Florida Chamber poll: Unfriending on the rise, but voters draw the line at violence

Floridians may be hanging lights and cueing up holiday playlists, but a new Florida Chamber of Commerce poll says political divides have put plenty of group chats on the naughty list. Roughly a third of likely voters (34%) say they’ve lost at least one friendship in the past couple of years purely over political disagreements. That strain is most intense among younger Floridians: 44% of the under-40 crowd report losing friends over politics, compared to just 24% of voters over 70. Still, it’s not full ideological segregation. Fewer than one in 10 voters say they have zero friends with different views, while nine out of 10 voters say their circles still include people they don’t always agree with. The poll comes as Floridians head into another round of potentially spicy Thanksgiving tables, just months after the assassination of Charlie Kirk jolted the national conversation about political extremism. Asked whether violence is ever a justifiable means to achieve political goals, 9% of Florida voters said yes a thankfully small but nevertheless significant bloc. A commanding 89% said it is never acceptable in American politics. Younger voters again stood out: 17% about one in six of those under 40 said political violence can be justified, while support fell into the single digits for every age group 40 and older. Beyond percentages and margins of error, Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said, “As we prepare for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I remain incredibly thankful for everyone’s freedom to advocate for whatever they choose, but when we disagree, we must do so civilly and never with violence.” The Florida Chamber poll, conducted Oct. 16-25 by Cherry Communications, received responses from 608 likely voters across the Sunshine State. The sample comprises 209 Democrats, 268 Republicans, and 131 third- and no-party voters and has a +/-4% margin of error.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/767273-florida-chamber-poll-unfriending-on-the-rise-but-voters-draw-the-line-at-violence/