Judy: We are just three weeks
away from the start of a split
congress.
Lisa Desjardins takes stock of
what voters want to see from
this new congress and how they
view the two parties.
Lisa: Judy, a divided electorate
weighed in on the future of
democracy, compromise among
lawmakers and more in our latest
S newshour, NPR, and marist ll.
Here with me to talk about all
the findings is Lee miringoff.
He is the director of the marist
college institute for public
opinion and he runs this poll.
Let's jump right into it.
Following the election and ahead
of the January 6 select
committee's final report, we
asked Americans what they think
about any threat to democracy,
and 83% said yes, they do
believe there is a threat to
democracy, a serious one right
now.
We also asked them which
political party poses a greater
threat.
48% saying Republicans and 45%
saying Democrats.
How unusual are those numbers
and what do they tell you?
>> They reflect the times we
live in.
They see it as a serious
strength.
That has grown.
We have a lot of people who are
very concerned.
What is interesting and somewhat
surprising in this is the
comparability of the two
parties, the fact that both
Democrats and Republicans are
seen fairly equally as culpable
in all of this.
That has to do with if you are a
Democrat, you think the
Republicans are too extreme.
If you are a Republican, you
think the Democrats have gotten
to an extreme.
Your concerns about democracy
from both camps and Democrat
folks concerned about, you know,
January 6, and what happened at
the capitol, and on the
Republican side, it echoes
former president trump's rigged
elections and labels that people
are putting on more Progressive
Democrats.
Lisa: It sounds like concern is
rising but so is blamed for the
other guys.
We also ask what Americans think
about lawmakers in general.
We are just a few weeks ahead of
the new congress and some 58% of
those who responded that they
have no confidence that the two
parties can work together.
Look at that number at the
bottom.
Just 9% saying they have a lot
of confidence that the parties
can work together.
We also asked should the parties
be looking together?
74% of those we talked to said
yes.
Compromises more important than
standing on principle.
Those are big numbers also.
What do they say to you about us
? Those numbers have changed,
have they not?
Lee: It speaks to the
frustration people are feeling
in the process because they
really would like things to get
done and would like the
system to run smoother.
That 74% is the highest we have
had in a decade in terms of
people wanting bipartisan
compromise so people are
frustrated.
That is not news but it sure
shows in these numbers.
What is interesting, talking
about the last congress, we saw
that 24% think that they did
more than previous congress have
accomplished.
What I find interesting about
that is 24% isn't a huge number
but it is the highest since 1998
so people have actually noticed
that congress is accomplishing
things.
They would like more in the
direction of working together,
but they are totally not
convinced that that is likely to
occur and who can blame them
given the back and forth every
day we are seeing in our
politics coming out of the
capitol?
Judy: -- Lisa: Let's look at
president Biden's current
approval numbers.
48% disapproval in this poll.
That is a slight improvement for
him.
We also asked who do people want
as a 2024 presidential nominees?
35% of Democrats and democratic
leaning independents said
president Biden.
45% for those meeting Republican
said former president trump.
What does that tell you about
the mindset?
Neither one of these men has a
majority of those who lean their
way?
Lee: You have two frontrunners.
Neither of whom is commanding
their strengths within each of
their parties and I think, you
know, it speaks to this
plurality that both of them have
and raises the question of where
are we going to get the
leadership going back to the
congress?
People want things to move
forward and they want that to
happen at the national level and
clearly, in these numbers, that
may not be occurring.
I should mention also that when
you look at numbers like that,
what this speaks to is where is
everyone else going to go?
Where are the Democrats going to
go if president Biden does not
run?
Where are the Republicans going
to go?
How many Republicans ultimately
do get in a Donald Trump does
continue his candidacy, which he
indicates that he will? A
crowded field, he does better.
Remember 2016.
If it is just one or two people
running against him for the
Republican these numbers
suggest he would have a much
tougher battle.
Lisa: Americans are clearly
looking for leadership but they
may not have found the person or
people they believe can bring it
to them yet.
Director of the marist college
institute for public opinion,
thank you so much.
Lee: My pleasure.