The 2020 election has been bitterly contested, but it is unlikely that people will be able to unify after it is all over, a new poll suggests.
In a new Washington Examiner/You Gov poll conducted ahead of Election Day, a stunning 73% of those polled believe that the country would be “fundamentally changed for the worse” if their candidate loses, compared to just 10% who say things would merely get worse (but not in a fundamental way) and 4% who say the country will not get worse or better.
The results were even more stark when the numbers are broken down by party, with 79% of Democrats and 78% of Republicans saying that the country will fundamentally change for the worse if their guy loses.
Though it’s quite typical during an election for both parties to portray in dire terms the risks of their opponent winning, the contrast has been especially dramatic this time around.
Democrats fear that if President Trump were reelected, it would embolden him, removing the one remaining check and allowing him to smash even more norms. Republicans are worried not just that Joe Biden might raise taxes or pursue typical Democratic policies, but that his election would empower the far Left and lead to structural changes, such as nuking the filibuster to advance radical goals or packing the courts.
Depending on what happens on Tuesday, a significant percentage of the country is going to be not just disappointed but fearful that the United States will no longer be recognizable in another four years.
