Science® Says Mitch McConnell Is the Most Hated Politician in America

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

Matt Yglesias points today to an interesting chart from a new paper by Larry Bartels. Basically, Bartels is looking at partisanship in the Trump era, and finds that Republicans aren’t very divided on cultural issues while Democrats are. Here’s how the divisions play out:

Much of this is no surprise, of course, but there are a few interesting tidbits:

  • Aside from explicitly partisan figures and groups, no one is all that disliked. Among Democrats, even Wall Street bankers can only manage 3.5, and among Republicans it’s the same story for journalists. Sure, they’re disliked, but not really all that much.
  • Nobody likes politicians all that much. Among Democrats, Barack Obama scores around 8.2. Among Republicans, no one does even that well. The NRA is the most liked group at about 7.2.
  • Among political figures, Mitch McConnell is uniquely disliked.
  • Poor old atheists can’t catch a break. Republicans rate them lower than Mitch McConnell, while Democrats barely tolerate them too, rating them slightly below Walmart. Sigh.
  • Republicans claim to like poor people and single mothers. They are lying.

Among politicians, Republicans hate Hillary Clinton the most. Democrats hate Donald Trump the most. No surprises there.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate