(Bloomberg) -- Democratic nominee Joe Biden is ahead by nine points nationally in a new poll. President Donald Trump says he won’t call suburban women “housewives” any more. And a new Florida poll shows the race essentially tied.
There are 14 days until the election and 55 days until the Electoral College meets.
Other Developments:
- Trump Turns Fauci Into Campaign Pawn, Assailing Him as ‘Idiot’
- Pelosi, Mnuchin Narrowing Gap on Stimulus, to Talk Again Tuesday
- Covid Hits Key States and Demographics Two Weeks From Vote
- Trump Was Unsure of Victory Until Recently, He Tells Staff
Biden Ahead by Nine Points Nationally
A new poll shows half of likely voters nationwide back Biden, as voters prefer him on almost all major issues.
In the New York Times/Siena College poll, 50% of likely voters backed Biden, while 41% backed Trump, a nine-point lead that is in line with the RealClearPolitics average of national surveys, which was 8.9 points prior to this poll.
Voters preferred Biden over Trump to handle the coronavirus pandemic by 12 points, to choose Supreme Court justices by six points and to maintain law and order by six points.
They were evenly split on which candidate would handle the economy better, an area where Trump long held an advantage.
The poll of 987 likely voters nationwide was conducted Oct. 15-18. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 points.
Trump Says He Won’t Call Suburban Women ‘Housewives’
In his latest bid to narrow the massive gender gap in this year’s election, Trump said he would stop calling suburban women “housewives.”
Speaking on Monday in Prescott, Arizona, the president said the term isn’t “politically correct” but added that most suburban married women actually don’t mind it.
“I used to call them suburban housewives, I got killed all the time. I said, ‘Oh, I better go politically correct,’” he said. “Is there one woman here that minds being called -- if you’re married at least -- a suburban housewife?”
A large group of women in the crowd then shouted “No.” Pointing to the TV cameras, he then said “the only one that minds” are the press.
A recent New York Times/Siena College poll showed suburban women prefer Biden over Trump by 23 points.
Biden, Trump Essentially Tied in Florida Poll
The race in Florida may be even closer than it appears according to a new poll of hard-to-reach voters.
In a University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab poll released Tuesday, 48% of likely voters in Florida supported Biden, while 47% backed Trump, within the margin of error and even closer than other recent surveys.
The poll used a slightly different methodology to capture sentiment among voters who aren’t easy to reach, imputing their choice from other answers if they refused to say who they were voting for and counting those who said who they backed but did not finish the survey.
“While some polls have shown Biden with a big lead in Florida and other key states, we made an effort to capture hard-to-reach voters and our results suggest that it might be a long night on November 3rd,” said Dr. Michael Binder, faculty director of the polling center.
The poll of 863 likely voters in Florida was conducted Oct. 12-16. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Biden Ad Features Former NFL Player Who Didn’t Vote
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier endorses Biden in a new campaign ad, saying that he regrets not voting in 2016.
In a 30-second ad called “Flex Your Power,” Shazier alludes to his career-ending injury in the 2017 season as images of him being carried off the field are shown.
“In 2016, I didn’t vote. I didn’t think it mattered. I won’t make that mistake again,” he says. “One thing I learned in life, you have to make the most out of every opportunity you get.”
Shazier is the latest in a string of high-profile African-Americans who have publicly said that they are voting in the election after not voting in the past.
In recent days, rapper Snoop Dogg has said that he will vote for the first time ever after learning that his criminal record does not prevent it. Boxer Mike Tyson tweeted recently that he will also vote for the first time ever, after a change in Nevada law restored voting rights to felons upon release from prison.
Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and rapper Tyler the Creator have also said that they will vote for the first time this year.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Advertisement