Log in
Aaron Siever has always cast his vote across party lines.
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Siever → log → lines
Yet the 41-year-old resident of southwest Virginia finds himself increasingly exasperated by a two-party system that he believes achieves little beyond assigning mutual blame.
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he → find → blame
"There's so much turmoil," said Siever, a former police officer who now guides Civil War battlefield tours.
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who → be → tours
"It really messes up chances of getting anything done.
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anything → mess → chances
It gets really disgusting."
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It → get → ?
Heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, voters have expressed widespread discontent with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll indicates.
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poll → head → Research
Over a matter of months, Democrats have established a distinct lead on key issues including healthcare and the cost of living.
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Democrats → establish → living
However, the findings highlight a deeper issue facing the wider political establishment: few registered voters believe either party possesses the capacity to address major challenges or support ordinary Americans.
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party → highlight → Americans
This pervasive cynicism poses a significant hurdle for both Democrats and Republicans, regardless of who takes control of Congress.
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who → pose → Congress
While dissatisfaction with Republicans continues to escalate, the electorate shows little confidence that Democrats hold a lasting remedy for the nation's difficulties.
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Democrats → continue → difficulties
Democrats have gained on key issues, survey shows
Voters give Democrats the advantage when it comes to which party would be better to handle the cost of living, an issue that has proved to be a weak spot for Trump.
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that → gain → Trump
The survey finds that 38% of registered voters say the Democrats would be better for costs, compared with 27% who say that about the Republicans.
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who → find → Republicans
The issue was about evenly split among U.S. adults in February, with about 3 in 10 saying each party would be better.
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party → split → February
Democrats have also gained ground on the economy.
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Democrats → gain → economy
About 4 in 10 registered voters now pick the Democrats, compared with 26% of U.S. adults in February.
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voters → register → February
These shifts are good news for Democratic candidates who are hammering an increasingly unpopular president — and by extension, his party.
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who → hammer → president
Few Americans approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, and views of his performance on the economy are only a little better.
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views → approve → economy
Voters appear to view Republicans, in particular, as focused on the wealthy.
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Voters → appear → wealthy
The survey finds that about 6 in 10 registered voters say the phrase "focused on helping rich and powerful people" describes the Republican Party "extremely" or "very" well.
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phrase → find → Party
Only about 3 in 10 registered voters say the same about the Democratic Party.
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voters → register → Party
Few voters think either party is focused on people like them
While voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with Republicans, the survey indicates that voters have relatively little confidence Democrats have their problems in mind.
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Democrats → think → mind
Democrats are less likely to be described as corrupt or focused on the wealthy than are Republicans, but not more likely to be seen as focused on ordinary people or capable of solving problems.
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Republicans → describe → problems
Only about 2 in 10 registered voters say that "able to solve important problems" or "focused on helping people like me" describes the Democratic Party "extremely" or "very" well.
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able → register → Party
That is similar to the percentages who say this about the GOP.
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who → say → GOP
Democrats are out of power in Washington, and that may contribute to the perception that they are unable to get traction in solving problems.
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they → contribute → problems
In the last year alone, the federal government partially shut down twice for weeks because of partisan disputes in Congress over spending on healthcare and immigration enforcement.
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government → shut → healthcare
Despite Democratic majorities early in Democratic President Joe Biden's administration, the party did not achieve its goals on key priorities such as abortion rights, voting rights and raising the minimum wage.
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party → achieve → wage
Siever is frustrated by what he sees as a commitment to partisanship in Congress at the expense of progress at a time when consumers are paying higher prices for daily necessities such as groceries and gasoline.
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consumers → frustrate → groceries
Driving around the region to lecture and guide tours, his travel costs have soared and led him to raise his prices.
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costs → drive → prices
"I've really become tired of the idea that, if you're in this party, you have to be loyal to this but, if you're in that party, you have to be loyal to that," he said.
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he → become → that
"There's big problems and neither side seems able to fix them."
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side → be → them
Meanwhile, 55% of registered voters say the Republican Party is "too extreme."
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Party → register → voters
Some 45% say the same about the Democratic Party.
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% → say → Party
Democrats are divided on their party's path forward
Voters overall do not see an abundance of moderate sentiment in either party.
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Voters → divide → party
But they are more likely to say Democrats are "too moderate" than Republicans — a reflection of the lack of unity within Democratic Party about its strategy.
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Democrats → say → strategy
Slightly fewer than half of Democratic voters say their party is "too moderate," while a similar share say it is "about right."
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it → say → voters
That is a sharp contrast with Republican voters, who mostly say their party is "about right."
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party → say → voters
Voters such as Meagan Ludwig of Milwaukee illustrate the party discontent that has emerged in Wisconsin and other closely contested states this year.
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that → illustrate → Wisconsin
Ludwig, a 41-year-old real estate broker, voted for democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary for governor in August, arguing the candidate seemed more committed to a policy agenda aimed at helping working families than Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Crowley won the primary by a half percentage point — roughly 3,800 votes — illustrating Democrats' soul-searching in the Upper Midwestern swing state.
In the November general election, Ludwig is "reluctant," but plans to vote for Crowley rather than Republican Tom Tiffany, a congressman.
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Ludwig → vote → Tiffany
Ludwig hopes that Crowley, if elected, perceives the discontent about his party.
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Crowley → hop → party
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
