How We View “Extreme Political Rhetoric”: Moving Toward Agreement

As a divided nation, we are beginning to come toward agreement that extreme political rhetoric is harmful.

That’s the takeaway from an item in the most recent WSJ/NBC poll. After asking the usual questions about presidential approval, health care and so forth, they asked about two attempted assassinations of members of the House, Gabby Giffords (D. Az.) and Steve Scalise (R.La.).
The questions were asked in January 2011 and June 2017.

Here are the questions and results:

(JUNE 2017) Thinking about the shootings of a Member of Congress, U.S. Capitol Police officers, and others on a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia last week, do you feel extreme political rhetoric used by some in the media and by political leaders was an important contributor to the incident or do you feel this is an isolated incident by a disturbed person?

Isolated incident by disturbed person................................   46%

Rhetoric an important contributor ................................  41%

 Some of both (VOL) ......................................................      5%

 Not sure ......................................................................          8%

(JANUARY 2011) Thinking about the shootings of a Member of Congress, a Federal judge and others in Tucson, Arizona last weekend, do you feel the extreme political rhetoric used by some in the media and by political leaders was an important contributor to the incident or do you feel this is more of an isolated incident by a disturbed person that occurs from time to time?

Isolated incident by disturbed person.......................      71%

Rhetoric an important contributor............................  24%

Some of both (VOL).................................................       3%

Not sure......................................................................      2%