Pass the stuffing, hold the politics, Floridians say

Poll: Most would rather talk turkey than Trump at Thanksgiving table

Florida is politically polarized, a truism proven again by the ultra-close races for governor and U.S. Senate. But there’s broad agreement on one point: putting aside the politics around the Thanksgiving table.

More than six in 10 Floridians surveyed in a Saint Leo University poll said they avoid controversial topics at Thanksgiving gatherings they host or attend. The 61 percent of Florida voters who hold that view is slightly more than the 57 percent who felt the same way in a nationwide survey.

While that’s a clear majority, the feeling isn’t universal. Some people embrace discussions of politics around the Thanksgiving table. Others accept it, with limits.

Among Floridians, 24 percent said they encourage political conversation at Thanksgiving gatherings they host or end. Na-

tionally, it’s slightly higher, 28 percent.

Among 25 percent in the Florida survey and 24 percent in the nationwide survey, political conversation is encouraged — but time is limited or the talk is shut down if it gets “heated.”

A no-politics zone

There’s a sizable group of people who really, really don’t like politics intruding on Thanksgiving.

A total of 17 percent in Florida and nationally reported they’ve declined Thanksgiving invitations because of “the political divide and expected conflicts and disagreements that will likely occur.”

Of the people who will spend Thanksgiving with family, friends or a combination of the two, 23 percent of Floridians and 18 percent nationally said political tension has increased significantly over the past five years. Political tension has increased somewhat over the five years in the view of 20 percent of Floridians and 23 percent in the nationwide survey.

That view isn’t universal. Just over half the people celebrating Thanksgiving with friends and/or family — 55 percent in Florida and 54 percent nationally — said they don’t see or experience political tension.

Affecting plans

Almost one-third of Floridians said the prospect of political tension plays a role in their hosting or attending Thanksgiving gatherings.

The survey asked: “Given increasing political polarization and angry political discourse in this country, please tell us how strongly this tension plays into your plans (such as whom to invite or time allocated to spend together) when you host or attend gatherings of friends/family over the Thanksgiving holiday?” Responses:

■ Very Strongly – Florida 15 percent, national, 12 percent.

■ Somewhat strongly – Florida, 17 percent; national, 18 percent.

■ Not very strongly – Florida, 31 percent; national 29 percent.

■ Not at all; there is no tension – Florida, 34 percent; nationally 35 percent.

Other findings

About one in five people (23 percent in Florida; 22 percent nationally) said they sometimes “feel baited or goaded into heated political conversations at Thanksgiving gatherings” they host or attend.

A smaller, but still significant share — 20 percent in Florida; 17 percent nationwide — reported feeling “stressed and anxious” before and during Thanksgiving gatherings they host or attend due to “heated political debates/disagreements.”

Thanksgiving remains overwhelmingly traditional.

Asked how they’ll spend Thanksgiving, 51 percent of Floridians said they’d be with family, 9 percent with friends, 30 percent with a combination of friends and family, and 5 percent don’t plan to celebrate the holiday.

Beyond Thanksgiving, Saint Leo’s pollsters found that 24 percent of Floridians and 24 percent in the nationwide survey said they “feel less connected to family and friends due to the political polarization and divide that is occurring.”

Fine print

Saint Leo University is located in Pasco County, north of Tampa.

For the national survey, the Saint Leo University Polling Institute surveyed 1,167 respondents online from Oct. 11 to 17. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In Florida, the school’s institute surveyed 698 likely voters online from Oct. 16 to 22. The results had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Saint Leo draws its samples of people to survey from large online panels in an attempt to create cross sections of political affiliations and demographic groups.