Majority of Democrats, Republicans say other party “will destroy America:” Poll
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station setup in a fire station on Aug. 23 in Miami Beach, Fla. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A new poll out Sunday underscores voters' enthusiasm surrounding November's election— and the levels of political polarization dividing the nation less than three weeks before the midterms.
Driving the news: Some 80% of Democrats and Republicans believe that the other political party poses a threat that, if not stopped, "will destroy America as we know it," per the NBC News poll.
The poll also found that a majority of registered voters, 57%, say this year's midterm election is "more important" to them than past midterms.
- 70% of all registered voters also ranked the upcoming November election either a "9" or "10" on a 10-point scale of how interested they are in the midterms, NBC News reports.
Between the lines: Though a majority of voters from both parties express high interest in the election, 78% of Republicans were shown to have "high interest," compared with 69% of Democrats.
The big picture: The poll also showed the extent to which political polarization exists among voters.
- When Republican voters who say they prefer a Republican-controlled Congress were asked if a GOP candidate they supported was revealed to "have a moral failure in their business, marriage or personal life," 67% said they would still vote for the Republican candidate.
- 63% of Democratic voters who prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress said they would still vote for the Democratic candidate if a moral failure about the candidate was revealed.
- The poll also found that 60% of all voters say President Biden won legitimately in 2020, compared with 33% (and 65% of Republicans) who say he did not.
State of play: An ABC News poll also released Sunday shows where voters stand on policy issues, including inflation, gas prices and crime, with voters saying the GOP would do a better job on tackling these issues, ABC News reports.
- 36% of Americans said they trust the GOP to tackle inflation, compared to 21% of Democrats, per ABC News. 36% of Americans also trusted Republicans on gas prices, while 22% trust Democrats, the poll shows.
The NBC News poll was conducted Oct. 14-18 of 1,000 registered voters with a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.
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