December 20, 2022
“Commonalities and Points of Concern” with the State of the U.S.
December 20, 2022 – A new survey released by More in Common U.S. reveals that a majority of Ohioans feel frustrated, exhausted, and disappointed toward America in the current political climate, with the majority (57%) feeling that they do not have a voice in the political conversation.
This survey is a follow up to a study that coined the term the “Exhausted Majority”, the two-thirds of Americans that are tired of division plaguing our politics, yet whose voices are often not present in our public discourse. This was a key group Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) attempted to leverage during his Senate campaign. While Ryan did not win, the data reveals that Ohioans echo many of the sentiments that define the “Exhausted Majority” around frustration with extremism and our overall political climate.
The findings uncover that there is an overall state of discontent among both parties. Most Ohioans think that extremists on both sides of the political spectrum present a threat to the U.S. (72%). A majority (55%) of Ohioans believe “some Americans on my side of the political spectrum are too extreme,” which is 11 points higher than the U.S. average. A common narrative around this year’s midterms was the success of candidates who reflected more of the views of the “Exhausted Majority” than those of the party’s “Wings” – the loudest and most extreme groups within each political party. In Ohio for example, Governor Dewine won almost 63% of the vote, outperforming other state-wide Republican candidates, which has been attributed in part to his ability to appeal to Ohioans across the political spectrum.
Our political conversations are often viewed through the lens of our most divisive groups, yet our data shows these conversations do not necessarily represent the majority of Ohioans and Americans, said Dan Vallone, U.S. director of More in Common. When the majority of Americans feel like they do not have a voice in our political conversation, it is up to all of us to find ways to better listen to one another and recognize the majority of us are exhausted with division.
More in Common is a research and civic nonprofit that studies the forces pulling Americans apart and works on efforts to bring Americans together. The Ohio Midterm survey results stem from interviews with a wide range of Ohio adults after the elections from November 10 to 24, 2022. The full report can be found here.
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About More in Common U.S.
More in Common U.S. is a non-partisan research and civic nonprofit that studies the forces pulling America apart, seeking to disrupt polarization and forge a stronger sense of what Americans have in common.