Polls

Americans say Trump Most Likely to Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner; GOP Opposes Obama on Turkey Pardons

| Tom Jensen

Donald Trump leads PPP’s newest poll by a wide margin…on which candidate Americans think would be the most likely to say something inappropriate at the table and ruin Thanksgiving Dinner. 46% say they think Trump would be the candidate most likely to ruin Thanksgiving, as much as all the rest of the candidates combined. Hillary Clinton at 22%, Bernie Sanders at 7%, Jeb Bush and Ben Carson at 6%, Ted Cruz at 4%, and Marco Rubio at 1% round out the standings on who people think would be most likely to wreck the holiday.

When it comes to which Presidential candidate people would actually like to have over for Thanksgiving Dinner Clinton wins out with 24% to 18% for Carson, 17% for Trump, 11% for Sanders, 8% for Cruz, and 6% each for Bush and Rubio. Interestingly even though Trump leads the Republican field when it comes to who people want to be the nominee for President, Carson beats him out on the dinner invitation front, 31% to 24%. Clinton leads Sanders 51/17 among Democrats.

The examples of the GOP’s reflexive opposition to President Obama’s agenda are many but this may be the best one yet: by a 27 point margin Republicans say they disapprove of the President’s executive order last year pardoning two Thanksgiving turkeys (Macaroni and Cheese) instead of the customary one. Only 11% of Republicans support the President’s executive order last year to 38% who are opposed- that’s a pretty clear sign that if you put Obama’s name on something GOP voters are going to oppose it pretty much no matter what. Overall there’s 35/22 support for the pardon of Macaroni and Cheese thanks to 59/11 support from Democrats and 28/21 from independents.

Thanksgiving Chart 11.20_Logo_page_001

There is a large partisan divide when it comes to the popularity of Starbucks. Democrats (47/14) have a very positive view of the company while Republicans (26/28) have a slightly negative one. How much that has to do with this year’s holiday cup controversy is unclear though. Only 21% of Republicans think Starbucks is part of the ‘War on Christmas’ to 47% who don’t think the company is. Overall just 13% of voters think Starbucks is part of the war to 60% who don’t think it is.

We did find something Americans across party lines can agree on: it’s too early for Christmas music. Overall 54% of voters say it’s too early to be playing Christmas music to 34% who think it’s fine. There’s very little partisan deviation on this issue with independents (59/20), Democrats (53/35), and Republicans (51/38) all saying to hold it on the Christmas music. Men are especially likely to say it’s too early for Christmas music (59/29), while women are more closely divided (49/39).

We also did a series of questions about the actual food on the table at Thanksgiving Dinner:

-There is a massive generational divide on the issues of cranberry sauce. Seniors (80/17) say they like it by a 63 point margin while young voters (42/48) say they dislike it by a 6 point margin. If those numbers hold cranberry sauce may die out as a tradition in the next generation or two. But overall 63% of Americans say they like it currently to 32% who don’t.

-Pumpkin Pie wins out for the preferred dessert of choice at Thanksgiving Dinner but with only 27%. Apple Pie and Pecan Pie are next at 17%, with Sweet Potato Pie and Chocolate Pie at 6%, and Blueberry and Cherry Pie at 5%. Although its overall support is pretty low Sweet Potato Pie wins out with African Americans at 30% to 20% for Apple Pie, 12% for Pecan Pie, and 9% for Pumpkin Pie.

-In the great potato debate Mashed Potatoes beat out Sweet Potatoes 55/34. And Americans say if you’re going to have Sweet Potatoes, save the marshmallows- only 30% are pro marshmallows to 54% who say they don’t belong in the Sweet Potatoes.

-Americans are totally down with Macaroni and Cheese (the food, not the turkeys) for Thanksgiving Dinner. 59% say it’s an appropriate dish of choice for this holiday to 27% who say it’s inappropriate. Democrats (63/25) are a lot more comfortable with Macaroni and Cheese at Thanksgiving than Republicans (53/32) are. Additionally while more than 70% of voters under 45 think it makes for a good side at this holiday, only 49% of seniors do.

-By a 17 point margin Americans make a clear statement: it’s stuffing, not dressing. 51% say the dish you eat with Thanksgiving dinner is stuffing to 34% who say it’s dressing. With everything we’re divided about these days this is something that there’s pretty close agreement on across partisan lines- Democrats (51/37), Republicans (50/36), and independents (49/27) are all team stuffing by pretty similar margins.

Full results here

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