Poll: Democrats are actually united. For now.
Democratic midterm voters feel less divided following their midterm sweep. But there are still notable cracks between progressives and moderates.
New POLITICO Poll data reveals that Democrats' long-standing ideological divisions have, for the moment, reached a détente. Nearly half of both progressives and moderates believe the party is now more unified since the election, according to a survey conducted last weekend. The party's recent midterms romp appears to have silenced the electability questions that fueled the ongoing standoff between factions.
Democrats are set to take control of Congress with the largest House majority in a century, with progressives flipping House districts and moderate candidates winning deep-red territory for the first time in decades.
Pete Giangreco, a veteran Democratic strategist, notes that the party's big tent is now coming into Congress, with voters wanting to see the results of their government. Despite this unity, cracks are already starting to emerge within Democrats' coalition, hinting at potential intraparty fights to come.
The poll shows that 78% of Democratic midterm voters believe bringing down the cost of living should be the top priority for the incoming Congress. However, Democrats disagree on the scope of their approach and the kind of presidential nominee they'd like to see. While 47% of midterm voters prefer major systemic reforms and government intervention to reduce inequality, 39% want pragmatic and targeted economic solutions.
Progressives are more likely to choose systemic reform, while moderates are split between systemic reform and targeted economic solutions.
Despite the internal disagreements, both progressives and moderates agree that voters want to elect fighters focused on cutting down high costs. Several potential White House aspirants are pushing for a public truce, emphasizing that factional infighting should take a backseat for now.
Written by urgent.news from POLITICO's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.