global power. I want to see us disengage from that and fix our own stuff first. Globally there are a lot of problems, but at the same time, you know, no one president has made all the foreign policy decisions singlehandedly. They hire a Cabinet, they have people who are talking to them constantly about what the best form of action is, and I trust Bernie and his choice in the Cabinet that he picks to help him with those foreign policy issues.

Lee: Right now, for me at least, domestic policy is the most important. Making sure that income inequality doesn't spin out of control is something that's way more important to me than the quagmire in Syria, and things like that. I think that with Syria, there's no good choice for the U.S. Whatever we do is going to damage Syria and the people there to some degree. But there are clear meaningful steps that we can take in domestic policy that can really better people's lives.

Sanders is often criticized for being a single-issue candidate, focusing on the economy and campaign finance, but not other issues. How do you respond?

Taylor: I will never say that Bernie Sanders is not on message. But I think the reason Bernie Sanders seems like a single-issue candidate is because he is looking at that issue so holistically. He's looking at the economy in this broad sense that involves everything from education to health care to racial justice to criminal justice. He wants to fix the economy by fixing all of these other individual problems that are so connected.

Youngs: I'd never put the economy over any other things like social issues. I definitely do not think that Bernie Sanders is a single-issue candidate. If he does focus on the economy, he focuses on all aspects of the economy, including prison reform and making sure to get private prisons off the table and making sure that you legalize or decriminalize marijuana so you're not overcrowding prisons. It might have something to do with the economy, but it also has to do with social issues.

What do you like about Sanders personally?

Youngs: Bernie doesn't pander or patronize my vote. He doesn't think, How can I get young people to vote for me? He thinks, How do I make this world better for young people? It matters that he has a strong voting record that reflect those values. For me, Bernie is not for sale, which, I mean, that might be a kind of tried-and-true cliché of his campaign, but it means something to me. It means that he wouldn't turn around and abandon me and my cause and my people just for a political setup.

Taylor: I find Bernie very genuine, and I think one of the appeals of him is that he's very straightforward to the point of being sort of brusque at times, but very straightforward and genuine, and people appreciate that. The genuineness of Bernie, who he is as a person as well as a politician, really appeals to me as well as individual policy things that would really even the playing field for Americans.

What don't you like about Hillary Clinton?

Lee: I wouldn't say I dislike Hillary Clinton. I wouldn't necessarily be against the idea. She doesn't make me very excited about politics. I just don't really know where she stands on issues because she changes a lot, in terms of what the issues are. She doesn't really address them in her speeches. If you look at the debates, she drills other candidates on issues, but she doesn't really take a stance on what her position is. Which I think makes me a little bit skeptical and unable to support something that I don't really know what it is.

Youngs: I think Hillary's values have a price tag. In 2017, I don't think a corporate interest would be able to walk up to Bernie Sanders and say, "Here's $1 million, now's not the time for a social movement." She has the capacity to compromise if she gets [certain things she wants,] which is political sharpness, but that desperation scares me.

Taylor: I was very much ready for Hillary, but as you look into her individual policy decisions, her various campaigns in the past, I had grown, sort of as most people do, less enchanted with her and with the political system in general. When she says she's an outsider in the political process, not like the Democratic candidates, and not an establishment politician, it's silly. Hillary has spent so much time in the political system, she's always a politician first, and people can tell when she's not being genuine.

Ham: I think it's tricky. I get asked a lot why I don't support Hillary, and I don't think it's that I don't support her. I just truly identify with Bernie more, and I think he's more authentic, and he is really fighting for everybody and not just a select few.

Does anyone question your feminism because you're not voting for Clinton, who could be the first woman president?

Lee: I think it did make me hesitate a little bit, because I obviously want to see a woman in the White House as the president. But I think that we need to prioritize the issues before we can prioritize who this person is. In the future, there will be more women candidates running, and I can imagine a woman coming into the White House. It doesn't necessarily have to be Hillary Clinton; it can be someone else.

Youngs: I haven't been challenged that much in my feminism. Much of my feminist friends are strong Bernie supporters. I think there's an element of truth that we desperately need a woman in the White House. If it were Elizabeth Warren or Barbara Lee, versus Bernie Sanders, I wouldn't hesitate for Senator Warren or Congresswoman Lee. But I strongly believe that Bernie's values align more with mine and that I'm going to vote more in my interest more so than in symbolism. Eventually we'll find someone we feel comfortable representing us, but it's just not her.

Taylor: As much as I would like to see a woman president, and as happy as I would be with Hillary Clinton as president, I think Bernie Sanders's policies will do more for women, or at least the things that he's focusing on. Because women don't just need reproductive rights and a decrease in the pay gap, and they don't just need to see women represented in politics; they also need the same things that everybody else needs. That's really why I lean Bernie. Not that I fault any feminist who votes for Hillary.

Ham: I think that our generation is very progressive, male and female. When looking at the candidates, we want to see somebody who's not only looking out for women's rights but also for black people, disabled people, and people of all types of minorities. Bernie fights that system in one fell swoop by trying to improve our economic system, which is the primary oppressor of these people.

Do you think the symbolism of Clinton's gender matters?

Youngs: I actually only know of one woman who I consider politically competent who supports Hillary, and I think that comes from the belief that she's more of a symbol than that she agrees with her policies. I've seen [Clinton] support the Iraq War, Wall Street bailouts, the TPP, Keystone XL for a while, I've just seen all this stuff that I can't see her as a symbol anymore. I don't think she stands for me; I don't think she represents women. There are some things I will ignore for the symbolism of having a woman in office, but there's just too much.  

Taylor: I very much respect Hillary as a woman, and I think she's one of the great examples of powerful women in politics. As much as I would like to see a woman as president, I don't think it particularly solves problems because I obviously believe in the glass ceiling, but I don't think that the glass ceiling is broken once and everyone soars through and suddenly you have a female president every other election. In high-up offices like that, you have a female president and it cracks the glass ceiling, but there's still a lot more work to be done then; it's still not easy to get through.

Ham: I definitely identify as a feminist, and when I first started reading into the campaign and candidates, that was my one reluctance because I do want to see a female president. I think it's time for one in the United States, but I just don't think it's Hillary Clinton. For me, what's just as important is having the right female candidate, not just a female candidate. I just see Clinton as kind of another cog in the political machine. And I would like to see somebody who not only represents feminist rights, women's rights, but the rights of everybody. And I think that Bernie Sanders more broadly encompasses social justice for the majority of minorities and oppressed people in the United States.

What do you foresee happening in the general election? Regardless of whether he wins, what's the future for Bernie's "political revolution"?

Ham: I would say that Bernie is making fundamental change right now in how we elect candidates. In the beginning and even now, it's hard to see it happening, but there really is a movement going on. And once people start seeing his progress, and how many people are following him and joining his movement, then I think it's going to change, and it already has among youth. So of course the unknown is a little bit intimidating for some people. I'm interested in seeing that the United States is really ready for that change, and I really hope we are.

Youngs: I really think that both candidates are so much better than anything the Republican candidates have to offer. I really resent the Hillary vs. Bernie rhetoric. It's so much more nuanced than that and there's so much that goes into it, and I really want to see young people go out and vote in the House and Senate. 

A lot of people just check Bernie or Hillary, and walk out of the polls and they don't consider the cause and effect of not researching all candidates available. 

When Bernie Sanders talks about a political revolution, he means more than just him. 

He means everyone across the board.

TRUMP & HILLARY LEAD IN NY POLLS (TRUMP WINS UNLESS SABOTAGED)

TRUMP & HILLARY LEADING IN NEW YORK PRIMARY POLLS:

TRUMP WINS NY UNLESS HE IS SABOTAGED BY GOP ESTABLISHMENT.

WHY ISN'T TED CRUZ SUING NATIONAL ENQUIRER IF STORY IS FALSE??

Sources: Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Real Clear Politics, Youtube

****** Poll: Clinton, Trump Lead in N.Y. Primaries

Both Clinton and Sanders would beat any GOP candidate in the state in November, poll shows.

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have significant leads ahead of the primaries in their home state of New York next month, a poll released Thursday showed.

Mrs. Clinton, a former U.S. senator from New York, tops her Democratic rival, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 54% to 42% among likely Democratic primary voters, according to the Quinnipiac University poll.

Mr. Trump, a Manhattan real-estate developer, leads with 56% among likely GOP primary voters, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas with 20% and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio with 19%, the poll showed.

“The home-court advantage helps both party’s front-runners in the presidential primaries in New York,” said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

New York’s primaries will be held April 19.

Among Democrats, women favored Mrs. Clinton over Mr. Sanders, while white primary voters were divided with 48% for Mrs. Clinton and 47% for Mr. Sanders. Mrs. Clinton continues to dominate Mr. Sanders with black voters, beating him 66% to 31% in the state.

In the GOP, Mr. Trump holds double-digit leads among both genders.

The poll found both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders would beat any of the Republican candidates in the November general election.

Quinnipiac surveyed 693 likely Democratic primary voters and 457 likely GOP primary voters.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points on the Democratic side and plus or minus 4.6 percentage points on the Republican side.