I have listened carefully to the impeachment hearings and now am even more convinced Trump must be impeached. But I am surprised at the importance or lack of on certain issues. For example most people sit in traffic jams every day some for hours wasting gas and work/home time. This is true all over the country except the most rural areas. Why is building a mass transportation network which would greatly enhance our infrastructure and creat thousands of jobs not a priority? I value this far above military spending. Military is important but should not be 50% or more of the budget. We desperately need a better educated public and 21centuary transportation system.
4
Border security, stopping illegal immigration, economic growth and national defense are the issues most voters care about and Trump has taken a clear stand on this. They will vote for him.
1
The Dems of course, need to (& will) impeach Trump in the House, & the Senate worn't convict. I was not necessarily for impeachment before t e proceedings began. Trump deserves to be impeached a hundred times over. But to me, the main goal is to get Trump out of office. & given that the Senate is unlikely to convict, I'm not sure whether impeaching Trump helps or hurts with respect to the real goal - ending his presidency. We shall see.
1
Proof of a broken system:
90% of Republicans and 95% of Democrats support Universal Background Checks for gun purchases. There is no other issue that would seem to be such an easy political win for both sides. And yet we cannot make any movement on the issue due to a Republican Congress (and President) in the pocket of the NRA.
I'm not sure there is a way to fix such divisiveness in Congress short of getting rid of all incumbents and starting fresh. Or having a viable third party that can force the issue.
9
This piece deals with specific policy issues. Many people vote, of course, on broader philosophical lines. Republicans typically prioritize economic growth, while many Democrats prioritize redistribution. Republicans believe more in free markets, while Democrats believe more in government regulation and intervention.
The broad philosophical differences are reflected in specific policy priorities, but reflect something more than that. As partisan divisions become more pronounced, it seems that broader philosophical divisions prevail. Otherwise enterprising politicians could choose from the menu of issues outlined herein and construct boundary crossing medleys of positions to maximize appeal (eg oppose child separation, support charter school choice, support universal background checks but oppose gun registration).
1
The only poll that matters is the one on election day.
How many people are willing to sit through forty-four questions? These would have to be collected online for simple reasons of cost. We are therefore looking at a subset of the U.S. population that is functionally literate in English, has access to the internet, and whose time is of very little value (or whose political feelings would make them spend their time on an inane questionnaire).
Even if this group were somehow representative of the U.S. electorate (click on homeless if you’re homeless), and even if the questions were answered truthfully and completely, the methodology itself is flawed.
It is impossible to separate people’s thoughts on a government policy from the imagined means of its implementation. Thus, a question on removing or supporting the Chief Executive will inevitably serve as an “intensifier” rather than an independent question. How strongly do you feel about your answer? Impeachment strong!
There might be some useful information in this data, but it’s pretty limited, and certainly not worth the space it was given here.
3
Do you have these graphs not publicans and independents?
for what ever labels are important to each group.
i assume the list you used for liberals was the starting point and then you capture the data. independents should have a different list of priorities but a fair amount compared to liberals.
publicans could possible have things like 'the rapture' on their list....
2
Difficult to read such information without reluctantly coming to the conclusion that those of us who maintain traditional democratic values must simply overrule and/or ignore the desires of Republicans. They do not share our values. We cannot compromise our values to accommodate their hatreds, fears, racism, misogyny, cynicism, dishonesty, reaction, resentments, hypocrisy. Candidates who speak of trying to cooperate with them are naive at best, shouting down a rain barrel at worst. You simply cannot accommodate or negotiate with such people. You can only overwhelm them.
5
@Just Ben
Such screed.
Well, Republicans believe above all else in Freedom. But they also believe in protecting those who can’t protect themselves (think late term human fetuses). They believe people should be allowed to keep most (at least half maybe) of the fruits of their labor. They believe government programs often suffer from the law of unintended consequences. They believe that big government creates big incentives to distort policy and law. They believe that crime victims deserve at least as much protection as criminals.
That’s a start.
3
@Mort Believe in protecting those that can't protect themselves? Does that include the children being housed at the border? Are you aware of their deaths?
5
@Teresa Covert
And how many die making the trip? Are you aware of those deaths.
The more we encourage desperate people to make the trip, the more will die or be killed en route.
2
Reporters dealing with social science have a duty to inform them selves on the proper methods, and then to compare the survey they are reporting on with the ideal survey. I do not understand why the reporter thinks this survey is either good or accurate In the sense of truly reflecting the participants preferences. If a participant is presented with a set of two items of policy And Ranks one of them higher., It is important to know how much higher. Also if the same participant is presented with his first choice and another possibility, and again selects his first choice. It merely says that the other possibility is not salient. It doesn't say that his first choice is very important. On the Democratic scattergram I don't see a single question having to do with healthcare. Is that actually the way the survey was presented?
1
I would like to know how Republican members of Congress and Senators would feel about impeachment, based on what we currently know, if the President were a Democrat.
5
@Augusta Umanski
And I would like to know how the Democratic members of Congress and Senators would feel, based on what we currently know, if the President were a Democrat.
5
Democrats are not perfect, but they would likely impeach a Democratic president if he/she behaved like Trump. There is significant evidence to support that statement. For example, Senator Al Franken (Democrat) stepped down when a picture surfaced of him pretending to touch a female breast in a photograph. Duncan Hunter (Republican) was voted back into office after clearly violating campaign finance laws and throwing his wife under the bus! There are many other examples showing much greater integrity amongst Democrats vs Republicans.
3
I’m pretty sure Democrats would have never nominated or elected this president.
2
Its the deep loyalty that different groups have to their "tribe". Its not facts or policy its all emotion.
No doubt Trump is corrupt and incompetent but thats not the issue, its "them"versus "Us". You cannot argue or debate facts when its emotions controlling.
Trump,FOX know this and avoid any truths or facts they just play to anger and fear. The yelling at witnesses by congress people at hearings, the insults to each other, the distortion of the truth is an example of how primitive our thinking has become.
Some see it as a war and there are no rules, anything to win,
5
Are we 'winning' yet? Polarized life in the USA has become a new skill to exercise when among friends. What to say; how to avoif agravating friends; knowing who your acquaintances are; and ignoring relevant issues that aren't immediately necessary. I see no future where sensible talk about any real issue will be possible. For a nation that at one time could do it all, we have developed into a nation that does absolutely nothing.
1
I find it interesting that Border Separation is such a top priority for Democrats. The U.N. recently published a study noting that the US was by far the most aggressive in separating and holding children of illegal border crossers.
The data came from 2015. And the numbers were large. Why was it not a priority then? Could it have been that we had a different President then so the media ignored it?
4
What’s scariest about this is that no one cares about climate change. That’s an indictment of the parties and much more of the news media. When don’t have news, we have circuses.
6
How do people manage the cognitive dissonance of claiming other issues more significant than the climate crisis?
If we don't elect a Democratic President (and overturn the Senate as well as hold the House) who will immediately initiate climate mitigation measures, no other issue will matter.
8
It's impossible to disentangle what issues are truly important to Americans from the amount of news coverage being given to them by television newscasts. End of story.
3
But isn't it still infrastructure week?
6
The most surprising thing to me in those graphs is that Democrats are now more free trade than Republicans! I wonder this has changed in the past two decades and how much of it is just a reaction to the Trump administration rather than a considered position. Free trade deals like NAFTA are what helped destroy the industrial Midwest, the places where folks turned away from the once labor-friendly Democratic Party and went to Trump who said he’d bring factories back. The Dems do need a New Deal of some kind, but it must include a re-industrialization of the country.
3
I wonder whether it is possible to adjust results for the impact that media has on people's expressed priorities. Major news sources have been focused intensively on impeachment, so it is currently in the thoughts of many people. If some other issue received as much coverage as impeachment, I suspect that its ratings would be higher as well.
5
@The Errant Economist You have a point, but I have been around a long time (Harry Truman was my first president), and never have I seen a president as polarizing as Trump. Not even Nixon. People I know who are against him don't just dislike his policies or him as a person--they seem entirely contemptuous of him.
3
If this represents the American population.
Why are there no results from the independent, they are the biggest group of the population, isn't it?
10
You don't comment on a striking feature of the difference between the two graphs. The correlation appears to be much lower for Republicans than Democrates. Indeed if you take out the four hot button items there seems to almost no correlation among Republicans. A conjecture is that single issue agreement is more subject to identity signalling than is revealed preference. Perhaps identity signalling is more important for Republicans? Other hypotheses?
4
Republicans are probably a more demographically homogeneous group than Democrats and may also have their views shaped by fewer sources of information and analysis.
7
Turley may have a good point, Congressional investigations have a way of stretching from months to years, the House committee probe into 2012’s Benghazi attack was especially lengthy. At two years and four months, it was longer than Congressional probes into 9/11, Watergate, the JFK assassination and Pearl Harbor. Hold off on the impeachment vote and keep investigating, more information just like Nunes and Giuliani will be discovered. Because of the gravity of the situation, Pelosi should ask SCOTUS to expedite the court cases involving Trump's appeals, including his tax cases and the subpoenas by the committees that Trump is demanding his sycophants not to comply with. Eleven months till the next election, there’s still plenty of time to bring the impeachment vote to the House. This will drive Trump crazy; he’s not holding up well as it is.
8
Mitigating the climate crisis is my highest priority, but impeachment and climate change are not two separate things. Trump is flushing the planet down the toilet. He needs to be stopped ASAP. Hopefully, impeachment will distract him enough to slow down his anti-climate rampage. Unfortunately, the rest of the Republican party also appears to have been bought out by fossil-fuel interests, so ditching Trump is just a step in the right direction.
5
@Some old lady I assume that a President Rence would also flush the planet down the toilet, abetted by a Republican Senate. But he might perhaps be a bit aware of his actions' consequences. Trump seems to lack even the most modest notion of what scientists are clamoring about (Phillip Bump, Washington Post).
The Republican war on expertise is truly remarkable, and won't be resolved through impeachments.
3
@David Martin We are 100% in agreement.
2
This is why independent voters like myself want a third party. There is no way I would give up addressing climate change issues, having Congress and the President agree on funding the government, addressing infrastructure issues, addressing the high cost of prescription drugs, ensuring the economy continues to grow and add high quality jobs to either impeach or not impeach Donald Trump.
People I talk to and work with also have paid no attention to the impeachment proceedings. Who is being interviewed in the project? How do they find the time to respond? Most important, is this the base of both parties talking?
4
It’s a representative sample of people talking. Independents should in principle show weaker correlation and lower priorities as a group than either of the big parties but we don’t see here if that holds true. If independents could form a party it might well show a pattern like the other parties—or what does it mean to have a party? The fact that most Democrats and Republicans prioritize impeachment doesn’t mean they don’t care about other issues (I have six or eight top priorities). But for both the key to addressing those issues may be what happens to Trump. You and your independent friends might not talk about impeachment but how many of you care about whether Trump is still president in 2020? Won’t that affect what you do care about? And can you fault people for caring about how the country is run?
1
I love her presentation of the announcement of the draft of impeachment. she looked like only elected official defending the Constitution. She looked more Presidential. Go Nancy we support you.
5
What is "wire transfer for citizenship" and why do Republicans like it?
2
@Leyzer
They want to prevent immigrants working in the US from sending money back to their families in their home countries.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-now-wants-to-block-immigrants-from-sending-money-to-their-families-39058fd3dc0c/
3
@Leyzer
It may be the allowance of wealthy people to buy citizenship. Some countries allow people to become citizens if they pay the government, say $500,000 or more. I believe New Zealand is one such country.
Guess we'll have to cross out the "Give me your...poor" line from the Statue of Liberty.
3
So, overall, it comes down to this – Democrats have hearts, Republicans have rifles. Compassion vs. fear.
14
I just want my democracy back. You know the one I was taught about in Civics in elementary school. The one that President Kennedy stated "ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what can you do for your country". trump is a crime boss and belongs no where near an elected office as his only question is what con can he perform to enrich himself. Shame on the Republican Party for not vetting their candidates as they have created this disease affecting the globe from trumpism. I only hope we as a country can move forward with the assistance of qualified ethical leaders.
32
The Republican Party has sworn an Oath to Support Donald Trump. The Democratic Party - for now at least - has sworn an Oath to Support the Constitution. Those two Oaths are irreconcilable and get to the heart of America's "Identity Crisis".
10
"Most people would give up their preferred outcomes on health care, the environment or taxes if it meant getting what they want on impeachment."
Trump scares me a lot less than this take-away.
3
In my state more people are registered as unaffiliated than either Democrat or Republican. Do we not count? I ask because after 45 years registered as a Republican, I just changed my registration to unaffiliated due to my unending disgust with the national party.
29
Seems odd that there is no sample of independents. Further, given the asymmetries in distributions of population and politics its hard to see how this pooled data adds much.
13
This iterative process of polling randomly selected poll-participants seems to capture the most important likes and dislikes of the survey respondents. This polling technique reminds me of the Crawford slip writing methodology.
1
Impeachment does not "distract Congress from its real duties." Impeachment IS Congress' duty.
44
This makes perfect sense: Republicans feel if they don't reelect Trump they will lose on all the issues they actually care about; and Democrats know if Trump is reelected none of the things they want will happen.
24
I'm very curious about the unnamed dots, particularly for Democrats. There are a number on the right--including one that over 95% agree--that are unnamed.
Why are those dots not labeled?
6
@Talbot
Hover a cursor over them and see what they are. The one on the far right?
Universal background checks for guns.
5
To all commenters who believe the Democrats' decision to draft impeachment charges against Trump is a sham, or a death blow to their 2020 election chances, or empowerment to the Republicans, I say: Think again.
The consummate value of impeachment charges against Trump -- indeed, their Necessity -- is that they not only hold him liable for proven unlawful actions, but that they'll also strengthen checks and balances against Trump's style of unilateral governance (tyranny) from happening again.
21
Or.....it ends up costing them the election and House. I predict the latter.
4
@Ken
I would like to think that, but I wager the next Democratic president, especially if faced with an opposition congress, will cite Trump as precedent for whatever executive power expansion they and their supporters want.
2
Preventing impeachment is at the top of the Republican list because because it means the dirty and irresponsible GOP game will be over in America. At this point the Republicans are bankrupt. There are no better Republicans than Donald Trump to run for office in 2020 and beyond. The better "Republicans" are conservative Democrats. For America the real choice will be between a conservative or progressive in the Democratic primary. That will decide the path forward. The GOP is moribund.
14
@CallahanStudio I wanted an impeachment vote long ago so we could move beyond political things and address real issues!
4
@vulcanalex I did too, once I understood the character and propensities of DJT. Unfortunately we live in a country that waits for its catastrophes to become full blown before it can do anything about them.
6
@vulcanalex The House has been addressing real issues. Hundreds of bills have passed, only to collect dust on McConnell's desk
8
As so often with polls of this kind the questions are convoluted or misleading designed to conclude with a desired outcome. For this reason many polls are useless and not taken seriously by those who understand this. How accurate were the polls that declared Hillary Clinton was a lock for president?
If Republicans are as concerned about impeaching the President as this piece indicates, it’s because they see the unhinged attempts by Democrats to impeach a legally elected president (by said Republicans) and are dead set on preventing it.
5
@JAC "...it’s because they see the unhinged attempts by Democrats to impeach a legally elected president (by said Republicans) and are dead set on preventing it."
Actually, it is the unhinged corruption of Trump and his repub sycophants that has made it necessary for Congress to reign him in, removing him if necessary. Luckily we have a Dem controlled House to do the good work of listing his crimes. So pathetic that the Senate repubs have apparently decided to abandon their oath to the Constitution and instead declare fealty to Trump above all else. The fact that repub and other ultra right wing voters are cheering them on tells us just how little they value their country.
20
Trump is a clear and immediate danger, both to our democracy, security, climate change, the environment and rule of law. That 40% of the Country is lock step with him is irrelevant. That is exactly what got Pre-WW2 Germany into trouble. Following the Anti-Christ by Christians, is a fool’s bargain. Let’s right the ship. I’m with you Speaker Pelosi, 110%(no typo)
19
The takeaway: Democrats believe it is important to impeach Trump. Republicans are barely recognizable as human beings.
15
@sedanchair
Yup, bunch of deplorable untermenschen. Really, we should just send people who disagree with us to camps.
Or, we can realize we're all in this together and hating on The Other is utterly unproductive.
11
@Clotario Nothing you have said makes them more recognizable, though.
@sedanchair
One's inherent human classification is now determined by your opinion on whether or not you want to impeach Trump?
You wish to engage in a silly non-argument. It is certainly not just you Mr. Chair, but this rabid loathing is childish, bad for everyone, and has to cease.
3
Once again, NYT selects polls or data sets within polls to support a false dichotomy in America, between Democrats versus Republicans. Only one quarter of American voters are Democrats and one quarter are Republicans - about one half are independents and non-affiliated. And nearly half of the voting age public - American citizens, at that - don't vote at all. In other words, the opposing party viewpoints highlighted in mainstream media analyses like this one represent the views of only a sliver of the American people. Not surprisingly, their pundits get blindsided by election results and other indicators of how MOST of America really thinks.
11
Really sick of politics in general now because there are only 2 opinions. Without ideas , why do we need politicians ? Hopefully getting rid of Trump will quiet things down .
3
Well, then let's get on with it, shall we?
Trump can set this little puppy racing to a quick conclusion.
He says that he is innocent.
Yet he refuses to 'allow' witnesses to testify.
(And, why the witnesses comply, I have no idea.)
If he were truly innocent, then he would be DEMANDING that witness chairs be filled every day, every one talking til they drool.
Yet, he will not.
Nor will he give witness himself.
I've never seen anyone act more guilty in my life.
27
Why no Independents in this article since they determine elections as well?
6
@Jacquie An independent (ie, undecided) is someone who can't make up their mind, so probably they couldn't make it through the survey.
It is impossible to have a serious political discussion about the priorities of the nation while Trump is president simply because he's not interested in government in any way except as it offers him the opportunity to gain personally and because he has such a narrow and ignorant worldview. He knows nothing about the 21st century economy, cares not about climate change, believes allies should be measured by financial contribution, seeks revenge against perceived personal slights and thinks every relationship is transactional. With such a limited man, providing no leadership at all, how can we address our problems as a nation?
16
@Joe Smith more like with Dems obstructing, I saw good discussions in the past but no voting.
2
@vulcanalex It's not clear what you are talking about. the House has voted on lots of legislation, and sent it to the Senate, where Mitch refuses to bring the bills to a vote.
5
As a center-right independent, I'm interested in seeing how low the Democrats will stoop. I'm continually amazed at their predilection for political buffoonery. I hope these proceeding go on for an extended period of time. The entertainment value is unlimited. A political reality show memorializing the destruction of a political party by themselves. You just can't make this stuff up.
2
@Mike
Wow, Mike. Have you watched the hearings. Not one Democrat can measure up to the smirks, sneers, snide ridiculous comments and political buffoonery of Jim Jordan and his Republican cohorts.
22
@Mike You sound like the Republican National Committee, not an independent. The actual buffoon is Jim Jordan. He acts like a complete jerk.
2
This should be a lesson to the country.. Think, if President Obama had behaved this way, the Republicans would be mass evacuating people to Jupiter because of the impending apocalypse.
Instead, we have them displaying faux and feigned ignorance and real, damaging arrogance about Trump's behavior.
Republicans.. Stop making excuses and face the facts. The country will thank you.
This just might be their avenue to dump him.. I doubt they will.
Trump's hand is where their spine once was.
They still have time to decide if they want to be on the right side of history and risk being on the wrong side of Trump and his Mean Girls tweets and name calling.
History will be far harsher than Trump.. May they all be around to experience it.
🇺🇸2020.. Vote Them Gone🇺🇸
9
If you are inclined to do something about our politics, the best thing one can do is donate money to defeat Sen. McConnell and vote.
15
If the name Trump was substituted with the name Obama, I wonder how all these people who are heartily on board with impeachment would be reacting? Maybe a little introspective personal analysis would do away with the hypocrisy...
3
@Ellen Laird "If the name Trump was substituted with the name Obama,"S
Difference is Obama their was never a hint of any scandal by Obama and not a single charge of any. Trump was the most corrupt president in history the day he was sworn in simply due to the lies he was telling (crowd size!) and his refusal to divest his business and therefore taking emoluments on daily basis.
10
This is hot garbage.
Since the 2016, there has been nonstop attacks on Trump. It's becoming ridiculous. These constant attacks (without any regard for the public) will make independents vote for Trump out of spite.
The backlash to this circus will be swift.
2
@kz Maybe there have been non-stop attacks because there has been non-stop material to attack.
3
kz you need to stop watching Fox News. The reason there have been what you describe as non-stop attacks on trump , is that since day one djt has done at least one outrageous , disgusting thing every day: Ripping children away from their parents at the border, with no plan or intention of reuniting them, chipping away at the ACA after the vote to repeal it failed (trumps doj currently IN court to try to get it repealed), repealing or degrading nearly all of the environmental regs established under Obama, withdrawing from international trade treaties, trying/intending to withdraw from the Paris accord, destroying the US relationship with our allies while cozying up to Putin, (not enough space here to list ALL the actions trumps taken that benefit Putin at our expense) , through his cabinet appointments and actions , breaking down our department of state. Dept. Of agriculture ( giving those AG employees 30 days to move to Kansas or they’re out), breaking down our DOJ with forcing out or firing career employees, installing a lawless and corrupt director, undermining the intel agencies saying he believed Putin over them and literally from day one standing in front of the sacred wall honoring CIA members who had died he was talking about the crowd size as his inauguration!!! Shall I go on? The corrupt process to appoint Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. McConnell not even bringing hundreds of pieces of legislation to a vote , including gun legislation. Allowable space here has run
3
Yep. I will vote for any democrat as nominee, even wacko Marianne, to remove Trump.
5
Interesting article. Thanks. So much of policy depends on reason and tradition American values. Important to impeach the bum, so we can get back to it.
3
It doesn't matter what voters think. The POTUS is a criminal and will be held accountable for his crimes.
4
Kind of interesting how much of a priority Democrats make out of making our military transgender. The NY Times doesn't label it, but it's right near the top.
1
"You hear me, ship? Hold together!"
Several of the most polarizing issues seem diametrically opposed.
2
Based on that priority chart, Republicans really are deplorable.
Obama was right...they get bitter and "cling to their guns and religion..."
Ugh.
5
Great to see a lot of Americans are as appalled as the rest of us by the border separations. This is truly a heinous, anti-human evil.
As for the Republican issues, well, what can one think? Who are these people who don’t want a green new deal? Somewhat unbelievable to be honest.
4
As someone who is looking on from ‘abroad’, I can’t help but notice the vast chasm that seems to divide the Republican and Democrat voters polled. Republicans seem to be mainly concerned with their leader and his difficulties, gun ownership rights, military might, race relations, both current and historic, religiosity, immigration restrictions, and taxes on the wealthy. Democrats, on the other hand, cite immigration rights and citizenship, personal freedom (abortion rights and maternity leave), impeachment, and tax relief for the middle class. It is remarkable how divided the two parties seem to be. I do feel that there is no choice but to impeach POTUS – even though the Senate will not convict - because if Democrats rolled over and let things stand - Trump would be further emboldened and conditions would deteriorate even more; with dire consequences to the future of your Republic.
14
@Jazzie Republicans are concerned with holding power by any means, so they can stock the Federal bench with religious, right-wing ideologues to LIFETIME appointments. It's their Faustian Bargain.
5
This clearly shows why Republicans who favor policies like banning abortion, gun rights, the border wall, etc. love Trump, and no matter what he does, they will support him. To win these voters over, the Democrats would have to reject a substantial portion of their philosophy. In other words, it's a wasted effort.
That said, there IS some potential common ground, and not surprisingly, it's found on the middle where both sides are not as rigid in their choices. The good news is that these are areas that could bring tangible improvement, as opposed to the "visceral victories" promised by the extreme stances. The bad news is that we've become so tribalized that the desire for "our side" to beat "their side" is so strong, I don't know if compromises are possible. From the results of this study, my guess is that before any compromise is considered, we will have to resolve the impeachment issue first. Once that's settled, one way or the other, the rest of the issues can emerge from this shadow. If then we find it impossible to find any middle ground, our democracy will be on its deathbed.
4
Impeachment is most important to Democrats because they don't have a candidate that they can rally around to beat Trump in 2020. Their hate of Trump so overwhelms anything else and their pursuit of impeachment is driven by politics.
3
@Broadkill ....Trump is a vulgar bigoted narcissist. There is nothing even remotely political about that statement. What does it say about Republicans that they can't find a better candidate to run in 2020?
3
@Broadkill You make it sound like Democrats hate Trump because of who he is (like if he were a black person), but you are mistaken. The animosity comes from what he does and how he acts. Why wasn't this level of anger towards W? Because he was a reasonable, sane man, although with flawed policy ideas.
3
Actually, according to the graph, not separating children from their parents at the border is the most important issue to Democrats. But, yes, I am thankful the Congress is moving ahead with articles of impeachment against our corrupt President. I do like many of the Democratic primary candidates, and FYI, there are a couple of candidates with integrity running against Trump in the Republican primary. So you do have options, you can help rescue the Republican party from a corrupt leader.
1
Impeachment is not an 'American Idol' moment or process. Who cares about people's 'opinions' as'phoned in', especially in an era when uninformed but entitled people gain a false sense of the significance of their 'voice ' as massaged by a social media cone of silence? It's about the law. The law can not bow to a 'popularity' contest.
8
“Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, reflected recent G.O.P. sentiment when he said that impeachment “crowds out a number of issues” and stops “really important work we need to get done for the country.”
The House has presented the Senate with hundreds of Bills to benefit Americans, which Senate Leader McConnell is deliberately blocking. What does this have to do with Impeachment unless McConnell sees the wellbeing of the American people as a personal tool, rather than his job?
Why is the Amazon burning? Because someone just wants it that way. ANd that is the result of personal wants placed above welfare of human life.
10
Good to know that there are very good and sound reasons for why I am now and probably always will be a Yellow Dog Democrat. I'd hate to think it was just some kind of ill-considered, thoughtless reflex. Why on earth wouldn't a formal, governmental policy mandating that children must be caged cause direct political - not to mention moral - opposition?
4
A positive for Trump. Democratic House has wasted the first year of their two year term. Will they retain the House in 2020? Will they select a viable candidate candidate that can defeat Trump? A year ago I thought it was a near certainty that Trump would be defeated in 2020. Now I'm not so sure.
2
@BD ....The House, which as you note has been controlled by Democrats for less than a year, has sent lots of legislation to the Republican Senate, which has refused to act on any of it.
5
My fear is that candidates are going to read this and start focusing on what this study says are the top concerns.
And that Democrats will thereby lose again in 2020.
4
Interesting and useful as far as it goes, but I would like to see how the numbers play out. In other words, we learn certain generalities about party A or party B, but nothing about how those view translate to votes.
Fodder for another discussion?
1
For Democrats, the question of whether to impeach Trump is complicated by the foregone conclusion that the Republican controlled Senate will never remove him from office.
Democrats are exhausted by the pain Trump inflicts every day. Some fear that impeachment will only serve to increase the pain without actually getting rid of him. If they thought there was a realistic possibility of ending Trump’s presidency and his constant assault on decency, they’d likely be more eager to fight the good fight.
16
@Leslie -- The impeachment process clearly defines Trump's character one year prior to a general election. Your right that the GOP Senate will not convict Trump and remove him from office. That is a huge problem for them to enter an election year. They know it too as Trump is defining the GOP as totally corrupt and dangerous. This story has yet to be told. Speaker Pelosi opened the first chapter yesterday. Read what she said. It's an All-American story. Even conservatives cannot blindly deny it.
1
Conjoint Analysis (or Discrete Choice Modeling, DCM), are statistical methods more appropriately applied to consumer products/services, especially with respect to features and pricing. Such consumer attributes are more likely to remain stable with time. I’m not confident that policy choices today are stable, so these charts are not reliable unless the conjoint protocol is tracked over a significant period of time.
5
Not sure if thus explanation is true and relevant but if it is - thanks!
These surveys are interesting but incomplete in terms of being representative samples of voters. The reason is that a very significant group has been ignored, namely Independents, whose votes very often determine election outcomes.
9
If you care about our democracy at all, then you must closely follow this debate. Whether or not our Congress allows Donald Trump to sell foreign policy in exchange for interference in a U.S. election and whether or not Congress allows willful and obvious defiance of the legislative branch's constitutional oversight power is hugely important.
If Trump is allowed to get away with his behavior, then we will have opened up the genuine likelihood that our presidency will become much more like a dictatorship or a monarchy than the office intended by the Framers.
If Trump is allowed to get away with his behavior, then we will never again be able to count on an election uninfluenced by foreign powers, including our adversaries.
if Trump is allowed to get away with his behavior, then we will never again be able to believe that Congress has the ability or the will to root out corruption, maladministration, and other misdeeds in the executive branch.
If Trump is allowed to get away with his behavior, then we will be saying to future presidents that they, too, can "do whatever they want" at the expense of the Constitution, the law, our political traditions, our institutions, and our liberties.
So, yes, it's critical for Americans to pay attention and engage.
40
@CastleMan
I already don't believe those things but its interesting to note that there are still some romantics out there.
It's true that impeachment is most important to both Republicans and Democrats and that they hold opposite views on the issue. But what is remarkable about these charts is how many issues the parties agree upon -- background checks, family leave, big climate action.
It is too bad, in fact terribly destructive, that Fox News gets its viewers to hate Democrats with such passion; imagine what good work could be done if Fox News had never gone on the air.
98
@Sherry I am a Democrat and NEVER watch FOX News. I don't think many Democrats do. Fox only riles Trumps base. But I do agree they should never have went on the air. Years ago they were actually a News Organization. Now they are just a bunch of fear-mongers from what I can determine from other sources.
9
@Sherry
Or, Sherry, if the Supreme Court had never ruled that FOX could lie, because they were not 'news', they were (and are) simply entertainment.
5
@A
Fox deals with half truths and downright lies, hate and fear. CNN may look like it hates Trump. But facts, evidence, and truth make it appear that way.
5
Here's how I see it. (I am not a Democrat nor a Republican). Since the election in 2016, there has been a non-stop attack on Trump. All kinds of innuendo, rumors, blatant lies, and a sprinkling of truth. Russia, meddling, grabbing women by the genitals, taxes, etc. 1095 days. Non-Stop. From twisting his statements (He says ALL Mexicans are criminals and rapists), to labeling anyone that votes for him being a racist (apparently, most people do not care), it's past ridiculous, now it just appears that some people are never going to accept it, so they'll try to throw everything they can. Just like Ken Starr and Bill Clinton.
Trump will sink his own boat, no doubt about that, he does and says quite a few things right off the top of his head without any thought. Hopefully he'll go back into private life one of these days, never to be heard from again.
But I think your constant attacks will get him te-elected.
4
@BorisRoberts Looking back over time to Clinton, It seems that non-stop attacks on the opposition have become customary in American politics. Remember the furor over Michelle Obama's bare shoulders? One fella I know wanted Clinton impeached in larbe part because he'd received fellatio.
America's changing, in part because our role in the world is changing, as is the way we get food for our bellies (manufacturing vs services). We've got the "I wish it would remain yesterday forever" crowd vs. the "We better try something. Anything!" crowd. We'd probably get the best answer if we split the difference.
1
@BorisRoberts "Blatant lies?" I don't think so. No, he didn't say all Mexicans are rapists and criminals, but that is what he led with, followed later with "I suppose some are good people." Couple that with "fine people on both sides" re white supremacists and it is not a lie to say the man is a racist. Russia did meddle in our election, trump did lie about his role in covering up the Russian meeting with his son, Don, Jr. Trump is on the record as saying he has the right to attack women. He lied about being under audit and that is why he can't release his taxes. I could go on and on but I think you get the point.
5
@BorisRoberts
It surely would be funny if it weren't so serious that you mention innuendo and blatant lies.
The master of these is Trump. The rest of us are scrambling to protect our country from the obvious vanity, greed, and treachery of Trump and his BFFs the world's dictators, in particular Putin to whom he panders at a level that indicates he is obligated to him.
Vote cheating is a real problem, and Trump loves it, because it's in his favor. Republicans - those who haven't left yet - are also in favor of winning regardless of corruption and cheating.
1
Interesting survey method, but no one should be surprised that impeachment of Trump is very important because everyone knows that all other policy issues are driven by the person who is president. For example, locking children in cages is horrid and inhumane. And in any moral sense stopping this horror is "more important" than impeachment. But, if Trump were to be removed it is highly likely this policy would be ended. So which will I choose. I want to remove the rotten apple from the barrel before the rot spreads everywhere.
39
@Victor Parked
But, isn’t it too late? Or, maybe the barrel of GOP Congress people were already spoiled to begin with.
There are more than a hundred human-based laws on Mitch McConnell's obstruction list.
The House of Representatives has worked their way through fairness and honesty and caring for the people.
The Senate, led by Trump and McConnell, will have none of it.
Just like their other forms of obstruction, they prevent action and blame Democrats for what they have done.
Typical: don't forget it was Republicans who voted to defund embassy security before they spent millions and years trying to pin the result on Hillary Clinton.
76
@Susan Anderson
This!!!
1
One of the most important things revealed by this survey (besides the impeachment matter) is that 90%+ of Republicans and 95%+ of Democrats agree on universal background checks for guns. So rare is this level of agreement that Congress and the President should act on this immediately. Instead, the NRA-bought Republican party blocks every effort on it.
123
@PT congress makes laws and I oppose total background checks. I saw a meeting some time ago where the president supported increased checks and improvements to the process.
1
Republicans and Independents, if you voted for Trump you also voted for Pence to take the president's place if he can no longer fulfill his duties. if Pence were to become president, you could vote for him in 2020 or vote for someone better. Republicans and Independents, you can do better.
13
I would be interested to see where Independents fall in this scale. The broad middle is where the importance of impeachment lies.
7
@Wagner Schorr-Ratzlaff
How are people who call themselves Independents viewed as different from any other voter?
Everyone can change who or what they support. Doesn't that make everyone independent?
4
When/if Trump's tax returns are released, we will learn if his claims to wealth are fraudulent. If so, republican support will drop like a brick. Americans love rich people because they hope to join them. If Trump's in financial trouble, that admiration of wealth will evaporate like rain puddles in Phoenix.
No on likes to be fooled, especially people who are living paycheck to paycheck. Trump aroused confidence by promising the return of manufacturing jobs. But he hasn't because it's impossible. America cannot compete with Vietnam wages. He knew that when he dangled false hope in front of people struggling with the Gig economy.
The collapse of the House of Cards is found the tax return. It explains why he's fighting like crazy to keep them private.
25
@Barry I suspect it is way worse than that.
Russian influence, money laundering, mob collaboration, and lies lies lies.
6
@Barry
And more important still, that he pays not taxes.
Like Leona Helmsley said, taxes are for the little people.
7
@Barry tax returns have little to do with wealth.
2
A question for the authors about the GOP table. Is it correct to say that 65% of Republicans say "No to Ban on Abortion" with an importance of about 25. If true, that is something that is under-reported.
7
Seems like a reflection of what dominates the current media cycles. How is this taken into account? I can’t believe gun control wasn’t on the Democrats list-would it have been earlier this summer?
2
Won’t the real test be post impeachment?
Democrats will probably continue to place a high degree of importance on impeachment while Republicans probably won’t care at all and will move on.
3
@Bronx Jon
if you move your cursor over the dots that are not named, you will see gun control (background checks, etc)
It is now abundantly clear to me that Republicans don’t smoke enough weed, and might want to rethink how they characterize ‘freedom of religion’.
Conversely, the Democratic Party seems to be so stoned that it doesn’t even recall the purpose of political pragmatism.
Interesting times ahead.
3
Something I have said repeatedly since Trump's election is that things are different now not because of issues but because of the threat to democracy. For me that is why impeaching Trump is more important than any other issue. If democracy remains intact, then I have confidence that we can resolve the issues that face us. But if an authoritarian government led by the Republicans is able to take over, then the discussion just ends. I would also note that opposing impeachment is the most important thing for Republicans because they see him as their only hope for imposing otherwise widely unpopular policies on the country.
41
@dj sims
The Republicans are making the very old mistake of thinking that if they just get their favorite dictator in office then they will get the policies that they want. They do not consider that once Trump is a dictator he will not give them anything they want because without a functioning democracy he will not have to. Every country that has gone down this road has made this same mistake.
3
Your suggestion about your data is wrong. It is premised on soft assumptions about free will and psychology.
People don't focus on what the President does or cares about.
People care about what they are lead to care about... this is also true wrt reason and data.
Your data can't inform you of this unless you look.
3
The Republicans have until recently always bellowed about how much they support LAW AND ORDER. One of their heroes; the truly awful J Edgar Hoover, once said law and order is more important than civil rights. What happened? Republicans today don't want to hear any facts, and if they do, dismiss those facts as products of the media, or coming from Democrats so they can't be real. If you get called for jury duty and say you mind is already made up; you won't get picked. Any member of the Senate who has already stated they think Trump is wholly innocent should be called out at minimum when the hearings move to the Senate. Is there a possibility those senators could be denied participation in the hearings? If they refuse to listen to the facts they should be. If their minds are made up they should cast their votes BEFORE the hearings start. Then we'll know who Trump's sycophants are.
8
@Surfrank
Strange but I thought I sent this to the article announcing Trump's impeachment.
Distraction? Please stop with this nonsense, bothsidesism premise that undercuts the validity of this very real, dire circumstance in our nation’s history and suggests it might not be legitimate.
NYT’s editors understand the obvious weight of this impeachment process. Don’t placate the people who can’t or won’t just because of some false obligation or pressure to do so. It’s irresponsible. Just tell the truth. Why does the NYT have to keep hearing this?
5
"Freedom" caucus is anything but, haplessly shouting all Kremlin's talking points, they remind me of rowdy hooligans on a street corner.
Why do they give themselves such hypocritical titles, does it have anything that resembles "freedom" when they all replay in unison the gibberish from Putin's KGB mouth, truly pathetic to witness...just dreadful selling out our country in plain sight...
They want to keep criminal in a WH no matter what, even a downfall of republic doesn't stop this gangster mob.
Add to all this morass the dubious arguments of Professor Turley, who definitely knows better plus Fox News channel repeating Kremlin lies, and as you can see the picture is pretty grim, unless we can join all our allies laughing and mocking this "Dear Leader" embarrassment which is hard...
After all the jocks are on us!
6
Based on nothing more than comments in the paper and random conversations with a small sample of a broad spectrum of political persuasions, my conclusion is that most Americans do not know what impeachment means; across the board, impeachment is equated with removal from office, as though nobody recalls the President Clinton episode. If there is indeed such widespread misunderstanding and it is not just anecdotal, how much relevance does a study have if it depends on an understanding of the situation most Americans just don’t have? Why not simplify things to the dumbed down reality of today: don’t say “impeached”; say GONE.
1
Lucid has the cheapest and least reliable sample in the market - half of the respondents probably are robots
A 2017 Gallup poll identified 42% of registered voters as independents, making them the largest voting block in the country. So why does the media continually frame these issues as Democratic versus Republican? Please incorporate the opinion of non-affiliated voters into all your political coverage.
5
We should end the media companies' (like NYT) total reliance upon voter preference surveys as the sole barometer for serious decision-making. It usurps the responsibility that properly rests with the US Congress and institutions. The people's will is regularly expressed by voting, and they made clear their choices by selecting the 116th US Congress
We are in this situation because a) There was wrongdoing by the President and his associates. b) The House conducted evidence gathering. c) the House decided that the wrong-doing amounted to bribery and high crimes and misdemeanors, and d) the constitutional remedy is impeachment of the President.
Our elected Speaker recommended the evidence move forward towards for an impeachment trial. The House is Constitutionally bound to do its duty, as is the Senate to conduct a fair trial.
This isn't complicated nor is it some Miss Universe popularity contest. Even if I disagreed, I fully expect my elected officials to perform their duties in accordance with the constitution and following their conscience in fulfillment of their oaths of office to uphold the Constitution.
6
Well, when you take food off poor people’s tables at holiday time, you can’t get much lower. (Food Stamps)
This country has a lot of things to think about. Preferences? Who can even think where to begin?
7
What I find interesting about these charts is that on the Republican one, the issues seem to be clustered to the bottom and left, whereas on the Democrat one the issues seem to be more spread out and concentrated more to the upper right corner. What I take from this is that compared to Democrats, Republicans don't care that strongly about issues, they care about identity (and almost purely for the sake of identity). This tracks recent experience, where the Republican party has shifted dramatically to fit Trump's whims and seems to be more about cultural grievance and racism (and yes, it is racism when two of your top issues are building a wall and stopping slavery reparations). The Republican party appears to be a hollow shell of bitterness and grievance, not a party of ideas, principles or values.
8
Polls can be so misleading - how do these per cents break down into actual numbers?
Fifty per cent of 10 is far from 50 per cent of 1,000.
2
Looks like it would be in the interest of both parties to emphasize the 2020 election as a referendum on Trump. Sure, talk policy a little, but make Trump's impeachment the ultimate issue. Democrats can point to his corruption and shady dealings, complete failure to govern effectively, and label him a crook and a criminal. Republicans can emphasize that voting against them will result in his removal from office and he's a crusader against the "deep state". Since both parties seem to align on the 'do' or 'don't' impeach sides, it should effectively rile up the bases.
1
I see an interesting trend in this data that wasn't mentioned--Democrats have a much bigger cluster of things that they care a lot about than Republicans. Could this be indicative of much higher voter turnout among Democrats in 2020?
Impeachment? Yes. I don't know why there's even debate about it. Trumps actions are far more heinous than those for which Clinton and Nixon were impeached (or threatened with it).
13
What I find particularly interesting in these data is that restrictions on abortion are fairly low priorities for Republicans, but support for "no ban on abortion" is near the top for Democrats and even shows up in the middle for Republicans. So I guess those single issue Republican voters who oppose abortion in any form are not as numerous as we have been led to believe.
5
As long as Trump remains unchecked and the GOP complicit there is no lasting way to address all the other challenges we face as a nation. Trump and the GOP have demonstrated over and over that they can not be trusted to protect fair elections. While there are still a few adults left in our government, Trump's regime is still vulnerable to having light cast on its high crimes. We can not afford to give Trump another 4+ years (yes, we all know where a 2020 win would be heading). The fools and cronies in the GOP have no sense of history and don't realize that they too, will one day be cast aside or worse.
I wonder what Turley has been promised for the unprincipled, anti-intellectual show he put on yesterday?
8
@Aluetian
It was really interesting to watch the old videos of Turley during the Clinton impeachment. These people seem to have forgotten that there are videos all over the place and he looked really foolish after all he said.
These guys have no shame
8
@Aluetian
"As long as Trump remains unchecked and the GOP complicit there is no lasting way to address all the other challenges we face as a nation"
Sure we can. We can pass legislation at the state level to limit residential zoning laws and limit occupational licensing to give poor people a chance to become socially mobile. We can better fund schools and/or integrate schools better. We can't do much about the kids at the border, but we can certainly do a better job of the millions of abused or neglected kids within the borders, in our cities. Washington, Oregon, CA can pass universal health care and a carbon tax for the environment. There's plenty we can do to help realize the potential of our citizens without Trump and the GOP. There's a list of 237 other things, but I think the point is made.
5
@Ned yes states should address most of the Dems desires.
If this is a nation of laws then Trump must be impeached, tried, convicted and removed. Anything less signifies the end of the republic.
24
I'm surprised the satisfaction with judicial nominations did not even register with either party. My understanding is this is a priority for evangelicals. As for myself, my alarm over the appointment of unqualified and biased judges can not be overstated. This alone will shape policy concerns for generations.
14
I find that any concern for what the public "wants" is really a distraction to what needs to be done.
The House has a duty to investigate and impeach; it says so in the constitution.
Fuhgetabout public opinion... just impeach.
9
70% of Republicans are for mass deportation?
We really are in the twilight zone.
And not impeaching a flagrant criminal is their number one priority?
If, against hope and odds, Democrats regain control of government, they need to find some way to constitutionally limit propaganda.
13
@Dan what might be mass deportations? If nobody is above the laws, surely illegals aren’t!
1
Why does every Democratic candidate or politician interviewed say that when they meet and talk to voters, no one brings up impeachment?
2
Democrats were more likely to choose a set of policies that included not separating immigrant children at the border and impeaching President Trump.
“Illegal” immigrant children . . . Even reporters editors and pollsters have brainwashed themselves with their own poisoned pen and rigged survey methodology.
2
@John Doe and it happened under Obama anyway!
1
What does don’t ban guns mean?
There is a giant difference between an AR15 type rifle and a long gun or a hand gun. Did the survey distinguish beteeen the two?
Never mind the high interest in the wall and 10 commandments in building let’s me know exactly who these folks are- time to tax the churches.
3
Gosh. John McCain and Mitt Romney are looking better and better. Maybe enough republicans will start to feel the same way.
3
@Two Americas
“ Gosh, John McCain ... looking better and better.”
Dead??
2
@Two Americas ....Though you might disagree with John McCain and Mitt Romney, they were/are men of honesty, honor, and dignity. Neither would have defamed the White House and both would have been respected around the world. Both would have worked to unite the country rather than divided it, and neither would have twittered a steady stream of embarrassing statements. Above all what I don't understand about Trump supporters and Republicans in general, is why they are not desperate to find a better candidate to run in 2020? History will record the Trump Presidency as a national disaster. Why are Republicans so determined to follow him down that dead end road?
2
I can only hope that there are more republicans who are turned off by Trump's behavior than is indicated in this survey. Otherwise we are doomed.
7
@chickenlover yes you might be doomed, a second term should get much more done!
If the most important issues to Democrats are impeaching Trump and not separating children from their parents at the border, I have parted ways with the party.
3
@Talbot ....Don't keep us in suspense. What are your most important issues?
1
Besides the dubious claim that a majority of voters care more about impeachment than, say, abortion, this survey would seem to bode badly for Dems....incontrovertibly, Trump will NOT be removed from office, so Dems will have to regroup, quickly, around a candidate and platform more specific than Never Trump to prevail in Nov.-----
1
Very surprised that healthcare is so low on the dem chart and non existent on the republican chart
7
Information is Vital and CNN covered Pelosi Press Conference right now but not CBS,NBC, ABC. Why? Not Corporate enough? The top three networks are obsolete for real news and do disservice to tout they are....
1
Where is the Democrats' interest in helthcare It takes up so much time in the debates and it doesn't ppear on the list of Democrats' concerns?
6
Since the Senate will never impeach, none of this really matters
3
So he's right! It is all about him!
3
what party do you belong to if you are pro guns rights, pro a strong military, but also pro doing something about climate change and pro removing Trump from office because he is mentally unfit to be in charge of our atomic weapons?
8
@georgesbower
Sounds like you need to clean up the republica party. Good luck.
5
@georgesbower
Sounds like a sane republican to me. (Anti gun democrat here...)
8
@georgesbower
If you are describing yourself, I'd say you belong to the non-existent but much needed Party of Independent Thinkers.
While I don't share all of your positions, I applaud you for not blindly subscribing to the entire checklist of either of our country's two polarized tribes.
9
would like to see the same scatterplots for "independents" or "undecideds"
4
Disliking something the least doesn't mean you like it.
5
Looking at what's important to Republicans is a sad indictment on the party and its supporters.
Their biggest priorities are:
- Trump not being impeached
- Building the wall
- No gun control
- No slavery reparations
- No medicare for all
What a miserable, bigoted, selfish party.
73
Interesting that the Republicans are focused on the hot button political issues and practically no issues that will improve the voters daily life or future security.
Political issues also rate high with Democrats, but higher ratings and more issues that would effect voters lives, make the chart.
12
@Heidi I noticed that too. Seems the two groups have NOTHING in common on High important relevance.
3
So the Republicans don't give a whit about climate change? How utterly foolish! But I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
6
@Lissa
I was sad to see the level of priority given to climate change amongst Democrats, as well...
Though heartened by the high priority given to the wellbeing of others, rather than themselves.
3
Wow, slavery reparations are unpopular for both Republicans and Democrats.
2
@Diana That is definitely a losing issue. Instead of reparations for one group of Americans, policies like universal health care, student loan debt forgiveness and much more affordable college, and affordable child care, will help level the playing field for everyone below the upper 10%.
6
This is all nonsense...if you think otherwise you are nuts !
(both sides)
3
Ok, first of all class, Lucid, the market-research company that is collecting and compiling this polling data is a private, for-profit company. That means their highest priority is expanding their bottom line, and they do this by pleasing their clients.
When you look at their methodology, it appears they are cherry-picking their respondents to achieve a forgone conclusion. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.
3
Interesting data, but for me pretty much not a revelation. Ever since impeachment became a potential issue, it has taken on a presence in the minds of most voters, like the cosmic background noise. Other priority concerns are still critical in actual voting choices, among them immigration, climate change, and reproductive rights.
But looming over the nation is the fate of a deeply unpopular President; some opposed to actual impeachment, others stridently pushing Trump's removal. Since the GOP Senate will never vote to actually impeach Trump, I believe the Democrats' strategy is to bring articles of impeachment in the House, and then play upon the revulsion many have for the President as a overarching 2020 campaign issue.
2
@PaulB67
If that is the Democratic strategy, it is flawed since the American electorate has a 2 minute attention span and a 2 hour memory.
1
Being somewhat distant from the US polarized politics, one can have a better perspective on what is happening South of the border. Actually, things are not that complicated.
The Republicans take the impeachment personal and are reacting emotionally to it. They see the impeachment as an attempt by Democrats to undermine their decision about who is the right person to run the country. They see it as an attack on their freedom to go to the ballot box and choose the next POTUS.
Democrats, on the other hand, see Mr. Trump totally unfit for the POTUS position and are simply trying to make sure he cannot further damage the country. For them the impeachment is a strong warning to Mr. Trump that checks-and-balances are in place. They know the their impeachment effort will get nowhere, for the US Senate will be blocking it.
Democrats always have the 2020 election to get rid of Mr. Trump. So it is not surprising that many of them do not get soppy about the impeachment's success or failure.
5
@Eddie B.
The pro Russian GOP care about Trump because the gravy train of getting rich by doing nothing might be coming to an end. the three amigos only a fool would believe they are not on the take. They make money by giving ridiculous speeches and this administration has a surplus of incompetent people in it. no other administration would hire them so they are sad that the gravy train might be coming to an end. Trump left NATO early because he didn't know the answers nor understand the questions.
1
This Red vs Blue fight in Trump era seems to be more like marching to fight out the unfinished business pending since civil war in 1860s, and then since abrupt end of reconstruction era and start of Jim Crow.
But there are few important changes in the mean time- US demography and internet.
5
Lots to think about. My main takeaway is that going forward with impeachment now will just further divide us. House will impeach because overwhelmingly Democrats rate it a priority, and the Senate will swiftly acquit because Republicans overwhelmingly oppose impeachment. The only slight glimmer of hope I see would be to subpoena Bolton, Mulvaney, Giuliani, et al, putting impeachment on simmer for awhile and letting the usual political process to continue. If the subpoenas are enforced, the documents and testimony might persuade some Senate Republicans that Trump prioritizes his ego over governance. Either that or more members of Congress will wake up to the fact that they are wasting their talents on the empty honor of being a representative/senator and resign.
2
@Mark Abel nothing about the already released conversation will support removal.
I'm an independent, and impeaching Trump is vital.
Trump invited the Russians into the 2016 election -- in plain sight through standard media coverage. Five hours later, operatives starting hacking emails.
But Trump hasn't delivered on lifting sanctions on Russia, so he's engineered a shake-down on Ukraine to give him "dirt" on Biden.
Now the entire world knows he's soliciting help in his re-election bid -- because it's certainty he'll be indicted, likely convicted, as the safeguards he has as president slip away when he's out of office.
He's desperate. The world knows it.
That makes him very, very dangerous to our national security and open to any intervention on his behalf.
Trump has to be removed from office.
29
@An independent in : I like your logic but disagree that the Senate is likely to convict. We will continue on our merry divided way.
3
@Tom I don't think ou read An Independent's comment properly. He said "convicted when he is out of office".
2
Very interesting - I’d be curious to see temporal or regional changes
2
What I find interesting is that the majority of Republicans agree on the following, even if they are not top priorities - i.e. there is room for compromise if our politicians would actually follow the desires of voters:
- legalize marijuana
- don't ban Muslim immigrants, don't separate immigrant children, Dreamer path to citizenship (but also more merit-based immigration and deportations)
- no ban on abortion (restrictions are supported but not bans)
- low-income health subsidy, health care public option (just not Medicare for all)
- huge support for universal background checks for guns and a slim majority for a registry
3
Impeachment is a necessary response to the gravest threat to our country’s democracy in modern times. Trump’s “make America great again” film-flam is a Russian ruse to turn the United States of America into the Divided States of America. To the extent that he and Putin have succeeded, no issue is of greater consequence, and should be a higher priority, than stopping them in their tracks. Contrary to the Republicans’ party line, impeachment is not about overturning an election; it is about preventing a despotic, demagogic, tyrannical cult of personality from overturning our democratic government and Constitution.
7
The problem with any snapshot is its expiration date, if you will. For example, as the Republicans ignore the clear danger to our republic, impeaching Trump will gain in importance, if it hasn't already. Keeping our system of checks and balances healthy, keeping our elections interference-free and honest will clearly gain in importance as we approach 2020.
1
The polls will and have changed quickly in regards to rapidly changing news (and even in response to coverage of polls with unorthodox methodology). Thats all interesting but mostly academic. Leaving aside a monumentally unlikely event, this is what will happen: The House will vote to impeach on a strictly party line and the Senate will vote to acquit on a strictly party line. This will happen well before voting for the general election. At that time, impeachment as an issue will be over and the relevancy of this data will be of no concern.
3
Interesting method, but I wonder if it skews towards policies where one outcome is seen as more unacceptable, morally or otherwise. For example, I don't think family separations are more important than climate change, but nothing has been done on climate change for years, so I've been conditioned to accept it, while family separations are just abhorrent. Similarly, impeachment may not be an issue many voters are paying attention to, but one outcome may just be strongly unacceptable to each group.
3
"Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, reflected recent G.O.P. sentiment when he said that impeachment 'crowds out a number of issues' and stops 'really important work we need to get done for the country.'"
What does the Representative want to "do," considering that the past Republican Congresses and now the Republican Senate seem bound and determined to do absolutely nothing, except appoint very conservative judges?
14
Impeachment also crowds out Democratic debate in the run-up to Iowa. We can't talk about climate change because Pelosi is making announcements about impeachment everyday. Something of self-fulfilling prophecy, don't you think?
The data often show what you want them to show because someone is manipulating the data. I don't think any poll can accurately reflect the relative value of different issues. What is the media talking about? If you spend a week reading about climate change, the relative value of impeachment is going to drop in the polls. The human mind has an imperfect ability to focus.
1
@Andy
Well that is saying that most people can not chew gum and walk at the same time. I disagree, we are all living climate change, we are all living a man who has no respect for the Constitution, we are all living racism, we are all living pro Russian GOP politicians. we are all living with very disturbed politicians who don't think their is anything wrong with insulting women and putting children in cages.
We know what is going on and we can handle the truth. What we cant handle is Barr supporting the Russian president vs the American people. What we cant handle is the endless embarrassing man who represents this country who did a fake organism at a rally yet when someone said something about the name of Barron, the GOP tried to pretend that they were offended. Fake organism is ok but don't mess with a nameRemember all the nasty things they said about Chelsea Clinton but the little white prince can do no wrong. The constitutional lawyer was making reference to the name not the child.
What we cant handle is a sexual enabler Jordan talking as if he knows anything about anything. Here is an assistant wrestling coach who didn't care that students at Ohio State were being molested. , what we cant handle is that the GOP hate America so much that they worship a cult figure. What we cant handle is the endless stream of lies by white men, women who don't even know what the truth is now ( there are no blacks in the party ,Hurd is stepping down, the party of whites)
2
Quite interesting method of polling, and one new to me. I'm a professional researcher (psychology Ph.D.), and can see this method of probing relative value as quite useful and structurally valid. It forces participants to make choices that reveal the relative strengths of their internal values. Most readers won't fully appreciate the subtlety of this (not for lack of intelligence, but merely because it takes a background in statistics to fully grasp the moving parts). It's quite clever.
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@Voter Frog
It was definitely used by our CBC's poll-tracker in both the lead-up to our recent election and the one before.
What's scary about the results is just how polarized is your country.
To me, it was telling when during the Obama administration, Republican representatives openly made statements - as if it was something to be proud of - that they would vote down everything coming out of that administration, simply because it was Obama's.
Then and there, it was incumbent upon Americans to take back their democracy and remove from office anyone who was in effect, refusing to do their job.
It didn't happen - it wasn't even contemplated - and look where you are now.
4
@Michele K You're absolutely right. Our Republican leadership seems dedicated to the idea of winning at all costs, no matter whether it leads to the destruction of our republic. It's tragic.
My undergraduate degree was in political science, so I recognize most of the forces at work here. The greatest is plutocracy, simply the desire of rich people to get richer and more powerful. To do that, the wealthy have created a coalition of gullible voters, people motivated by racism, xenophobia, misguided religion, fear... How else does the 1% become the 51%, except by the rich leading the gullible? They've exploited technology--television, radio, the Internet, and social media to unite this heterogeneous mob into a unified force that now threatens to replace democracy with a strange, new, plutocratically directed demagogy.
2
How can congress be distracted from its duties when there are over a hundred bills sitting on Mitch McConnell's desk awaiting deliberation and or a vote. The problem is stonewalling not production. Vote McConnell out of office.
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@Steve Two new nicknames? Stonewall Mitch and Stonewall Don?
3
Why do we the average American voter need to follow all the ever fluctuating different polls? They serve to sway voters to go along with a front runner, affirm their own already made decision often by giving a misleading picture of who those actually being polled are. It has been studied that a sunstantial number of none college-educated white voters were never even included in many of the polls prior to the last election. I am college educated and yet, even in forty years of voting neither I nor any family member, friend, colleague or millennial relative has ever been polled as well. Ho do pollsters and tv pundits announcing monthly polling numbers count us among their aggregate "reliable" indicators of their current 2020 election predictions. They certainly missed their marks by high double digits in the run up to the 2016 election creating a false narrative of Hillary Clinton's inevitable win and in fact leading to certain complacency in voter turnout among many who thought it was a "done deal." Finally the polls hold no value at all for Trump supporters as he proclaims them to be rigged or fake news in his Twitter blasts when they are unfavorable to him. In the final analysis, to what purpose do all this polling data all actually serve?
7
why are we so fascinated by polls but so reluctant to make the actual forms of democracy (unions, compulsory voting, easy voter registration) a thing?
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@Chris
Because we hope other people's opinions will sway policy change without us having to take action.
My initial reaction to polls is to see how many people agree with my views. If I see a high number of people in agreement with me, I tend to feel more relaxed about a topic. I think this is born of a sense that the rest of the world is on board and thus I don't have to worry about it anymore. I'm aware of this tendency, and realize that polls don't represent much, and data can be manipulated.
Polls take a general temperature, but it is up to all of us to continue to fight for our ideals.
2
Considering that 88 percent Republicans are against impeachment, that would go a long way to show why they think impeachment is the topmost priority.
Maybe Republicans think their vote is going to be negated by the Democrats and that is what this impeachment is really about.
Maybe Republicans are sensitive that Democrats accuse Trump of not having a 'real' majority and think that a failed impeachment may well lend credence to a Trump presidency after all.
Or maybe all political commentators are wrong that Trump has bamboozled his supporters and do not want to accept that Trump actually has a strong voter base and support for his actions and policies and maybe even his style and manner of functioning and conduct.
4
What about independents? This survey seems not to consider this important segment of the voting public. Also without viewing the wording of the questions and the order in which they appear on the survey it is impossible to ascertain if more weight is given to one over another.
One thing is clear: televising the proceedings is important in swaying opinions of the general viewing public. As a west coast viewer I made certain to watch all the hearings from gavel to gavel. I consider it my duty as a citizen to be as well informed as possible. I hope others do as well. The world is watching as we debate our democracy.
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PS. Excellent comment. We too are watching, and consider it our duty.
10
Thanks! I was reading the article and got to the end and asked the same question. Independents are crucial.
4
@Mari
Heck, I feel that from here in Canada, and I can't even vote.
Take your democracy back, America!
6
This article as do most fails to include the question that was asked.
All polls can give you what you want or don't want depending on how the question is worded.
What we should want is honesty from all of our elected officials , but we probably have a better chance of winning the lottery.
12
@BTO
From the article:
'Each person who takes the survey sees two randomly selected collections of up to four policy positions.' They pick which collection they prefer and do this 10 times. That is the question. It is clever and diffuses your comment.
The upshot of Trump's defense seems to be that Democrats are somehow illegitimately in control of the House.
Republicans have to accept and understand the consequences of the last congressional election.
They'll get more practice in November 2020.
13
Looking at those two charts makes me wonder if there is something in the water in the US that is preventing rational thought. My rational thought for the moment is to ensure that my children emigrate to a more civil society,
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@Sean Taylor
The 'something' is FOX News. Why do they always seem to be angrily yelling on that station? ("Caravans!, Benghazi!, The WAR on Christmas !!!")
7
@Sean Taylor And where would that be? -C
1
@Charlie Dozens of places. Including third world countries. I live in one. Society is far more 'civilized' than the US is quite a lot of the world.
5
Speaking for this one independent voter. I would like the current strong state of the union to continue and the highest priority should be decreased government spending and tax cuts to those with annual family incomes below 100,000. This will keep the economy stable and unemployment decreasing further. Impeachment should be the last priority or should have not been something Pelosi declared will go ahead. It will be the democrats death knell.
3
@Girish Kotwal "Impeachment should be the last priority or should have not been something Pelosi declared will go ahead."
Well, you could go tell trump to stop being corrupt. Maybe that could stop impeachment. How about it? Are you up for that?
If not, well, then trump has simply made it necessary for the adults in our society to show we aren't going to put up with dishonest, corrupt politicians like trump.
Just because people like you don't mind corrupt politicians does not mean the adults will put up with it.
1
@Girish Kotwal This independent voter knows the state of the union cannot be strong when the president is corrupt and actively using the power of his office to curry favors from foreign leaders to ensure his re-election (among many other corrupt actions - including collusion, emoluments, hiring a full cadre of lobbyists and campaign donors for official positions, nepotism, etc.). Period. Either we respect the constitution and impeach the president or we suffer the consequences of his corruption and those who enable it (and future presidents and congressmen who emulate him) for decades to come. Let all who are complicit and enable this corruption be on record - whether he is removed from office or not. Let them then be judged for those actions in future elections, in criminal prosecutions (mulvaney, guliani, nunes, etc.), through history.
1
Note to pollsters: I live a just few towns over from Quinnipiac and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why I have never been contacted to be included in polling and I'm 65 years old.
Politicians are driven by polls. Please contact me so that my voice may be included.
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@The year of GOP ethic cleansing-2020 That is telling them. Yes, there is certainly some bias about picking up respondents to opinion polls.
I remember the impeachment hearings with Nixon. There wasn't a radio/TV not tuned to the live coverage, even in workplaces. Yesterday my wife and I, who both work at home, did the same (thank you NYT for streaming). Yesterday was riveting, a great education in how our constitution came into being and how it works. I repeat, riveting.
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The presentation if not the construct reflects a fundamental, polarizing bias: we have only two (ideological) groups in the US. I would like to know how much of the response pool fits in the "Republican" or "Democratic" bins. And if those who reject these labels have a more rational view of issue priorities. Note that other reports on the Voter Study Group web site suggest a more complicated and nuanced distribution of views among voters.
I can also speculate that the fixation on hot-button issues also reflects our media feed. So, congrats to the Times and all other media for getting your readers attention (and distorting that attention).
7
This is a lie:
'Most people would give up their preferred outcomes on health care, the environment or taxes if it meant getting what they want on impeachment. It is an important issue for almost everyone.'
I could not care less about the circus in DC.
I do care a lot about not getting my taxes increased, a stable economy and a level playing field in the work arena.
Impeachment is just self serving noise in DC.
It is the hope of the hard core 'she was robbed' crowd that the impeachment overturn the election of 2016. They care a lot about this.
The rest of us, not even close.
7
@AutumnLeaf I am one of "the rest of us" and believe me I do care. After listening to the constitutional scholars yesterday, I care even more. It is important that the president of the United States, present and future, not feel that he/she is above the law.
45
Nope. It is the hope of the hard core 'we don't want our democratic republic to become an authoritarian dictatorship' majority to remove the cancerous rot that has infected our - yes, OUR - government and our civic discourse. Truly disturbing just how many people in this country are in dire need of a civics lesson. Wake up, for God's sake.
2
This graphic display of the ignorance and incoherence of a majority of Americans from BOTH PARTIES in such a simple display is truly nauseating and fear-inducing.
I am a Democrat, so I will critique my own. Do not mistake me for someone who doesn't care about families, immigrants, due process, or humanity, but when the most people give the most important to not splitting up immigrant families as the most important priority shows an inability to understand how to think politically and prioritize issues .... in my opinion.
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@Bruce
In fairness, this is a measure of intensity of belief and party cohesion not prioritization.
Policies breaking up immigrant families are moral non-starters for me and many Democrats, but certainly not something we would prioritize over health care reform. This methodology wouldn’t reflect that distinction and may draw a viewer to the conclusion that you had that Democrats believe immigration procedures are our most important issue, when all it really says is we agree on the issue and that we don’t think it is subject to compromise.
14
Stupidity is like entropy - it is never conserved, while it can shrink in localized environments (college = refrigerator or air conditioning), in any system it’s always positive and growing
@Bruce My grandfather was given an iron cross fighting for Germany in WWI. Just a couple of decades later, he moved the family halfway across the world to avoid the Nazis in the very country he so recently defended.
This is why family separation is a key issue to me. It is a symptom of fascism and the start of genocide.
23
The charts just prove the two sides live in different universes with no shared values.
47
Are you sure about that? I was surprised one quarter of Republicans support the Green New Deal.
10
@GM that surprised me as well.
1
@Larry L Both over 50% of people from both parties support legalizing marijuana. Maybe this can be the first stop on the road to mutual understanding?
3
What a massive shift in the Republican party from just 15 years ago. "Don't limit trade" barely registers as a priority, while "Ten Commandments in public buildings" and "build a wall" are now high priority. Am I in some kind of nationalist Twilight zone?
Great visual on why former Republicans like myself have no choice but to begrudgingly vote for Democrats for the foreseeable future. Any Republican who stood by for this nonsense and didn't speak out, no matter how much they distance themselves from Trump in the future, will never have my vote again.
353
Agree with you.
10
@Not Surprised as a perennial democrat, I'm willing to meet reasonable republicans at least halfway. After so much animosity, real discussions on policy and country would be refreshing.
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@Not Surprised
Hear, hear - country before politics.
21
You just documented what history has taught us, listen to the people.
I believe Trump is a serial criminal and should be impeached but it is critical to get a clear majority of the people on your side especially in swing states.
If you don't table the impeachment and get rid of Trump through the ballot box next year.
It doesn't matter how right you are if you help give Trump another term.
Lincoln was the ultimate teacher on this ie sometimes you have to put up with an evil in order to eliminate it.
He saved the union first and then ended slavery because with the former he could not get the latter. He eventually did both.
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@Paul
The Democrats are finally standing up and following the Constitution.
If the overwhelming evidence of Trump's Abuse of Power and blustering Obstruction of Justice and Congress is not enough for America, we are truly doomed.
MOST IMPORTANT though is the blaring alarms these impeachment hearings are setting off as
Trump continues to solicit foreign powers to attack our national elections, illegally funnel foreign money into his campaign and hack into our voting machines to favor Trump's re-election.
It's already starting:
NYTimes: "A Pennsylvania County’s Election Day Nightmare Underscores Voting Machine Concerns”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/us/politics/pennsylvania-voting-machines.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
3
@Paul
There is far more public support for impeachment of Trump than Clinton or Nixon.
6
@Dan
Which makes sense, given that Trump is that much more crook.
1
This is very interesting. It shows that, contrary to conventional wisdom, social issues are more important than economic issues for most voters in both parties.
Some people might try to paint this as irrational, but it seems totally rational to me. The government has a lot more control over social policy than the economy. If an administration raised GDP by even 1%, it would be a miracle. Trump's huge tax cut only amounted to a few hundred dollars a year or less for most people. If you asked people, would you rather have 1% more income or get your way on immigration or guns or have someone who would be a good role model for your children in office, it is reasonable to pick the latter.
The Sanders formula of making everything about economics is not a good idea.
17
@HO
Yeah ... it's irrational. At least to me, to put for example not breaking up immigrant families or abortion policy ahead of an existential threat like global warming or any number of larger issues that affect many more people and portend global disaster and a deleterious affect on the planet and all of our futures ... it is beyond frightening.
17
What stands out is a main concern about "Us and Them." The upper right hand quadrant is about either including all people versus excluding those who are not like "us." Trump merely represents this bottom line fear.
Given the enormity and reality of human-made climate change, this is a recipe for worldwide catastrophe. We are at a point in history where we have to change the way we live. We need to develop greater equality and decrease our individual and collective greed in order to reverse climate change and environmental degradation.
The unacceptable alternative is scapegoating, resentment, and building walls that will never hold back large populations moving from war-torn and increasingly unlivable places in the world. In spite of "climate denial," the fearful awareness of these already existing mass movements due to climate change is an underlying impetus among the fearful for not banning guns.
If we don't develop a critical mass of people devoted to worldwide altruism, we will all perish in an unlivable planet.
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@snowy owl
Maybe the point is that we have built a world subordinate to the needs of the elite, and there is no "we" ... and maybe the priority is to realize that and try to bring us all together in ways such that there can be a "we" a global community or family that is not all about war or defense and shoving marginalized people around so we can take what should be their rights and resources.
17
@Bruce
Hi Bruce. I agree completely
quoting @snowy owl:
"If we don't develop a critical mass of people devoted to worldwide altruism, we will all perish in an unlivable planet."
I agree. It's a lofty goal and a very steep climb, likely to be fraught by misstep and setbacks. Nonetheless it's the aspiration responsible for the great humanitarian progress we've made over the past several centuries including advancements in science that, to date, have saved 100's of millions of lives.
It's the long game.
6
Research does seem to accurately measure attitudes on the two side. But how many people does each camp represent? Is the Trump camp 35% of the population with everyone else on the other side?
12
@Cheryl Woodard
We only hear about Trump's frightening 30%.
What about the rest of us 70%ers?
Last time I checked we outnumber the Trump supporters 2 to 1.
Two things stand out from this research. Where are the pocket book issues that supposedly matter to everyone? Apparently impeachment overrides consideration of economics. Second, almost all surveys of this kind fail to answer the question why they think that way. It reads like a list of political talking points for both sides so where are these people getting their information?
10
This is interesting and seems useful. A more difficult to measure but perhaps even more useful survey would be to see to what degree Democrats and Republicans use separate fact bases, as opposed to having different basic priorities. For example, perhaps most people are concerned about the possibility of climate change. If you accepted the general truth of virtually all scientists on this subject, you would be in favor of taking measures to reduce CO2 release. However, if you accepted the general notion that virtually all scientists and non-Republican politicians were part of a vast conspiracy to falsify the truth, then you would be more concerned about a possible ice age.
Having groups with different fact bases can be a difficult problem, especially if the "fact" streams have diverged for a long time. When people see certain ideas reinforced over a period of years, they give those ideas greater weight. I think that it is useful to look at cases of that, such as people who grew up in East Germany or under Stalin in Russia. Both express a stubborn nostalgia for the world they grew up in. Another is the anti-vaxxer community, whose fact base was thoroughly debunked recently but only after a period of years.
14
@Grindelwald
Valid point, but those in East Germany ... after whatever happened to the Soviet bloc ( do we really know? ) got herded into a system that does not acknowledge them as citizens with rights and merely points to the West as the model ... it seems like going from an imperfect and even corrupt socialist system to an antisocial-ist system that tossed groups aside whenever it is convenient. The whole point of human civilization should be the safety and security and community of all ... but that is hardly what happened.
3
Well, there really are only *two* issues that truly matter. Climate change, and the risk of nuclear war. Regarding the latter, I think it is sheer madness that people are not al all concerned about the very real possibility that a nuclear war will destroy human civilization and most life on Earth. And somehow people don't trust politicians and the government to manage a national healthcare system, but they do unthinkingly trust politicians and the government to control an arsenal of weapons that can kill all of us within half an hour. And if you study the history, over a sufficiently long period of time, the odds of a political miscalculation or a technical errot leading to a nuclear war begin to approach certainty. Not today, not tomorrow, but in ten, twenty, maybe a hundred years. Compared to this, arguing about slave reparations etc etc is madness.
56
@Mark Nuckols - Nuclear war is a possibility, on-going, anthropogenic environmental destruction is an existential certainty.
61
"Regarding the latter, I think it is sheer madness that people are not al all concerned about the very real possibility that a nuclear war will destroy human civilization and most life on Earth."
Count me OUT of that unconcerned group, if only because I'm shocked the loser hasn't already used the football against a Sane European country out of spite for their "socialist" healthcare and to distract from his own impeachment situation. I just KNOW he will, or that he even already has and our media hasn't bothered to record and report the mushroom cloud, too busy trying to get themselves "embedded" with the White House or the military at any contractual cost to journalistic freedom.
Funny how widespread facial recognition, security cameras, and frisky thug-cops vanish around the loser's emotional support rallies and wherever pro-birthers, Obama birthers, neo-Nazis, and the vile GOP infest. Where are they when we NEED them?!
2
@Mark Nuckols Unfortunately, you are shouting into the wind. Humans are not very good at facing existential threats in a rational way. The idea that we can, and must, change our ways to combat climate change is too big for most people to wrap their heads around. It is much simpler to deny, believe there is nothing you can do that will have an impact, or to think we are too far gone and just ignore what is coming. We want to believe that someone else will fix it or that future technology will help us deal with it. We don't want to think about the hundreds of millions of people who will die from our collective inaction...I can acknowledge all of this on some level, but my monkey brain is still going to let me drive home instead of crushing me with guilt for not biking.
There might be some irony in your mentioning climate change and nuclear war. There has always been a part of my gut that has told me that the quick and dirty response to climate change will be to attempt to offset it with a small nuclear winter. It is an idea that would certainly lead to disaster...but it will probably be seen as the best 'solution' after we continue to make things worse. The scientists who warn of its folly will be ignored just as the scientists who warn of climate change are ignored. If it weren't for all of the innocents who'd be doomed, it'd be a fitting end to us who are guilty.
2
Great article and study concept. I don't have any argument with the findings, just curious about other aspects. Note the charts only shows what >50% of respondents agree on. Can we see a chart that shows the survey as a whole, with a combination of Democrats, Republicans, Independents and others? And perhaps a dynamic chart that shows how opinions are changing over this dynamic time period?
8
There's no mention of how independents stand in the survey. Also, the federal debt and the budget deficit aren't even listed as an issue.
87
@Accordion
There are some issues that don't appear to have a converse in the charts, which makes me assume we are not seeing a complete data-set, but just those issues significant enough to be clearly partisan. Highly likely your topics were addressed, but were not consistently partisan or important in the survey...but good questions!
9
@Accordion Apparently the one area of bipartisan consensus these days is that deficits and debt don't matter. We are all doomed.
3
Imagine a candidate seeking to use this data to develop a priority issues list that had maximum potential to appeal ACROSS party lines. What priorities offer enough repub/dem consensus that the imaginary candidate could formulate and run on a legislative program that incorporated them? NYT should help this dreamer by recharting the data for consensus.
1