How Divided Are Americans Going into the 2024 Election?

I believe the two parties and their media sources have done a bang-up job of "divide and conquer." It used to be we differed in options about how government should work. We talked to each other. We held elections & then, moved on. 

Now, we live in two different Americas. Different sets of facts...or "alternative" facts. Different media sources. Angry verbiage spouted on social platforms, COVID lockdowns, and the normalization of disrespect have all contributed to our two camps. 

While we're all spinning about tRump or the woke libs, our rights are being flushed down the toilet, the rich are getting richer...the middle class is shrinking, and those making decisions in Washington are out of touch with the lives of those they're supposed to represent. . 

I think we're more alike than different. I think our problems & joys are similar. I believe this is a wake up call for us. We can either save ourselves & Democracy, or continue on the path of destruction. 

The divide among Americans will impact my vote in that I will make triple sure that I vote day 1 minute 1 of early voting for Democrats all the way down the ticket. Republicans have shown that they are incapable and uninterested in doing anything to benefit the American public. They are only interested in grandstanding, holding fake hearings, pointing fingers and riling up their base to do violence. I will oppose that at every turn, vote early for those supporting the American people and democracy and encourage all my friends to do the same. 

Disbarred John Eastman wants to keep practicing law, representing Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Green! LOL!!!!!!!!!

A disbarred dirtbag fighting to represent two other dirtbags. The Republican party has become a complete and utter pathetic joke.

Basically no.  The major factor that impacts my vote is keeping the fascist Trump out of the WH.  For some strange reason I don't think it's in anyones best interest to kill our democracy.

While the country is divided, the division that should not be ignored is the near 50% who don’t vote at all. They don’t follow politics. They don’t watch the news. The average iq in America is 100, meaning 50% are below that level. This is why when speaking to masses of people, it should be done at a 5th grade level. T has used this “plain talk” to his advantage. 

Democrats have done very poorly on messaging and imho it needs to change. They often go for detailed facts, which is good for those of us who are into details (like most of us here) but we aren’t the norm. Because is that working? Ever heard someone reply, whose facts? Did you have a productive debate doing that? Time to change tactics and take a page from the gop. They have taken a broad brush to paint dems as the bad/evil people. So, our messaging needs to be much more high level and plain speaking. Such as:

I know you put your faith in T, but he has betrayed you. You thought he was going to be for you and helping you, but he was really for TikTok and tax cuts to the rich.

Democrats are the party of Freedom: 

* Gop wants to come between you and your dr

* Gop wants to come between you and your constitutional rights 

* Gop wants to come between you and your social security 

* Gop wants to come between you and your healthcare 

* Gop wants to come between you and your vote

* Gop wants to come between you and your civil liberties 

* Gop wants to come between you and your national security 

* Gop wants to come between you and your children’s killers

Take back your freedom: vote D for democracy 

Are we as polarized as we are being told we are? Or are emotions being polarized for political purpose? Our political process has become more polarized but have we people as well?

Surveys on polarization find it’s our opinions on political parties but not necessarily our underlying values though there is a distinct difference in lifestyle choices like 75% of conservatives prefer large houses further away from each other and amenities in communities sharing their religious values while 77% of liberals prefer smaller houses, closer to amenities with ethnically diverse communities.

And there are less of much needed centrists to maintain balance. 

It’s also our choices in information sources as we prefer to read articles that confirm our preconceived ideas and biases. 

A comprehensive review of 10 years of research says we aren't as divided as we are being told. 

While we aren’t able to control the political process by replacing primaries with rank choice voting we can try to widen our reading to include  well balanced sources and not those just supporting our biases. We need to get back to having more centrists.

"A comprehensive review of a decade of research on polarization in the U.S. challenges a widely accepted “truth” that Americans are almost irretrievably divided."

"Americans have much more in common than they do with divisive candidates and positions currently favored by party leaders."

“American citizens are not necessarily issue-polarized so much as they are socially or affectively polarized, meaning that they are increasingly hostile to those in the other political party. Research supports this hypothesis with findings that Americans endorse more and more negative stereotypes about those in the other party”

“identifying with a group often comes with a preference for individuals in that group and, sadly, a more negative view of those outside the group.”

"understanding this dynamic can point the way out of unproductive, anti-democratic behavior."

"Political operatives know how to get under your skin. Bad actors — often those in leadership positions — feed on emotions to make you feel isolated, alienated and somehow at enmity with people who are otherwise pretty much like you."

"Rachel Kleinfeld...co-founder and past director of the Truman National Security Project...now senior fellow in Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program...Carnegie has just published a paper from Kleinfeld, Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says....Americans are not as ideologically polarized as they believe themselves to be,” she finds, but emotions are being polarized for political purposes, leading to new levels of threats against state and local officials."

"There's a lot of overlap in what Americans from both parties think, although they differ in intensity....The real difference in viewpoints is in who we elect as leaders. Party leaders have almost no issues in common. That's making it very difficult to govern."

"Party leaders have been selecting more extreme candidates for some time now — Democrats by maybe two to one and Republicans by a 13 to one margin, according to one study. Party leadership is playing a big role in how extreme our candidates are getting ideologically."

“a year-long study of polarization, the Pew Research Center has conducted the largest political surveyin its history – a poll of more than 10,000 adults between January and March of this year. It finds that Republicans and Democrats are further apart ideologically than at any point in recent history. Growing numbers of Republicans and Democrats express highly negative views of the opposing party. “

“The share of Americans who express consistently conservative or consistently liberal opinions has doubled over the past two decades, from 10% to 21%. As a result, the amount of ideological overlap between the two parties has diminished.”

“The share of Republicans who have very unfavorable opinions of the Democratic Party has jumped from 17% to 43% in the last 20 years. Similarly, the share of Democrats with very negative opinions of the Republican Party also has more than doubled, from 16% to 38%. But these numbers tell only part of the story. Among Republicans and Democrats who have a very unfavorable impression of the other party, the vast majority say the opposing party’s policies represent a threat to the nation’s well-being.”

“Three-quarters of consistent conservatives say they would opt to live in a community where “the houses are larger and farther apart, but schools, stores and restaurants are several miles away,” while 77% of consistent liberals prefer smaller houses closer to amenities. Nearly four times as many liberals as conservatives say it is important that their community has racial and ethnic diversity; about three times as many conservatives as liberals say it is important that many in the community share their religious faith.”

“Scholars and political observers generally agree on three key points about polarization. First, the U.S. Congress is more polarized ideologically than it was a generation ago: The ideological overlap between the parties has all but disappeared, and the rise of “safe” districts with partisan supermajorities has tended to push politicians away from the center. Second, while activists in both parties have long been polar opposites, the ideological gap between them has widened in recent decades. And third, with declining regulation of the media, mass media outlets have become more numerous, diverse and politicized. All three phenomena, moreover, are mutually reinforcing.”

"Some of us are looking at things like getting rid of primaries and having ranked-choice voting, the way they've done it in Alaska, to create incentives for people to run in a less extreme way. Other academics are looking at things like proportional representation to try to get extremes out of politics."

"we need our politicians to speak against violence, against threats and to speak for the basic functioning of our democracy, such as our elections being valid."

"In places where you have a good, trusted media source like the BBC [in the U.K.], or strong local media, social media has been a positive force. Most people don't pay much attention to news on it. They just want to get in touch with their friends"

"In America, we have a very unhealthy media landscape. We have no trusted media of record, and our local media has been dying. Social media plays an echo chamber role in an environment of vitriolic cable TV and radio talk shows, but it's not acting alone."

"Newspapers, and media in general, tend to think that “if it bleeds, it leads.” They look for polarizing stories. They report on the horse race of politics, and they say that that's what people click on. The Solutions Journalism Network has found quite the opposite — if you offer people better quality news, more complex stories, people like it. It's just that they're not being offered it."

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-great-divide-polarization-in-american-politics/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thinking-socially/202310/political-polarization-in-the-us-0

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/06/12/7-things-to-know-about-polarization-in-america/

https://www.governing.com/politics/is-american-polarization-a-reality-or-a-political-strategy

Billionaire John Paulson Explains Why He’s Raising $43 Million for Trump

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greed myopia stupidity 

Now that the stupid political parties have scared off everyone from running on the No Labels ticket, we are doomed to re-enact Trump versus Biden.  I'm so disappointed we couldn't come up with anyone better that I'm considering not voting at all for the first time in my life.

Looser Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene and communist leader Steve Bannon claims Russia is the protestor of Christianity and not attacking Christian? I think both get the information straight form the horse a--, Putin?

Unfortunately it's true, but Mike Johnson doesn't have enough hands for all the republicans party !!!!

The double standards republicans have with Ukraine and Israel, one is Christian nation and the other is a Jewish nation, why the double standard?

This would be bad for capitalism, free markets and human rights, if Trump should win the presidency, but some don't care. They need to go to Russia, North Korea, Iran and China.

Well when you have people that don't talk to each other, but over each other and neither don't listen. The civility and respect is thrown out the window. We have the tea party, Trump  they didn't start it but they did normalize and promote, plus took vantage of the division. The problem I have is why? Is it Fed by corporations, wealthy, rich, power, control, ego and it's not about fair or humanity or social justice!

Another Republican escaped jail time !!!!

Nevada has a major problem with voter fraud! Republicans are hot on the trail.

Trump will tell you just the opposite, how great it was under Trump presidency

Yes Americans are very divided due to social media and politicians. The largest divide though is not the election which everyone loves to discuss.
     The most critical divide is caused by the antiquated education system and the economic divide of young people entering higher education. A secondary but critical divide in America is caused by no national healthcare system which is obvious. Some people here have great healthcare, some have zero healthcare. And what about housing. The election are small change compared to the real problems this country suffers.

     All the current problems in the US could by solved if we had a government that governed. If we had a government were the representatives would work TOGETHER like adults. If we had a government that would not allow criminal behavior from it's participants and if they addressed problems that that concerned the health and happiness of the American people.

    Can we support politicians that don't promote division so we and they can concentrate on solving our problems.

You know Clay Jones Capture the moment, unfortunately he didn't have pictures, but I'm sure it took place, as well as others?

Trump foreign policy is to do nothing and surrender, that is how Trump support allies!

The electoral college at its best !!!!!

At what point does the so call religion group get tiered of the hate, lies and deceit? The decline church is due to faults profits and cult like leadership. Not teach of hope, positive change and moving forward for the betterment of humanity or looking for the good of mankind or womenkind. They have become representative of a culture of hate, sadly to say, and all are lumped together!

I wish more billionaires were like Mark Cuban, his comment was"this country has done so much for me, I'm proud to pay my taxes every year." One reason for success is being part of the bigger picture and giving your fair share to the good of the all all boats float on a high tide!

Onward  Christian soldiers going off war or is it neo Nazi and Hitler, or communist or all of thy above?

This is the look of a man you cannot trust!

A communist Republican Party Of Putin is proud JD Vance he represents his communist state of Ohio he the best Trump and Putin supporter!

Interesting new poll, Cross-Tabs: April 2024 Times/Siena Poll of Registered Voters Nationwide, shows Biden-Trump tied (within the margin of error) but that 55% disapprove of Trump and 7% saying they won't vote if those are the candidates. Poll has demographic (gender, age, ethnicity, region, neighborhood, party ID, 2020 vote, 2024 primary vote) breakout on all questions worth reviewing at link below. 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/13/us/elections/times-siena-poll-registered-voter-crosstabs.html

Just another dark day sense Trump took over the Republican Party, the question is why is he not in jail with his BF?

If the Republican real want election integrity, the Republican need to clean up their act! Republicans are the ones doing voting fraud voting twice or more, Republican are stuffing the ballot, the republicans are suppressing the vote, the republicans are the ones creating alternative electoral college votes, the republicans are doing the stealing the votes, the republicans are the ones intimidating voters, the republicans are the ones that threaten officials voter offices, the republicans are the ones that are committing the crimes, republicans are the ones the stormed the capitol on January 6, the republicans are the ones who threatened all government officials and their families, republicans are the ones that over turn abortion and women's healthcare, republicans are the ones that subscribe to Putin communist Russians beliefs and propaganda and republicans are the ones who want a dictatorship to lead them!