Monthly Polling Update - Affirmative Action, Abortion, Taxes, and Third Party

John Fogerty, Kenny Rogers, Vin Scully, and Mariano Rivera. (Damn onions...)

Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in higher education sent expected shockwaves through the country yesterday.

The policy is politically popular as this Harvard/Harris poll shows:

Expect future cases to be brought forward to ban legacy and donor based admissions as well. I’m sure that would be even more popular than banning race.

Love this bit of Twitter satire:

Warning for business leaders from WSJ Ed Board on Affirmative Action ruling by SCOTUS:

Corporate diversity and equity programs that divide and classify by race should also be on notice that they will face legal challenges.

Reaction to last year’s Dobbs decision by SCOTUS is also being played out according to the Founders. SCOTUS sent abortion back to the States United and voters are having their say. Here’s Harvard/Harris on that issue:

Harvard/Harris on taxes:

Adding up where voters want to live respecting taxes, public charter schools, gender surgery for minors, and abortion? (VERY interesting question BTW)

Yes, America - we live in a democracy. Voters, lawyers, and UHauls - OH MY!

Is Donald Trump inevitable? I don’t think so given that more and more candidates keep jumping in the race, BUT voters - especially Republican voters - think Trump is inevitable.

evitable - adj. able to be avoided or prevented.

Is a serious third party inevitable or is it evitable?

Support +3 since May’s polling.

A third party polling trend has shrunk from net (-18) in 2008 to just (-9) this month according to NBC poll:

Switching gears to K-12 polling and commentary:

Gallup on K-12 schools. Worst performing answer was about “making you excited about learning”(C+)

Inclusion, safety, and respect got Bs.

WAPO Ed Board on plummeting NAEP test scores:

The most effective way to combat learning loss is high-dosage tutoring — frequent, semi-individualized tutoring sessions that supplement regular classroom instruction. Every struggling student should be enrolled in such a program. But doing so would be hard. (emphasis added)

Moving to Climate Change.

Axios chart on Carbon Dioxide emitters. Given population growth? America is doing very well and, as always - or as usual anyways, continues toward “more perfect.”

I have yet to find an editorial page opinion in Virginia newspapers on the General Assembly’s inability to pass amendments to the Biennial Budget. If you know of any, please pass it along.

Just another example of the waning influence of newspapers.

Speaking of influence, here’s a graphic on what’s growing:

Switching to the Boys of Summer…

How about Shohei Ohtani - Japanese born pitcher/batter for the Los Angeles Angels?

Ohtani is scheduled to pitch next on Monday at 9:40PM Eastern.

Happy 4th of July to all! Have a cold beer, a hot dog, and some good naps over the weekend.

Life is long and God is good.

So are memories.

Check out this one from Troy, Michigan Little League from around 1972ish :

I’m front row on the right with the bat. My two best friends are on the left. Front row first on left- Nico Luna and behind him Kevin Stoutermire (my twin per our moms) back row first on left also holding bat.

We were the Rangers named for the team that just moved to Texas. As such, we didn’t get logos. But after wins, we were treated to A&W Root beer floats. So good.

We can learn a lot from watching the game.

Kenny Rogers with one of my absolute favorites - I Am the Greatest:

Damn onions…

Speaking of damn onions…

How about this one? Panama born Mariano Rivera’s leaving the game at America’s baseball cathedral, Yankee Stadium. Rivera, a 9th grade dropout, grew up playing baseball with cardboard milk boxes for a glove and taped up fishing net for balls.

Vin Scully classic line from For the Love of the Game:

But tonight, he's pitching against time, he's pitching against the future, against age, against ending. Tonight, he will make the fateful walk to the loneliest spot in the world, the pitching mound at Yankee Stadium, to push the sun back into the sky and give us one more day of summer

Perfect game, indeed…

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Virginia FREE’s monthly polling Zoom is today at 3pm.

2021 Pollster of the Year Amanda Iovino will be leading the conversation.

Today’s focus - 2024 Swing States.

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