Polls Show Strong Backing For Principles

Democrats and Republicans.  Biden backers and Trump backers.  White suburban women and black urban males.

In virtually every demographic and political category, two-thirds of voters said in a nationwide public opinion poll conducted in the days leading up to the election that they are “totally comfortable” with the 10 Principles to Unite America.

The survey is a repeat of one taken in early June on the days of the memorial service for George Floyd and slightly modified from one done in May as the nation debated reopening in the midst of the pandemic. The polls were conducted by SurveyUSA of separate sets of 1,500 registered voters each.

The overall percentages came out exactly the same in October as they did in June. In each, 65% of all respondents said they were totally comfortable with the principles, 30% somewhat comfortable, and the remaining 5% either not comfortable or not sure.  In sum, 95% are at some level comfortable with the principles.

In both polls, the percentages held regardless of political affiliation.  In the latest rendition, 65% of Republicans, 68% of Democrats, and 61% of independents said they were totally comfortable.

The most recent survey was undertaken to correlate the results with the race for president.  In this particular poll, which was in the field from Oct. 15 through Oct. 20, Joe Biden led Donald Trump by seven percentage points nationwide.  But when it came to the principles, 65% of Trump backers and 70% of Biden backers were totally comfortable with them.

The near-equal results held across gender, education level, income, religion, and urbanicity.  So for instance, 68% of black urban males and 66% of white suburban females were totally comfortable with the principles.

The only noticeable fall-off from those figures occurs among young adults, Asian-Americans and Native Americans, all of whom hover in the neighborhood of 50% totally comfortable.  Virtually all the remainder registered themselves somewhat comfortable.

In the case of each of those groups as well as Hispanics, there was a lower comfort level in October than in June, indicating perhaps their particular unease with events of the past four months.

Most of those polled understand that the principles are meant to be aspirational.  Two-thirds (67%) said they portray what the country could be.  Only 26% said they represent what the country already has achieved.

In addition to the overall evaluation of the 10 principles as a set of ideals, respondents were also asked their level of agreement with each of the principles taken individually.

Here again, the results in October mirrored June.  The 10 principles enjoy strong agreement ranging from 62% up to 80%.  Most everyone else “somewhat agrees” with them.  The figures remained virtually the same June to October for almost all of them.  The biggest change was a mere three percentage points.

The comfort levels with the 10 Principles to Unite America are consistent!