
<p>According to a CNN snap poll immediately following the debate indicated that two-thirds of the viewers thought Trump won the contest. ; Now we have a more detailed CNN poll – and, as can be expected, the numbers favor Trump, but not by a lot.</p>



<p>According to the CNN poll, President Trump leads President Biden at the national level by 6 points – 49 to 43 percent. That is outside the margin of error. That is exactly the same result CNN found in April. The good news for Biden is that in this poll, his performance did not change the opinions of registered voters – at least in the CNN poll. The bad news is that his performance did not change the opinions of registered voters. </p>



<p>While the overall numbers did not change, a CNN poll indicated that more people were likely to vote for Trump after their debate (31%) than are more likely to vote for Biden (10%). Approximately 13 percent of voters indicated that the debate made them more likely to vote for an alternative candidate or not vote for President.</p>



<p>Biden’s favorable rating dropped to 36 percent – the lowest of his entire presidency in CNN polls. Only President Carter had a lower favorable rating at this time in the campaign season. ; Every President seeking a second term with a favorable rating below 48 percent lost – Jerry Ford (45%), Trump (38%), George H.W. Bush (38%) and Carter (31%).</p>



<p>Voters believe that someone else would have a better chance to beat Trump by 56 to 43 percent. In terms of Democrat voters, only 25 percent believe Biden would be stronger than the anonymous “someone else” (75%).</p>



<p>In looking at motivation, the CNN poll shows that 66 percent of Biden voters are voting AGAINST Trump – and only 34 percent are voting for Biden because they like him. ; With Trump, it reverses – with 63 percent who are voting FOR Trump and 37 percent voting<br>AGAINST Biden. ; That explains why other polls show Republican voters with the most enthusiasm.</p>



<p>Should Biden decide to withdraw, Vice President Harris is the odds-on favorite to replace him. All the likely replacements lose to Trump, but Harris is the only one that puts the race into the margin of error with Trump at 47 percent to Harris’ 45 percent. But all do better than Biden.</p>



<p>The CNN poll puts more pressure on Biden to throw in the towel. ; Pressure is mounting from other quarters. ; A high percentage of influential left-wing news media personalities are still suggesting that Biden needs to go. ; The dam has broken among Democrat officeholders with half dozen members of Congress suggesting or outright calling for Biden to get out. ; There is nothing to suggest that the pressure on Biden will subside.</p>



<p>In a previous commentary, I gave the odds of Biden getting out as 50/50. ; I now consider the odds favor a withdrawal after the Democratic National Convention – or whenever he is officially nominated. ; (Folks forget that he may get nominated ahead of the convention in order to qualify for ; the Ohio ballot.) ; I calculate that on the pernicious and tenacious calls for a withdrawal and the likelihood that Biden will have senior moments in the future.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis,</p>

Post-debate polls starting to come in … and more trouble for Biden
