Despite all the misread tea leaves by pollsters ahead of the Nov. 8 election, one pre-election poll offered signals about the influences affecting the choices of Republicans and Democrats as well as the ever-important independents who now dominate national election results. Americans headed into the election deeply concerned about rising political violence and feared an upswing in the months following last week's vote.
In spite of eye-popping spectacles of right-wing violence — including the Oct. 24 hammer attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection — only a slight plurality of respondents in a Nov. 2 Washington Post-ABC News poll believed Republicans were solely responsible for the current climate. Most respondents said that both parties are to blame.
Asked if political tensions have reached the point that there’s an increased risk of violence, a whopping 88% said they were very or somewhat concerned. Republicans were blamed by 31% or respondents versus 25% who blamed Democrats, while 32% blamed both parties equally.
