WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - As family and friends prepare to get together to celebrate Thanksgiving, the results of a Quinnipiac University national poll found that most voters are hoping to avoid discussing politics.
Sixty-three percent of voters said they are hoping to avoid discussing politics this Thanksgiving, while 26 percent said they are looking forward to discussing politics.
Quinnipiac found that younger voters are even more eager to avoid discussing politics, with voters 18 to 34 years old saying 72 percent to 22 percent they don't want a side dish of politics with their turkey.
The desire to avoid talking about politics at Thanksgiving partly seems to reflect the divisive presidency of President Donald Trump.
Thirty-nine percent of voters said politics over the last year have changed how they feel about discussing the issue with their family and friends for the worse, although 47 percent said their feelings have not changed.
The poll also found that 69 percent of voters think the way people talk about politics these days is contributing to violence in the U.S.
'Fed up with the daily dose of political heartburn and starving for a little holiday harmony, American voters say feed me turkey not politics,' said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. 'The holiday season begins with a conflict-weary public.'
Since football is a big part of Thanksgiving for a lot of families, Quinnipiac also asked voters about NFL players choosing to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality.
Fifty-two percent of voters said they disapprove of the players kneeling during the national anthem, while 42 percent approve.
However, the poll found that voters say 67 percent to 31 percent that NFL players have the right to protest by taking a knee.
A vast majority of Democratic and independent voters say the players have the right to protest, while Republican voters say 58 percent to 39 percent that players do not have the right.
Twenty-seven percent of voters said they are watching less football as a result of the protests compared to 66 percent that said they are watching about the same amount.
The Quinnipiac survey of 1,415 voters was conducted November 15th through 20th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
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