New research explains a lot...We really don't agree on anything politically (Democrats & Republicans):
Bottom Line: Any way you slice it we couldn't be farther apart politically. If men are from Mars and women are from Venus - I think it's likely that the Democrats have truly gone through the wormhole with Morgan Freeman (it's a TV show reference if that didn't print). Anyway, Pew Research Center is out with their latest takeaways on our collective view of the issues based on political persuasion. And we're never disagreed more.
Government should do more to help the needy:
- 71% of Democrats say yes
- 24% of Republicans agree
As an aside, where are we missing the boat on government support for the needy? We provide housing, healthcare, welfare, food, education & cell phones. Maybe fully paid vacations?
Racial Discrimination is the main reason why many black people can't get ahead these days:
- 64% of Democrats say yes
- 14% of Republicans say yes
People can get ahead if they work hard:
- 49% of Democrats say yes
- 77% of Republicans say yes
There are a number of other questions and examples but you get the idea. Even twenty years ago there were generally more common threads in terms of our general beliefs but that isn't the case today. It's hard to tell if it's the politicians that have driven people in different directions or educational/cultural factors. Regardless, the old saying that "there's more that unities us than divides us" sadly might not be true any longer. It also might explain all of the angst.