To any outsider looking in, it might seem like America is so divided politically that they couldn’t ever dream of working together to solve their collective issues. Ever since Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States, headlines have been full of nationwide protests, cries of the resistance, and showdowns between Donald Trump and the political media.
But what someone who isn’t a very keen observer from within the United States might not know is, when it comes right down to it, all most Americans want is for the left and the right to work together. According to a survey reported from The Hill, a total of 73% of voters want to see Democrats work with the President, while 32% say Trump should work with Democrats.
This essentially means that both sides – Republican and Democrat – want to see more bi-partisan efforts taking place.
When looking at just Democrats, 52% say Democrats should work with Trump while 48% say Trump should work with Democrats. Among Republicans, 48% say Trump should compromise while 52% say Trump shouldn’t waver.
This could be very good news ultimately for the hope that Americans politics can begin to shift out of the partisan gridlock it has been in for more than a decade. Democrats say there are certain issues Trump has discussed which they believe they can find common ground on.
Senate Minority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer (NY) says he was optimistic about the President backing that would invest $1 trillion in infrastructure. He said at a news conference:
“We have heard Mr. Trump’s talk of disaster and third-world infrastructure, and we agree something must be done. So we hope the President will join us.”
One person who is very optimistic about what the poll had to say is the co-director of the poll himself, Mark Penn. He says the poll came up with very surprising results for both Republicans and Democrats: “This shows that voters want Trump and Democrats to compromise, and if they don’t, they both may pay a heavy price with the electorate.”
If the two sides cannot manage to come together to compromise on a plan to move the nation forward, it may make room for another force to make gains in the 2018 midterm election.
But the current political forces in the arena now are poised to make this difficult. With grassroots Democrats staunchly opposing many of the efforts of the Trump administration, and with grassroots Republicans fed up with the Democrats endless protests, the playing field is fairly divided. Democrats are currently too busy trying to figure out how to respond to angry constituents who want to see president Trump impeached to begin making inroads with Republicans to work together where there is agreement.
However, there have been congressional Democrats who say they hope to work together with Trump in areas where he has focused the most on social programs and support systems for the American people. When it comes to renegotiating trade deals, rebuilding infrastructure and protecting Medicare and Medicaid, many Democrats, such as Democratic primary presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, had his back.
Can Democrats and Trump’s Republican Party transcend political divide and actually work together to create policy to advance the United States together? The next few years will answer the question.
