A good piece of advice during the campaign season was to look at every poll as a push poll. Were you concerned about things turning violent after the election? A poll that made the front page banner headline of USA Today shared the news that most Americas were.
And then, not quite in the manner suggested by the story, there was violence after the election, as #NotMyPresident protesters rioted in Portland and elsewhere.
Fortunately for everyone’s sanity, news outlets eased up on the polls after the election, but USA Today is back with another poll showing that President-elect Trump “has not yet made progress in uniting [the] USA.” That’s a damn shame, seeing as the entire country had overcome its differences right up until Trump declared his candidacy and ruined everything.
Wait one lousy minute: USAToday reports one month BEFORE Trump becomes president he has yet to unite the country https://t.co/um7z9Oe161
— Andrew Malcolm (@AHMalcolm) December 22, 2016
Trump's full term will consist of MSM using every perceived slight 2 denigrate him. Consider source & disregard.
— Mark Otto (@TeachNotGive) December 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/Dr_2A/status/811950075387777024
If there isn't a word for "negative honeymoon" we're going to need to invent one.
— Contends Settled Due to Shipping (@Contendment) December 22, 2016
Why wait to report when it’s clear right now that he’s made little progress in uniting a divided nation? The poll of 1,000 registered voters shows that a whopping 38 percent of people describe themselves as “alarmed” about Trump taking office, while a mere 38 percent say they are “hopeful.” Additionally, 16 percent said they were “excited” … maybe excited as in being chased by hordes of zombies excited? It doesn’t specify.
Recommended
news flash, polls aren't news @USATODAY
— Gman (@jcatbbug) December 22, 2016
That’s just the poll, though. USA Today this week also features a column/how-to guide by Prof. John Inazu, “How to unite in spite of Trump.” Inazu advises against lazy thinking and envisioning in political opponents the face of evil. He writes:
None of this is meant as a defense of Trump. His cruelty toward women, African Americans, immigrants, Muslims, Mexicans, and the disabled (among others) has deeply harmed our civic aspirations. He will enter the office as the least qualified person ever to hold it. And since the election, his erratic Twitter diplomacy, eggshell reactions to late-night comedy and undisciplined remarks have done little to assuage skeptics of his judgment and temperament.
There’s more, but we already feel more united than we have since President Obama hosted that very first beer summit.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member