The current political moment reminds me of the story about the guy who had one foot in a pot of boiling water and the other foot in a bucket of ice. On average, he was quite comfortable.
Indeed, in politics, we too often focus on averages—the overall numbers—which even if accurate can obscure much more than they reveal. In this period of extreme partisanship, colossal differences in the attitudes of Democrats and Republicans tell more of the story, while the voting behaviors of independents are more akin to the overall average. CONTINUED
Charlie Cook