Shawn Griffiths
Photo Credit: Katelyn Perry / Unsplash
US voters are largely unhappy with the options the two major parties have given them in the 2024 presidential election. While Hillary Clinton says these voters need to get over themselves, Pew Research has found that she is talking to most of the country.
Pew released new polling Wednesday on how voters feel about the presidential election. It turns out they are still as unhappy about the rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump as they were going into the current cycle.
"A defining characteristic of the contest is that voters overall have little confidence in either candidate across a range of key traits, including fitness for office, personal ethics and respect for democratic values," Pew reports.
Pew surveyed nearly 9,000 US adults, including 7,166 registered voters. About two-thirds of respondents said they had little to no confidence in Biden's physical and mental fitness. Nearly the same number question Trump's ethics.
It is worth noting that these are two focus areas for both candidates in the media. Biden's age and mental fitness have been the subject of scrutiny by many. Trump's legal issues are even more front and center.
More voters are likely to view Trump's presidency through a positive lens. However, both presidencies are viewed as "poor" or "terrible" by nearly the same percentage of voters -- 50% on Biden and 47% on Trump.
And if given the option, half of voters (49%) would replace both candidates on the ballot. Sixteen percent (16%) said they would "keep Biden, replace Trump" while 18% said "keep Trump, replace Biden."
Only 15% said they are good with both candidates being on the ballot.
Pew notes that the desire to replace both candidates is largely seen among young voters. "Roughly two-thirds of voters under 30 say they would replace both Biden and Trump on the 2024 ballot," the report states.
While the poll divided respondents among "Trump supporters" and "Biden supporters," other polling and research shows that young voters are much more likely to be independent and/or independent-minded.
It is further evidence that voters are fed up with the candidates the major parties force on them each election cycle, and an increasing independent electorate wants change in a system controlled by two tone-deaf political corporations.
The parties have made it clear they are aware of how voters feel. Partisan officials and pundits have said they know how frustrated people are with the two-party system, but they should not express that frustration at the ballot box.
They know how much they have failed to represent the American electorate and provide for their interests and needs. They just don't care and have explicitly told voters to get over it and vote the way they want them to vote.