Elon Musk’s plans to launch a new political party appear doomed before they’ve even begun, with multiple polls showing overwhelming public opposition and record-low favourability ratings for the billionaire entrepreneur.The so-called “America Party,” which Musk teased after a fallout with former buddy and US President Donald Trump, has been met with a major thumbs-down from the American public. According to a CNN poll, just 25% of all adults and 22% of registered voters support the idea of Musk forming a third party to rival Democrats and Republicans. A staggering 74% of adults and 77% of voters are opposed.These numbers suggest that Americans may be open to alternatives beyond the two major parties, but Musk is not the person they want leading that charge.
Polls deliver a Blow
The CNN poll is not alone in its findings. A separate poll by Quinnipiac University also showed that most people don’t support Musk’s idea of starting a new political party. It found only 17% of voters would consider supporting Musk’s new party. More than 77% rejected the idea entirely.Musk himself has become much less popular in the past few years. According to CNN’s data, just 23% of Americans view him favourably, while 60% view him unfavourably, giving him a net approval rating of -37 points. CNN put it: “That gives Musk a net favourable rating of -37 percentage points. Oof.”Although other polls have been slightly less harsh, the overall picture remains grim. “Musk is just the wrong guy to lead such a journey,” the report notes. “He is, as I said at the top, one of the most unpopular political figures in the country.”This marks a sharp decline from 2016, when Musk had a net favourable rating of +29 points, making him one of the most admired figures in the Bloomberg poll at the time.
Third parties, and their little to no chance of succeeding
Historically, third-party efforts in the US have struggled to gain traction. No independent has ever won the presidency, except George Washington, but that was before the modern party system existed.In 1968, George Wallace was the last third-party candidate to win a single state in a presidential race. Since 1970, there have been over 13,000 congressional elections, and non-major party candidates have won just 24 of them. Most of those wins came from independents like Bernie Sanders and Angus King.Even Ross Perot, a billionaire like Musk, had a hard time. Despite gaining nearly 20% of the popular vote in the 1992 presidential election and forming the Reform Party, the movement soon lost steam. Perot’s party reached its peak in 1998 when Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota. Today, the party is all but forgotten.Back in 1993, a CNN poll found that 50% of Americans supported Perot’s third party, while 37% opposed. In stark contrast, Musk faces 77% of Americans opposing his party from the outset.
The more they see Musk, the less they like him
Even with poor poll numbers, Musk’s political plans still grab attention because of his huge wealth and influence. Unlike most other third-party candidates, he has the money to run big campaigns and get media coverage.“Many third parties fail because they can’t get their message out. Musk’s party wouldn’t have that problem,” CNN noted. “But money isn’t enough.”Adding to his challenges is the fact that Musk is ineligible to run for president, having been born in South Africa. “The more Americans see of Musk in politics, the less they like him,” CNN said. “Musk’s unpopularity makes the normally very difficult efforts to start a third party become herculean.”
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