Clinton’s Likability Sinks to New Low

While Hillary Clinton might think she has an easy path to the White House running against an unpopular Republican nominee, polling reality has interrupted conventional wisdom in the Beltway.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released Wednesday shows that Clinton and Donald Trump are equal in unfavorable ratings among registered voters. ABC News and The Post reported that among registered voters, Clinton has an unfavorable rating of 59 percent. Trump’s unfavorable rating is 60 percent.

“What’s happening is her lack of character — or stretching of the truth, her lies — is catching up with her.”

The surprise news comes after weeks of Trump taking a pounding from both the Clinton campaign and surrogates in the media for a number of controversies — both self-inflicted and fabricated.

But Clinton’s own controversies, from email disclosures to Clinton Foundation questions, didn’t escape the eyes of registered voters. Clinton and her staff were greeted Wednesday by a headline sure to cause morning dyspepsia: “Poll: Clinton Unpopularity at New High, On Par With Trump.”

Clinton’s numbers mean she can’t count on Trump’s problems to lift her campaign to victory Nov. 8. Voters appear to be ambivalent about both candidates personally, giving Trump an opening on the day he meets with the Mexican president.

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Both candidates have work to do to win voters. On Wednesday morning, ABC news analyst Matthew Dowd compared the choice on “Good Morning America” to a passenger (a voter) ready to travel across the nation. The passenger has a choice between a “25-year-old Oldsmobile with no air conditioning that only goes 30 miles per hour, and a private plane whose pilot may be erratic and whose landing gear may not work.” (Dowd didn’t make clear who was who in his metaphor.)

The drooping numbers must be disappointing for the Clinton camp. ABC News and The Post found Clinton’s favorable rating rose to 48 percent after the Democratic National Convention. Those favorable ratings have now dropped to 41 percent.

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The poll contained some other remarkable news: Female voters, a crucial voting segment for both candidates, now view Clinton unfavorably. ABC News reports that Clinton’s popularity among women has flipped from 54 percent favorable/43 percent unfavorable last month — to 45 percent favorable and 52 percent unfavorable today.

It’s the first time in a year that most women have viewed Clinton unfavorably, ABC News reports. And it’s a dramatic swing by any polling standard.

Clinton still edges Trump in favorable ratings — barely. Clinton is viewed favorably by 38 percent of registered voters. Trump is viewed favorably by 37 percent of registered voters.

And some good news for Trump: Republican support appears to be hardening for him, thanks to his opponent. Eighty-eight percent of Republicans view Clinton unfavorably, a rebuke to efforts to try to win some over.

But just what is happening to cause the shift? Trump and surrogates have been running ads pounding Clinton’s record — but certainly not as many ads as Clinton’s campaign and its surrogates. Clinton also has an advantage in grassroots organizing, opening many campaign offices in swing states such as Ohio and North Carolina.

But it comes down mostly to character, not just campaign strategy, says one political observer.

Ultimately, people are sizing up Clinton’s character and honesty, and they are not liking their conclusions, according to Michael Long, chairman of the New York State Conservative Party.

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“What’s happening is her lack of character — or stretching of the truth, her lies — is catching up with her,” said Long, who has thrown his support behind Trump. “I think her negatives are going to climb.”

Long, a Brooklyn resident and the longtime chairman of New York’s strongest third party, said he sees little enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton from Democrats in New York City — the heart of Clinton’s political base and a metropolis she once represented in the U.S. Senate. Democrats had more enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders or Barack Obama in his first run for president, Long said.

Now, as Trump tries to soften his image and reach out to minorities, Clinton has decided to hammer Trump with charges of racism. Long said that’s because if Trump picks up enough black and Hispanic voters, voters who make up her base, even a relatively small group of defectors could cause Clinton to lose the election.

So Clinton is running negative ads on cable TV shows, he said.

“Clearly, her campaign is in panic mode,” said Long.