POLL: More Voters Say the Press Has Divided The Country
The Thursday before Election Day is usually the start of a polling avalanche. People get paid a lot of money to predict the outcome of Tuesday's results, no matter the accuracy or in accuracy of their predictions. Pollsters all have their eyes on this poll, showing Americans claiming both Donald Trump and the media have divided the country. But look at who Americans blame more:
In the new Morning Consult/Politico poll, 64 percent of registered voters said the press has done more to divide the country than unite it since Trump took office, compared with 56 percent who said the same was true of the president.
In common math parlance, this roughly translates to: Americans think the press is more polarizing than Trump.
When it comes to independent voters, 67% blame the media, 54% blame Trump. Yes, more Democrats than Republicans blame Trump for being politically divisive. But 50% of Democrats also blame the media for being politically divisive. So there's that.
No, it's not time to pop open the champagne. If you're concerned about the greater health of the country, this is a pretty bad poll. When two important institutions can't break 30% approval of the country, we've got some issues.
But media telling us to soul search about how divided our country is, when a great many people in the country blame that same media for the divide...
News directors across the country should take a hard look in their mirrors (see Don Lemon: "We Have to Stop Marginalizing Groups. White Men are the Problem!" and CNN Guest Says Donald Trump Has Radicalized More People Than ISIS). Here's a hint: people shrugging about Donald Trump maybe too busy directing their rage at media, who is telling them to direct their rage at Trump. Christopher Nolan has the film rights to Media Rage-ception. This time, Leo DiCaprio really gets raped by a bear. Which is actually Rosie O'Donnell in a pink pussy costume.