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WASHINGTON – This week's new NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll brings good news: Americans seem to be coming together around a common idea. It also brings bad news: the common idea is that we are a remarkably divided nation. And the way we perceive the forces behind divisions divides.
In the latest poll, eight in ten say they believe the country is "primarily" or "totally" divided. It is an 80% agreement on a single topic in a country divided 50/50 (or so) on a wide range of topics.
More striking in the data, the uniformity of feelings elicited by the divided nature of the nation. Among a wide range of groups – Democrats and Republicans, urban and rural, Clinton and Trump voters – over 70% of respondents said that the country was divided into a majority or all.
It's a really remarkable set of numbers. When polls seem to show a solid majority in 2018, the majority is falling apart when the numbers are divided into subgroups – Democrats think of one way and Republicans of another. But in this area, the agreement is valid.
And the political divisions of the country, in particular, have voters concerned. Nine out of ten respondents say the divisions between Democrats and Republicans are a serious problem for the country. Beyond that, 61% say that these divisions are a very serious problem.
Add it all up and these numbers suggest an electorate worn out by animosity and disagreement – an electorate that wants to end Washington's divisions. But before you prepare for a new era of common ground, you have to wonder why the country is so divided and that is where the shared convictions end.
The survey asked respondents who they blamed for the state of disunity of the nation and when you look at their responses as part of Donald Trump's presidency, sharp divisions emerge.
Among the 30% of respondents in the poll who strongly agree with President Trump's results, the divided nature of the nation is clearly questioned.
The "Democratic Party / Liberals" led the way with this group, as could be expected. The next on the list is the former president "Barack Obama". Trump supporters have also launched a slightly larger net. They accuse somehow "ignorance", "the media" and "the people / the general public of America". Some even go so far as to mention "Donald Trump," but overall there is a distinct partisan distribution. the list.
On the other side of the Trump divide, the 43% who strongly disapprove of President Trump's performance, we can see an even clearer picture.
The name of Donald Trump differs from all other options in the list of potential causes of this group. The "Republican / Conservative Party" follows the President, but no other answer is very high. It is a clearly blue vision of the disunity of the nation.
And of the 27% of respondents who do not approve or strongly disapprove of Trump's performance, the president is the main culprit, but his opponents also suffer.
President Trump is leading the way with this group, but the "Democratic / Liberal Party" is in second place. "The media" are also to blame and "tribalism" too.
Taken together, the numbers not only show how deep divisions are in American politics, but how difficult they will be to overcome.
According to them, voters have no doubt that the political dissensions in the country have become a serious and dangerous problem, but it is also the fault of the opposing party. In a very divided country, it is difficult to see how these attitudes lead to rapid resolution.
