NASHVILLE – Tennessee Republicans and Democrats evidently occupy parallel universes when it comes to a number of top issues and concerns, ranging from whether the 2020 election was “stolen” by Democrat and now-President Joe Biden to questions on whether the COVID-19 pandemic is largely over or not, according to a newly released Vanderbilt University survey of 1,000 registered voters.
Race relations, including a question on whether Black residents continue to grapple with the legacy of slavery, revealed yet another largely partisan divide, according to the statewide poll, conducted May 3-20 by Vanderbilt’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. The overall survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9%.
Splits include a view held by 71% of Republicans and 30% of independents who said they agreed with the statement that “Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election.” Just 5 percent of Democrats did.
Former President Donald Trump has insisted the election was rigged against him for months, even though his claims were rejected by state officials, the courts, the Electoral College, his own administration and eventually Congress – which acted to certify the results amid a Capitol breach by a violent mob of Trump supporters.
“This is a remarkable number – that the vast majority of a political party feels the other party is illegitimate, despite the lack of any evidence,” said Dr. Josh Clinton, a Vanderbilt political science professor and co-director of Vanderbilt’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions.