Former Vice President Joe Biden has opened up a double-digit lead nationally over Donald Trump, according to a new NPR /PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
The poll covered a wide range of topics beyond just the two men running for office. For example, in addition to asking about which candidate they support and whether they view each man favorably or unfavorably, the poll also delved into topics such as the coronavirus pandemic and vaccinations.
On the main topic — that of whom the poll respondents intend to vote for — 53 percent of likely voters said they intended to vote for Biden, while 42 percent stated they supported Trump. Those numbers mean Biden has an 11-point lead over the president. By comparison, his lead over Trump was eight points in June.
Broken down by different demographic groups, Biden also has strong advantages with Black voters, white voters with a college degree, suburban voters and those who are young.
Trump , by comparison, has a base that consists largely of white evangelical Christians, white voters without a college degree and those who live in rural areas.
However, Trump’s support has been shrinking in some of those key groups. For example, his support is dwindling among the white electorate, with 48 percent of that voting bloc supporting each candidate equally. By comparison, at the end of June, Trump had a six-point advantage in that demographic. Looking further back, in 2016, Trump won the election thanks in part to a 20-point lead he held over Hillary Clinton in that segment specifically.
However, Trump seems to have an advantage over Biden when it comes to the economy. When asked who would be better at handling the economy, Trump currently enjoys a 47 percent lead over his opponent’s 45 percent. That lead has narrowed since March, when Trump edged out Biden by eight points, 50 to 42.
Beyond the election proper, the poll looked into respondents’ feelings on the coronavirus pandemic, specifically, at whether or not they will trust a vaccine when or if it’s produced.
Although the numbers seem to prove that the majority of Americans see the pandemic as a threat, they aren’t so high regarding whether or not they would take a vaccine. 71 percent of Americans responded that they see the coronavirus as a real threat. Similarly, 75 percent said they trust the information about the virus they’ve received from public health experts. However, only 60 percent of respondents said they would get a vaccine if developed, while 35 percent said they would not.
