Bill Maher Nails Why Trump Connects With Voters...and Dems Won't Like It
CNN Host: There's No Evidence That Obama or Biden Went After Trump
Virginia Dems Might Want to Correct This Statement Over the Sign That Attacked...
So, That's Why the University of South Carolina Had an Active Shooter Alert
All the Right People in Media Were Mad About John Bolton's Home Being...
Trump Won’t Let Pinko Jerks Who Hate America Define American History
Democrats Seem To Love Black Death
And Stay Out!
Should Men Cry In Front Of Women?
A Disturbing Number of People Have Signed Petition Supporting Illegal Trucker Accused of...
The Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock, and Cracker Barrel
The Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock, and Cracker Barrel
When 'Woke' Businesses Betray Their Customers
Israel is Not Committing Genocide in Gaza, Despite Hamas Terrorists’ Claims
Rising Anti-Semitism: A Real Crisis Affecting Real People
Tipsheet

Fewer Than Half of Americans Say COVID 'Most Urgent' Health Problem

AP Photo/LM Otero

If you consumed just mainstream media coverage, you'd think the emergence of new variants and ongoing seasonal surges of the Wuhan coronavirus were paralyzing the nation in fear. As it turns out, people aren't buying as much of the frenzied coverage these days, at least according to new polling from Gallup.

Advertisement

The survey was conducted November 1-16 and released on Tuesday and shows that fewer than half — just 45 percent — of Americans rate COVID-19 as the "most urgent health problem facing this country at the present time." That number is down from 67 percent a year ago, showing the Wuhan coronavirus is still top of mind for Americans, but they don't view it as urgently as they did previously. 

Interestingly, the drop was most dramatic among Democrats, according to the data. "In November 2020, COVID-19 dominated Democrats' and independents' perceptions of the most urgent problem, with 81% and 70%, respectively, naming it," Gallup's report explains. "At the same time, a bare majority of Republicans (56%) saw the virus as the leading health problem."

But now, a year later, "Democrats' and independents' concern has fallen more than 20 percentage points, to 57% and 42%, respectively" while "Republicans' concern has declined by less than half as much, to 45%."

The decrease in worry about the Wuhan coronavirus from Democrats brought their level of concern closer to Republicans, and the only significant variables that changed were the wide availability of vaccines and a different president in the White House. 

Advertisement

Still, the 24 point drop for Democrats and 28 point drop for independents compared with the 11 point drop among Republicans suggest that Republicans were more resistant to the flurry of panic that was seen among Democrats but has now subdued.

So, does winning a presidential election mean fewer Democrats think COVID is a pressing issue? It seems like that was a factor. Is it a result of the mainstream media's all-out war against President Trump and his administration's handling of the pandemic that largely subsided once Joe Biden took the oath of office? That too, would make sense. 

Perhaps more than framing what Americans think about the Wuhan coronavirus, the latest data from Gallup sheds light on how Americans — and Democrats in particular — react to the narrative created and propagated by mainstream media. It also suggests that, when it came to COVID, Republicans were much more even-keeled in their reaction and processing of the threat it posed.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement