Politics ‘driving Democrats mad’: Axios poll

The 2020 election appears to be affecting the emotions of one party in particular.

“Politics are driving Democrats mad. More than 70% of Democrats say politics is making them increasingly angry about America, leaving them feeling like strangers in their own land,” said an Axios on HBO poll released Monday.

“Democrats say nearly everything they watch, read or listen to triggers their anger, even the soothing voices of NPR. The big picture: Americans, as a whole, are just plain mad and feeling like strangers in their own land, though a lower percentage of Republicans describe themselves as angry (57% compared to 74% of Democrats) or feeling like a stranger (52% compared to 71% of Democrats),” the poll analysis said.

Everybody appears peeved, however.

The poll also found that 58% of the respondents reported that their friends, family and co-workers “seem angrier” than five years ago. Another 83% of Americans who discuss politics several times a day report feeling angry at least once a day over something they heard or read in the news.

But the poll also revealed that despite the woes of a cranky citizenry, people are paying attention — which has its merits.

“Turns out, this is the bipartisan era of rage and estrangement, fueled by rising interest in American politics,” the analysis said.

The poll of 2,811 U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 17-20. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.