The Poll That Should Shock....No One
by Stacey_Lennox
A larger shift than normal from party affiliation to Independent according to a new Gallup Poll
According to a new Gallup poll, more Americans have moved away from aligning with either major party than typically happens after a presidential cycle. The highlights per Gallup:
42% identified as independents in 2017, up from 39% in 2016Three-point rise the largest for any year after a presidential electionDemocrats maintain edge over Republicans
We are now one percentage point below the all time high of 43% hit in 2014 for voters selecting Independent as their preference. Following contentious primaries on both sides of the aisle and a very acrimonious 2017, I am not sure why it would surprise anyone larger numbers are moving away from party identification. The 2016 election was exhausting and the first year of the Trump presidency has been full of continued partisan mud wrestling.
Given the heated state of political rhetoric and what appears to be an ever widening divide between the deep blue and red segments of the country, I am actually surprised the unaffiliated number isn't much higher. In 2016 the Public Religion Research Institute repeated the American Values Survey. While much was made at the time of the stark differences in the views of Trump supporters versus non-Trump supporters, this little gem was tucked away, but caught my attention:
More than six in ten (61%) Americans say neither political party represents their views anymore. Dissatisfaction with America’s two major parties has risen significantly since 1990, when fewer than half (48%) of Americans believed neither political party represented their views.
That's right. 61% of Americans, a resounding majority by most measures of political agreement, say neither major party represents their views. An even bigger portion, 74% saw the country as headed in the wrong direction.
So what are the major parties doing to reverse this trend? Well the Democrats are going all in to ensure that illegal immigrants get amnesty, even indicating they may shut down the government to get it done. They also resoundingly rejected tax cuts that will benefit the vast majority of Americans who pay taxes, especially the working class families they lost in rust belt states.
[ Democrats aren't alone in wanting amnesty. The President and Republican leaders want it too. It's only the majority of the public that stands in the way. ]
The Republicans have had their internal struggles plastered all over the mainstream media. Additionally, they have had to deal with the optics of having some truly fringe elements in the inner circle of the administration. Finally, as always they struggle to market their accomplishments in a media environment largely hostile to their ideas and the current President.
In short, neither party appears serious about trying to capture the support of over half of the population. They remain in entrenched partisan battles over policies related the healthcare system and immigration paying little attention to consensus views that exist.
To highlight a single example, Axios reported today that polling shows there is widespread consensus for tougher immigration laws:
70% of voters support tougher penalties for undocumented immigrants who have been previously deported or have committed crimes in the U.S.
70% support giving law enforcement officials more power to detain undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes
?Employer verification: More than three fourths of voters support requirements that employers verify the legal status of their employees, including 66% of Democrats.
76% would support requirements that immigrants should be able to support themselves financially, including 66% of Democrats.
For asylum seekers, 65% of voters support a "more stringent" application process.
Do you think the tone deaf partisans will take note of the outcome of this poll and others that essentially say the same thing? Will Democrats exchange legal status for some serious reforms to the system that provide for security and new controls? I'm not holding my breath. And failure to develop a solution will reflect poorly on both parties as the finger pointing begins.
So, the Gallup numbers are hardly surprising and it would not be surprising the unaffiliated numbers to grow as we move in to 2020.
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