Brent Stirton, Getty Images
A CBS poll released on New Year’s weekend shows that four in 10 Democrats consider Republicans to be the “enemy” rather than just political opposition, and one that threatens their “entire way of life.”
Even more Republicans feel that way about Democrats. And the numbers are higher still among ideological liberals and conservatives.
The CBS News/YouGov survey included questions on how people feel about the events of Jan. 6, 2021 a year later, including what word or phrase best describes what took place. One question, asked of each party about the other, could say a lot about just how divided Americans will remain in the weeks and months ahead.
The survey found that 43% of Democrats feel Republicans are not simply political rivals but genuine enemies who pose a real threat to their way of life. One year on from the Capitol breach, 57% of Democrats think of Republicans as simply “political opposition.”
When you look at the results by ideology it climbs, with 51% of self-identifying Democrats who are liberals
Republicans felt the same way about Democrats by 48% to 52%. That is, approximately half of Republicans consider Democrats a threat, and half think only that Democrats would prevent Republicans from achieving policy goals.
Looking at the right by ideology, 50% of self-identifying Republicans who are conservatives selected “enemy” to describe Democrats, and 50% went with simply “political opposition.
It’s not all bad news, said CBS in its own article about the poll, writing that, “not all partisans think of the opposition as enemies threatening their way of life. Those who do tend to be more ideological, though.” CBS also notes that “few Americans favor the idea” of a so-called “national divorce.”
So there’s that.