The most stunning may be a new Public Policy Polling survey that showed that 13 percent of Tea Party voters think that violence against the current American government is justified, versus 6 percent of Republicans, and 5 percent of Democrats.
A whopping 17 percent of voters age 18-29 said they thought that violence against the current American government is justified, the very demographic from which alleged Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner sprang.
Interestingly, results across the next two demographic groups were consistent at 3 percent, with a jump to 8 percent for voters over 65. Several new polls reflect the mood of the country: CNN released a new poll this weekend on attitudes towards the Arizona shooting, and the majority, 54 percent, think it very or somewhat likely that incendiary or violent rhetoric and imagery could cause a future incident similar to the Arizona shooting.
Meanwhile, Americans are almost exactly split, 48-49, on whether rhetoric caused that shooting in particular.
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that the majority questioned believes the political climate was not to blame for this specific shooting, but the public is split 49-49 on the broader question of whether the climate can cause violence.
On Sarah Palin’s reaction to the Arizona shootings, voters may not think she deserves any blame for the shootings but also don’t think her response was appropriate.
Forty percent think her eight-minute speech, released the same day as the president’s memorial address in Tucson, was inappropriate. Less than one third, 27 percent found it appropriate, and many Republicans are unsure.
Also, Sarah Palin’s accusation that journalists engaged in “blood libel” by allegedly blaming her for the shooting appears to have been a flop — even among Republicans.
Republicans say the media handled the shooting better than Palin did, according to a breakdown of a new Washington Post poll.
Several political observers here say this shows yet again the degree to which Palin squandered a major opportunity to improve her image. If Palin had taken the high road, she might have ended up looking even more wronged by whoever it is that sought to link her to the shooting, and she could have emerged with the moral high ground.
As for the reaction to President Obama — 71 percent approved of his handling of the shooting, which included Republicans, more than 20 points higher than the 48 percent who approved of Palin’s handling of it.
Evaluations of President Obama’s handling of the Jan. 8 tragedy are highly positive across the political spectrum, with nearly eight in 10 giving him high marks for his response to the incident. A robust 71 percent of Republicans say they approve of his leadership following the shootings.
The strong reviews of the president’s response to the Arizona incident — which included giving a prime-time eulogy at a memorial service for the victims — have helped boost Obama’s overall approval rating to its highest point since last April. Fully 54 percent of all Americans now approve of the way he is handling his job as president, while 43 percent disapprove.
The president has matched his highest approval rating in more than a year, according to the new ABC News/Washington Post poll.
A CNN poll echoed the same results this week, with 53 percent of Americans approving Obama’s job performance.
After calls from leaders in both major parties to temper the discourse after the shootings, Americans are hopeful that Obama and the Republicans in Congress will be able to work together this year on important issues. In the new poll, 55 percent said they are optimistic that the two sides will do so, up seven percentage points from an ABC News-Yahoo News survey taken just before the massacre.
