Poll Finds Democrats and Republicans Disagree on Importance of Morality for Political Candidates

Poll Finds Democrats and Republicans Disagree on Importance of Morality for Political Candidates

Nine in 10 Democrats and Republicans say extramarital affairs are morally wrong, according to the latest poll from Economist/YouGov.

The poll also said that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to look past the immoral acts of presidential candidates.

The new poll falls in line with an October 1998 CBS News poll, albeit this time, with Democrats being willing to give a pass to their candidates. The 1998 poll showed that while three in four Republicans wanted President Bill Clinton to be punished for his sexual behavior while in office, some 56 percent of Democrats said the issue should be dropped.

Today, Republicans seem to be extending the same tolerance to President Donald Trump, who has been divorced twice. Recently, adult film actress Stormy Daniels claimed that she had an affair with Trump in 2006 while he was married to his wife Melania.

In the latest poll, half of Republicans said it is okay to vote for someone who has done immoral acts and more than half reported that doing so was not hypocritical.

Republicans also said the affair allegation were of “very little importance.”

Where Republicans and Democrats also seem to differ is what exactly is an immoral act.

Majorities in both parties seem to agree that gambling, alcohol use and interracial marriage are morally acceptable.

But parties disagree on other hot topic issues, such as the death penalty, abortion and gay and lesbian relationships.

About two in three Democrats say abortion is morally acceptable, while more than 75 percent of Republicans do not.

Other findings of the poll include:

• 88 percent of Republicans say human cloning is morally wrong. 75 percent of Democrats believe the same.
• 58 percent of Republican believes hunting animals for sport is morally wrong, while 82 percent of Democrats say it’s morally wrong.
• 59 percent of Republicans say premarital sex is morally wrong, while 27 percent believe the same.
• 68 percent of Republicans say gay/lesbian sex is morally wrong, while 29 percent say the same.

Photo courtesy: Religion News Service

Publication date: March 21, 2018