Facebook, Twitter, and Trump blamed for political division and ‘bad behavior’ – Washington Examiner
Facebook, Twitter, and Trump blamed for political division and ‘bad behavior’ Washington Examiner
Americans blame Facebook and Twitter most for the national incivility crisis, the latest criticism of the social platforms used by many to rant about politics.
The newly released Civility Poll, part of the respected Battleground Poll, found that partisans are united in blaming the websites for stirring an increase in “bad behavior in American politics.”
The survey found that 83% of registered likely voters hold Facebook and Twitter responsible for incivility, with 52% of Democrats, 52% of Republicans and 55% of independents calling the sites “very responsible.”
There was also political unity blaming “wealthy special interests” for the division, at 80%.
President Trump was third on the blame list in the survey sponsored by Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. Overall, 73% blamed Trump.
But partisans were widely divided. Some 86% of Democrats said that Trump was “very responsible” versus 16% of Republicans.
The Battleground Poll’s Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, of Lake Research Partners, highlighted Trump’s ties to many of sources the public slapped for today’s heated attitudes, including Fox News and Republican political leaders.
Independent voters especially, she said, “do tend to blame some of the Trump allies and Trump himself more so than the Democratic leadership.”
Republican pollster Ed Goaes said that Trump has “weaponized” Twitter with his over 11,000 tweets, many firing shots at critics in Congress and the media.
But he also said that Facebook is the public’s biggest target.
“When voters place blame on social media, the clear culprit is Facebook,” he said in his survey analysis.
“Voters may hear about the occasional uncivil outburst by President Trump on Twitter, but for many voters the daily grind of those friends or relatives who use Facebook as their personal political megaphone is driving their belief about the corrosive nature of social networks,” Goeas added.
