Cliff’s Take: Will Biden’s Call To Unity Resonate?
We’re just two days out from Biden taking office. Things already feel different, don’t they?
We still have a divided nation being ravaged by the pandemic. Addressing these core issues – our disunity and a global health crisis of historic magnitude – are both extremely tall orders for any new administration. How do you unify and mobilize at the same time? Maybe just doing that! Unification through mobilization.
Biden's inauguration speech hit the mark, if not the most moving of oratory experiences. He stressed unity and gave an empathetic frame to solutions for COVID. But beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. Unity can mean something very different depending on the frame. This will be a difficult ship to keep afloat.
Here is the most relevant data of the week.
- No honeymoon? President Biden begins his term with only middling approval ratings at best. Not too low, not too high. Are we skipping the honeymoon? Looks like it. Just another sign of our highly partisan times.
- Unity resonates, but… We are a nation divided but one that desperately wants to heal. Is Biden the one to mend us? He spoke often on Tuesday about unity. But our inauguration snap poll underscores that Republicans are still skeptical. Yes, the many shades of unity; the many shades of America.
- Marching orders. America’s priorities for Biden are clear. Tackle the coronavirus pandemic above all else. In second place, “unify the country.” Both are exceedingly tall orders, but some glimmers of hope. All Americans—red, blue, and purple—are tired of the division and acrimony. That’s a start.
- Red wars. Trump the greater divider. Our polling with Axios finds that 36% of Republicans identify as “Trump supporters” while 56% as “traditional Republicans.” What will happen to the Grand Old Party? Will it survive Trump? We will see.
- The many Americas. We often see America in binary terms—red, blue; black, white; rich, poor. This framing does America a grave injustice---there are many more gradations than just 1’s and 0’s. Look at the data! The cleavage in the Republican party is real.
Post-inauguration, we have a chance to begin anew. But will it stick? We will see.
As always, be safe, be sane.
For more information, please contact:
Clifford Young
President, U.S.
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2016
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is now the third largest market research company in the world, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data coming from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.
“Game Changers” — our tagline — summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients to navigate more easily our deeply changing world.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP
