The vast majority of likely 2020 voters do not care how much time President Donald Trump spends on a golf course, according to surveys conducted by Democratic messaging consultants to help leftist candidates and advocates through then next few elections.
A group of consultants leading the messaging project, dubbed Navigator Research, say in a new study first reported by The Washington Post that Americans care more about Trump’s recklessness than about the time he spends away from presidential duties.
“Concern about recklessness may help explain why so many Americans find it unacceptable that Trump does not read his intelligence and national security briefings,” according to the April report, the first of a series. “Laziness (think Trump on the golf course), on the other hand, does not resonate, as just 3% say lazy speaks to their concerns about Trump.”
Trump has spent nearly a quarter of his days in office visiting a golf course, often one of his own resorts, according to Golf News Net. Conservatives made a big deal about former President Barack Obama’s visits to golf courses during times of crisis, but that line of attack also didn’t make a difference beyond the partisan divide.
The Navigator report is based on polls of more than 1,000 people, along with qualitative surveys, spearheaded by a group that believes Democrats are not capitalizing on the intense polarization of Trump.
“There is a dearth of direction as it relates to how to talk about things,” Jefrey Pollock, the president of Global Strategy Group, told The Post. “When the news cycle is the length of the tweet, that challenge is more acute than ever.”
Parts of the research are well reported reactions to Trump and reinforce conventional opinion. For instance, the surveys found that Americans are concerned about their own personal finances and about the health of the greater economy. They distrust Washington politicians and view the government machine as corrupt.
Pollock, whose Democratic political clients include New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, and other members of Congress, believes that right of center politicians and commentators are more consistent in framing debates. “For years, Republican politicians have been better at paying attention to language cues. We’re trying to do a progressive version of that,” Pollock said.
Nick Gourevitch, also of Global Strategy Group, and Margie Omero of GBA Strategies are involved in the research effort, along with campaign staff alumni for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
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