Voters Are Less Splintered Than Politicians-- Who Are Stoking Hatred & Divisiveness

Y'al-qaeda

You should go through this whole look Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball did for the UVA Center for Politics on the political fissures our country is facing. It's really interesting. I'm going to focus on just one aspect tonight though. Keeping in mind that "Majorities-- often large majorities-- of both Biden and Trump voters express some form of distrust for voters, elected officials, and media sources they associate with the other side. A strong majority of Trump voters see no real difference between Democrats and socialists, and a majority of Biden voters at least somewhat agree that there is no real difference between Republicans and fascists." That said, Let's look at the fact that "Significant numbers of both Trump and Biden voters show a willingness to consider violating democratic tendencies and norms if needed to serve their priorities. Roughly 2 in 10 Trump and Biden voters strongly agree it would be better if a “President could take needed actions without being constrained by Congress or courts,” and roughly 4 in 10 (41%) of Biden and half (52%) of Trump voters at least somewhat agree that it’s time to split the country, favoring blue/red states seceding from the union. Look at that 5th question:

A country on the verge of atomization? Russian internet propaganda glory?

Data for Progress was also out with some interesting polling data today-- also showing a greater degree of unanimity on issues than you would ever imagine listening to Republican crackpots like Marjorie Traitor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Kevin McCarthy. First off, Republicans in Congress are pretty much unanimously opposed to allowing medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs. Conservatives-- so the whole GOP and the Republican wing of the Democratic Party (basically the Blue Dogs and most of the New Dems)-- oppose lower prices for medicine. It's amazing that they can get any votes in their districts with stands like that. Especially when you consider that 71% of independents and 65% of Republicans support the proposition, which is part of the reconciliation bill every Republican plus Manchin and Sinema are opposing in the Senate and many of the Blue Dogs-- led by Josh Gottheimer, Stephanie Murphy and Henry Cuellar-- are opposing in the House.

In terms of another popular proposition most Americans want to see enacted (58%)-- clean electric energy as a part of the Climate Crisis response-- 79% of Democratic voters and 56% of independent voters are supportive. But even 35% of Republicans favor this. Manchin and the congressional Republicans oppose it and with a 50-50 split in the Senate, they can block it.