Amid a political climate that is strongly polarized based on political parties, a significant majority of Americans appear to agree one thing: it might be time to try out a new party.
Last month, Gallup released poll results that found 63% of Americans agreed that the Democrat and Republican parties do such a poor job that “a third major party is needed.”
That’s a seven-point jump compared to last year. Gallup said that support for a third party was also high in 2017 during former Republican President Donald Trump’s first year in office and after the 2021 Capitol Riot.
ABC Action News anchor Paul LaGrone found that people in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area agree with the recent Gallup poll, said a report from this week. Quinnipiac poll results from this week also show growing support for an alternative to the major parties.
“In a presidential race that already has more than a dozen candidates including a current and former president, a majority of voters (52%) say they would like to see other candidates enter the 2024 presidential race, while 42% say they are satisfied with the current field,” said the results.
Trump, 77, is currently the GOP frontrunner, and current President Joe Biden, 80, has announced his intention to run for a second term. Critics have argued that both are getting too old for another four-year term in the oval office. Trump also faces significant legal issues, while Biden’s son Hunter is also in legal trouble.
According to Quinnipiac, only Republicans are satisfied with the current pool of candidates for the 2024 presidential election (67% to 29%).
More than half of Democrats (58%) said they would like to see other candidates and 72% of Independents said they did.
“Polarized on virtually every major issue, but restless for change at the top, voters say when it comes to the 2024 lineup, there is room for more. Independents and Democrats are open to more candidates in the 2024 presidential race, while Republicans are mostly satisfied with the field,” said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.
So far, the Independent candidate with the most impressive polling numbers is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the iconic Kennedy family. He initially started his presidential bid as a Democrat challenger to Biden but has since switched to be an Independent candidate. Audacy reported on Kennedy’s push to get on the ballot in every state this week.
“I’m in better shape than any independent for 100 years,” he told attendees at a campaign rally in South Carolina.
Results of a three-person hypothetical 2024 general election matchup from Quinnipiac found that Trump received 38% support, Biden received 37% support and Kennedy received 21%. A five-person hypothetical 2024 general election matchup added two other independent candidates, Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Trump received 38% support, Biden received 35% support, Kennedy received 17% support, and West and Stein each received 3%.