There may be no greater sign of the division of our times then the two people who tied as the most admired men in the new Gallup poll: Barack Obama and Donald Trump. It reflects our siloed news and opinions in today’s politics.
Not surprisingly, the poll followed strict party lines: 41% of Democrats named Obama, while 45% of Republicans named Trump. Independents divided roughly evenly.
The two winners walloped the “also rans” of President Jimmy Carter, businessman Elon Musk, philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Pope Francis, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Rep. Adam Schiff, the Dalai Lama, and investor Warren Buffett.
Notably, Trump is more popular than he has ever been with a 45% job approval rating. At the same time, support for 55 percent recently polled in favor of conviction of Trump in a Senate trial. Confused? Welcome to 2020.