During his Election Night speech last November, Donald Trump said it was time to “bind the wounds of division,” and called for the nation to “come together” in the wake of his stunning victory.
But Ohio’s partisan divide, which widened during last year’s bruising presidential election, has persisted into the early weeks of Trump’s presidency, according to a new statewide survey.
The Baldwin Wallace University poll found Republicans and Democrats to be near mirror images on any number of issues, ranging from their views on Trump’s immigration policies, to trust in the mainstream media, to support for Trump’s major policy proposals and the president himself.
And maybe more tellingly, 55 percent of respondents said most people they know supported the same candidate as they did.
“I think if the partisan rift was exacerbated by the Affordable Care Act in 2010, this election only deepened that rift between Republicans and Democrats,” said Lauren Copeland, a BW political scientist who oversaw the poll, which was designed by students.
But likewise, the survey also found that Trump so far has failed to consolidate support among self-identified Independent voters, who make up nearly one-third of those who responded. This contributed to Trump having an overall slightly negative favorability rating, despite the “honeymoon effect” that’s typically enjoyed by presidents in the early days of their administration.
Tom Sutton, another BW political scientist, said Trump’s ideas during the election were divisive, and they continue to be divisive as he attempts to implement them.
“Really, I think what you’re seeing is the political dynamics of the state really have not changed since before the election,” he said.
Despite Trump’s relative lack of popularity, very few respondents reported they would have changed their vote. And while Trump may be personally unpopular, the survey found signs of optimism and support for what Trump might do as president.
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