Plenty of recent polling has provided Democrats reasons for optimism lately as House Republicans double down on a wildly unpopular agenda that almost completely ignores voters' priorities.
Unfortunately, the inaugural Daily Kos/Civiqs poll of 2023 provides a sobering counterpoint, revealing some of the challenges facing Democrats over the next election cycle.
Often times, I explore just one or two pieces of data from the cobranded monthly survey, but this month I was struck by a series of results suggesting much of the country is even more deluded than pro-democracy, pro-science, pro-reality voters would like to admit.
Let's walk through some numbers related to the pandemic, Ukraine, and investigations.
COVID-19
Q: Some people claim that the coronavirus vaccine never actually worked to slow the spread of the virus. Do you agree or disagree?
- Agree: 37%
- Disagree: 51%
- Don't know enough to say: 10%
- Unsure: 3%
It's not the 37% that disappoints here—that was predictable. But 51%? Really, only a bare majority of registered voters think the vaccines worked?
Q: Some people claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to President Biden, lied to Congress about the origins of COVID-19. Do you agree or disagree?
- Agree: 45%
- Disagree: 43%
- Don't know enough to say: 10%
- Unsure: 2%
A 45% plurality of registered voters believe Fauci lied to Congress about the origins of the pandemic.
Q: Some people claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to President Biden, unnecessarily harmed American schools and businesses by overhyping the threat of COVID-19. Do you agree or disagree?
- Agree: 46%
- Disagree: 48%
- Don't know enough to say: 4%
- Unsure: 2%
Near parity on whether or not Fauci overhyped the threat of a global pandemic that has infected more than 100 million Americans, resulting in over a million deaths.
Ukraine
Q: Some people claim that the funding that the United States is sending to Ukraine in its war with Russia is corrupt and needs to be audited. Do you agree or disagree?
- Agree: 45%
- Disagree: 36%
- Don't know enough to say: 16%
- Unsure 3%
A 45% plurality agree the United States might be corruptly funding Ukraine in its fight for freedom and self-determination.
Law and Order
Q: Some people claim that under President Biden, the Justice Department has been unfairly targeting conservative protesters, families, and small businesses. Do you agree or disagree?
- Agree: 44%
- Disagree: 47%
- Don't know enough to say: 7%
- Unsure: 1%
Again, not even a majority of Americans reject the notion that the Biden administration is unfairly targeting and investigating conservatives.
Ah, but a majority for this...
Q: Do you think that Congress should investigate Hunter Biden's laptop?
- Yes: 51%
- No: 41%
- Unsure: 8%
I pay pretty close attention to issue polling, the mood of voters, focus groups, and the like, and yet I found many of the results in this survey surprisingly heavy on anti-science MAGA extremism.
If this poll accurately reflects voters' basic mindset on matters of science, sovereignty, and justice, then Democrats have a lot of truth-telling to do over the next year in preparation for the ‘24 presidential contest.
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