Horrified by the election? You’re not alone.
Eighty percent of likely voters nationwide are embarrassed by the presidential race, and 70 percent think it’s gotten so bad it will actually hurt the nation’s standing in the world, according to a Colby College-Boston Globe poll that found the cringe effect cuts across race, gender, income, and party affiliation.
As for who is to blame for the diminished civility, twice as many voters faulted Donald Trump as Hillary Clinton.
But for all the acrimony, division, and talk of violence the election has unleashed, a remarkable 93 percent of likely voters said that when the race is over, they want both sides to cool tempers, shake hands, and come together to confront the challenges ahead. That yearning for unity included Republicans and Democrats, and more than 90 percent of voters who support Trump — who pointedly refused to say during Wednesday night’s debate if he would accept the results on Nov. 8.
“There’s a nastiness fatigue,” said Daniel M. Shea, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at Colby, who oversaw the poll. “Americans know things are bad, and it’s worse than they’ve seen in generations, and they’ve had enough of it.”
In a striking shift from just a few years ago, 65 percent said it’s more important for politicians to compromise than to stand firm on principle — including about 50 percent of Republicans and Trump backers and about 80 percent of Democrats and Clinton supporters.
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