New surveys posted below reveal younger adults are apparently frustrated and often angry about the economic realities they face. So, it is no surprise that as a group they are broadly unhappy. To tee up the polling insights and analysis that follows from a range of sources, it is useful to put those surveys into a broader context to see how they fit.

Former President Barack Obama made the remark, “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America,” during a campaign rally in Columbia, Missouri on October 30, 2008,” said Bing’s AI powered Copilot, citing Slate and other sources across the left-right media divide.

The Obama-Biden ticket won that 2008 presidential election, and Democrats came into power in part on the promise of “Hope and Change” Obama said would heal racial and other divides.

Jumping ahead almost a decade, former President Obama said: “One of the biggest challenges we have to our democracy is the degree to which we don’t share a common baseline of facts…If you watch Fox News, you are living on a different planet than you are if you, you know, listen to NPR.” The ex-president’s remarks were to David Letterman on his Netflix show, as reported by The Hill and other news outlets on January 13, 2018.

Fast forward to the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket. At the end of a campaign amidst a declared pandemic, months of post-George Floyd riots, and the civil unrest of the 2020 campaign ended in a disputed result which nevertheless left Biden-Harris and Democrats in charge. Never let a serious crisis go to waste, said ex-Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who later became Chicago’s Mayor. Again, healing divides were part of the Biden-Harris promises. But as with Obama-Biden, another campaign promise was a more just and equitable society.

 

 

Some have called the Biden-Harris Administration Obama’s third term. Be that as it may, several members of the Obama-Biden years are serving in the Biden-Harris Administration.  Obama, Biden and Democrats more generally needed the votes of millions of younger adults to gain power.

Of the last approaching 16 years, almost 12 have been under largely Democratic national rule. It can’t be overlooked in the polling that follows that four of those roughly sixteen years were under the Trump Administration, and those four years apparently left their mark on Americans in several ways that will be considered in Part II of this news-analysis.

With that in mind, Part I is from the Daily Torch which organized polling information that is provided to MHProNews with permission. As a programming note, our typical Part III – our Daily Business News on MHProNews markets and headlines updates – are omitted today due to a data collection glitch, which is regretted.

 

Part I

Young People are Driving Force Behind Plummeting Happiness Ratings – Here are the Political Implications

By Manzanita Miller

According to the newly released World Happiness Report which compiles data from Gallup and the United Nations, happiness rankings in the U.S. have plummeted, particularly among younger Americans.

The U.S. has fallen to No. 23 on the list of nations and is no longer in the top 20 happiest countries for the first time in history, and younger Americans are driving that decline. Among Americans under age 30, the U.S. falls to a bleak No. 62 in worldwide happiness rankings.

The opposite can be said for older Americans, as when voters over 60 are analyzed alone they raise the U.S. ranking to tenth place. This is a massive disparity and may be part of the reason younger voters are shifting away from Democrats who have been in charge of the executive branch for four years and whose ideology permeates most mainstream media and institutions.

The pandemic, stay at home orders, constant threats to free speech, shuttered schools and businesses, the fentanyl crisis, rising crime, an unchecked assault to our southern border, stagnant wages, crushing inflation and a tepid economic recovery all play a role in plummeting happiness ratings.

Young people are particularly sensitive to the massive cultural, economic, and political shifts that have deteriorated happiness in the past few years, and evidence suggests many of them plan to take out their frustration at the ballot box this fall.

A recent Florida Atlantic University poll revealed just one third of voters under age 35 plan to support President Joe Biden, the lowest level of support for Biden among any age bracket. This is harrowing news for Biden, who banked heavily on the support of younger voters in 2020 and ended up winning their vote by twenty-four points. The poll revealed many Gen Z and younger Millennial voters are on the brink of switching their votes this November, with a full half of voters under 35 planning to support former President Donald Trump this fall.

This finding is supported in other polls as well. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll from January showed Trump leading Biden with voters under thirty-five 37% to 33%, a massive shift from 2020. What’s more, a poll of battleground states conducted by the New York Times showed Biden could lose double digits with younger voters compared to four years ago. That poll shows Biden leading Trump by a single percentage-point among voters under 30, 47% to 46%. Four years ago, Biden won voters under thirty 60% to 36%, a startling contrast to where he is polling now.

A Morning Consult poll also reveals that Gen Z voters trust Trump over Biden by huge margins on issues like immigration, crime, and the economy. Young people trust Trump over Biden to handle the immigration crisis by seven points, crime by ten points, and the economy by nearly 20 points. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z voters say the economy is the most important issue to them when choosing who to vote for this November.

While an argument could be made that younger Americans are simply frustrated with those in charge and hungry for a change in leadership, this should not be taken lightly. The leftwing agenda that permeates most major universities, media outlets, and world organizations is being called into question as the ramifications of that agenda reverberate through the population. For decades, the left has marketed itself as the outsider, fighting for the little guy, but Democrats have amassed vast centralized power and used that power to erode freedom and prosperity. Many young people are waking up to this reality and demanding change. ##

Manzanita Miller is an associate analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.

 

Part II – Additional Information with More MHProNews Analysis and Commentary

MHProNews has observed and reported for over a decade the obvious connection between politics and the business environment. Political parties monitor public polling carefully. Politicians, parties, and even some advocacy groups often do their own polls that may or may not be made public. It remains to be seen how the various major parties respond to the insights that the surveys cited by Manzanita Miller revealed.  What is clear is that unrest among younger demographic groups is apparent from a range of evidence.

MHProNews/MHLivingNews have periodically spotlighted that frustrated, in reports like the ones linked below. Other news outlets have periodically shared social media posts like those that follow which expose a deep frustration and anger with the realities of modern living in the U.S. Bluntly, the surveys showing frustration among younger adults are supported by evidence.

On 4.3.2024 the financial and political news site ZeroHedge said this: “Bidenomics Failure Shows Up At Polls As Gen-Z Revolts Against Democrats.” It opened with these observations and social media posts for examples.

It is no surprise that a new Gallup poll shows a growing number of Gen-Zers and millennials are becoming increasingly frustrated with the failure of ‘Bidenomics‘ as they struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

We didn’t need a poll to reveal the frustrations of youngsters working two or three jobs just to afford rent, auto payments, and avocado and toast. The writing has been on the wall, especially on social media feeds of TikTok and X:

The struggle is real for the new generation, which is just now learning that working a 9-5 isn’t as easy as college. pic.twitter.com/FvAeYkTddt

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 25, 2023

The Gen-Z girl who complained about the 9-5 work schedule has a comment for Business Insider (which tried to find out where she works) about the stress of finding a job as a post-grad. She’s got a point. pic.twitter.com/4ExfWrELLF

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 27, 2023

 

A longer version of this post below was previously shared by MHProNews, and happens to have been selected by ZeroHedge for their article cited above.

Woman defends Gen-Z not wanting to work a 9-5 for the rest of their lives

“I don’t want to work my tail end off, wasting all of my life working, just to barely be able to pay my bills” pic.twitter.com/BxaTXjaxcd

— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) January 8, 2024

 

So, this is one of the items Miller and ZeroHedge cited.

 

 

Per ZeroHedge:

The new Gallup poll of 18-29-year-olds validates the Biden administration, which seemingly cares more about illegal aliens and the LGBTQQIP2SAA community (not sure what all those letters mean), is quickly losing the young vote.

People in that age cohort are more than twice as likely to cite the economy as their top concern compared with older adults in recent Gallup data. And while all voters are more worried about the economy now than they were heading into the 2020 presidential election, the pessimism has spiked the most among those under 30. –Bloomberg 

Also from that ZeroHedge report:

It’s a wake-up call for the Biden administration. A recent Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll reveals a surprising trend: Former President Trump is leading President Biden 47% to 40% among voters 18-34 in swing states. This is a significant shift from the last presidential cycle when Biden won 61% of voters under 30.

The Biden administration understands they desperately need Gen-Z and millennial support to win in November. They are trying everything in their power to buy votes by bailing out youngsters with student debt (despite the Supreme Court ruling).

Youngsters are coming of age in one of the worst economic periods this nation has seen in a generation. Elevated inflation is crushing household finances.

With the election cycle well underway, there are mounting risks inflation could accelerate once again, and gas prices at the pump are rising. …”

As noted above, MHProNews and our MHLivingNews sister site have been reporting on several aspects of the economics that are hitting the youngest adults hard.

 

 

 

 

When the data is carefully examined, it is often younger adults who are having to delay home buying or are struggling to make rent payments.  While troubling for younger adults, it is an area of opportunity for manufactured housing pros.  The data linked below details in a 9-minute read.

 

 

To a point alluded to by Miller’s Daily Torch report posted above, there is evidence that globalists have been pushing a narrative that ‘owning nothing’ can still leave you ‘happy’ has been pitched, often by the same sources that are the money powers behind Obama-Biden as well as Biden-Harris.

 

 

The Daily Torch routinely looks at the latest polling and summarizes key findings. This headline in a report by Rob Romano from their site speaks volumes. “Trump has led Biden in 88 percent of the five-way race polls taken since Nov. 2023 as third-party candidates could put popular vote into play.”

Left-leaning FactCheck said this on the latest about Bidenomics, a term that Democrats have lately been backing away from using.

 

 

Per reports on the Daily Torch, minorities are also moving away from Democrats and are increasingly embracing Trump and his policies. That matters because Blacks and Hispanics have long been part of the coalition that Democrats have used to win elections.  Per Real Clear Politics (RCP) averages of recent major polls are the following.

 

The above reveals an interesting disconnect that Republicans ought to be mindful about. Younger voters, unmarried women, and minorities are moving more toward Trump, per a range of polls. Yet, despite the unpopularity of Biden and the rising popularity of Trump, it seems that in these national polls Biden does better than what individual polls – like the ones Miller cited – might lead one to believe.

Put differently, the 2024 election could be won by either Trump or Biden. The numbers modestly favor Trump, but with some adjustments, it could become a blowout. A recent survey suggested that even if Michelle Obama stepped in and replaced Joe Biden at the top of their ticket, with the former first lady considered by many to be a better candidate than “lunch bucket Joe,” she still falls short of Trump. Which gets back to the introduction at the top of this article. Despite 12 of the last 16 years of Democratcs largely being in power at the national level, the economy is what it is, and younger adults and millions of others are not happy about it. In the recent Wisconsin primary among Democrats, over 47,000 voted against Biden. Per left-leaning NPR: “With more than 90% of the votes counted, the “uninstructed” option on Democratic presidential primary ballots has garnered more than 47,000 votes, according to results from The Associated Press. That’s just over 8% of the Democratic presidential primary vote counted so far.” NPR said “The movement to protest President Biden” among the left in his party is strong. In a swing state like Wisconsin, that could be a difference maker on November 5, 2024 (election day).

The Daily Torch’s Bill Wilson noted on 4.2.2024 the following.

Analysis from the Washington Post recently noted the four new polls showing former President Donald Trump carving out as much as 20 percent of the Black vote in November, after earning just twelve percent in 2020.

CNN also warned this week that Biden’s reelection prospects could hinge heavily on his ability to turn out Black voters, something his campaign is struggling to address due to sinking approval ratings and a sputtering economy.

Biden and Democrats have good reason to be concerned about their prospects with Black voters in November. Polling data from YouGov, Quinnipiac, New York  Times/Siena and Marquette all reveal Biden is in deep trouble with Black voters and will need to combat deeply negative sentiment to earn anything close to what he did four years ago.”

Once more, look again at the RCP average of polls, and then look at what Wilson and Miller said. If those polls, many from left-leaning media outlets, are all reasonably accurate, why is it that the RCP margin for Trump over Biden is as low as it is? As MHProNews has previously reported on housing data, there is a stunningly high range of estimates for how many housing units are needed. Such discrepancies ought to be properly addressed. When HUD’s outgoing Secretary Marcia Fudge (D) was posted on the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) website saying there is a need for 1.5 million housing units (for example), and then Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) said that the number needed was several million housing units, clearly that’s a big range. Whitehouse said the following.

Across the country, the U.S. faces a shortage of four to seven million housing units available for sale or rent.”

“Owning a home, once seen as a foundational piece of the American dream, is further out of reach for more Americans now than ever before. The National Association of Realtors finds that first-time homebuyers made up just 26% of homebuyers in 2022 compared to 38% in 1981. And today, the typical age of a first-time homebuyer has reached a record high of 36, up from 29 in 1981.”

Note that demographic point by Whitehouse, which is relevant to what Miller addressed. Whitehouse also said this on 1.31.2024.

With fewer people able to purchase homes, more people rent. That’s created a shortage of rental units, driving up the cost of rent. New research finds that half of all renters in the United States spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities, more than at any other time in history.

Across the country, the U.S. faces a shortage of four to seven million housing units available for sale or rent.”

Ironically, Democratic claims can be used to challenge or even debunk other Democratic claims.

Obama and Biden are said to ‘hate each other,’ according to a range of sources. But give Democrats their due, they manage to paper over their differences often better than Republicans do.

That noted, Obama famously observed the following about Biden, who he obviously feels he knows quite well. “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f-ck things up.” That’s per the left-leaning Politico and other sources.

Well, numbers of young adults believe that things are ‘f-cked up,’ if those video remarks posted above are any indication.  Obama promised a fundamental change of American society, with Biden as a running mate. Numbers of Biden’s team are former Obama era officials.

It has been said that Democrats have moved from being the party of the poor, minorities, and working class to being the party of the elites, big corporate, big media, big tech, and billionaires. It has also been said that Democrats can’t have that image of their party, based upon their historic governing coalition.

But what seems certain is that only a minority of the population believes that they are benefiting from the Biden economy. They are routinely those who are wealthier and tend to vote Democratic.

Manufactured housing marketers, sincere (vs. faux) advocates, and all others should pay close attention to these various facts, insights, and their implications.

Naturally affordable manufactured homes are the free market solution to the affordable housing crisis that are hiding in plain sight. Manufactured homes have long had bipartisan support, as MHProNews has previously reported. But there is also a problem in the Obama-Biden eras in properly enforcing good existing laws.  There is a problem with the weaponization of government, against their political enemies. Then, both Obama and Biden have projected blame for what is going wrong on their political opponents. To the degree that many (not all) in media carry that water for Democrats, that is also part of the problem of the realities that younger adults and most others are navigating.

 

 

Miller said in Part I: “While an argument could be made that younger Americans are simply frustrated with those in charge and hungry for a change in leadership, this should not be taken lightly. The leftwing agenda that permeates most major universities, media outlets, and world organizations is being called into question as the ramifications of that agenda reverberate through the population. For decades, the left has marketed itself as the outsider, fighting for the little guy, but Democrats have amassed vast centralized power and used that power to erode freedom and prosperity.” Clearly, she and her colleagues have made several noteworthy points. To learn more about these and other interconnected issues, see the deeper dive reports linked above and below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Restoring National Confidence’ ‘Mobilization of the Disengaged’ Yields ‘Game Over’ and ‘Lights Out’ Says TPA – Facts and Insights from Following the Money in 2023-2024; plus MHVille Markets

‘When the Lies Are So Big No One Would Dare Disbelieve Them’ Mainstream, Legacy or Alternative Media, U.S. Public Policies, ‘Illusory Truth’ and Manufactured Housing; plus MHVille Markets