Poll says there is a partisan divide over late night hosts talking politics

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WASHINGTON – Democrats and Republicans are divided over whether late-night talk show hosts should discuss politics, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter survey found that 62 percent of Democrats said they it like when late-night hosts discuss politics, compared with an equal percentage of Republicans who said they do not.

Moreover, 63 percent of Democrats said they like it when late-night hosts convey their personal political views and 61 percent of Republicans said they do not.

A majority of the respondents said they believe late-night hosts tend to lean more liberal. That includes 56 Republicans and 53 percent of Democrats.

A majority of the respondents (55 percent) said they like Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show.” That included 69 percent of Democrats and 45 percent of Republicans.

The respondents’ assessment of Stephen Colbert, who is the host of “The Late Show,” revealed the greatest partisan divide; sixty-four percent of Democrats said they had a favorable opinion of Colbert, compared with 26 percent of Republicans.

The survey showed partisan disparities in viewership, with 54 percent of Democrats saying they watch late-night hosts, compared with 26 percent of Republicans.

The sampling included 2,201 adults and was carried out Mar. 7-10. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News 

Top photo is a YouTube screenshot of Stephen Colbert