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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 28 december 2023

Americans sour on the primary election process and major political parties

Continued from Front independent in Gambrills,
Maryland, sees her state’s
About one-quarter of Repub- last governor, Larry Hogan,
licans say they have at least a moderate Republican, as
“quite a bit” of confidence a model for the country. But
that the votes in the 2024 Hogan refused to run in the
presidential election will be GOP presidential primary,
counted accurately, signifi- which she sees as emblem-
cantly lower than Democrats. atic of how the two-party
Slightly fewer than half of U.S. system prevents talented
adults overall (46%) believe leaders from holding office,
the same, which is in line with “Everybody right now is a
an AP-NORC poll conducted bunch of children, stomp-
in June. ing their feet until they get
The skepticism among Re- their way,” Allen, 44, said.
publicans comes after years “Everybody’s at fault here.
of former President Donald There’s no winners.”
Trump falsely blaming his Nonetheless, Allen thinks the
2020 loss on election fraud. primaries will be fair. “They’re
Federal and state election fairer than the Electoral Col-
officials and Trump’s own lege,” she said.
attorney general have said Even those who identify with
there is no credible evidence the two political parties are
the election was tainted. The The White House is seen reflected in a puddle, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Washington. uneasy about whom their or-
former president’s allegations Associated Press ganizations will nominate. A
of fraud were also roundly About one-quarter of U.S. Slightly fewer than half of U.S. quarter of Democrats and recent AP-NORC poll found
rejected by courts, including adults say they have “only adults — 46% — say they are 41% of independents. that Democrats and Repub-
by judges Trump appointed. a little” confidence or “none pessimistic about the way the “The way they’re spending licans are also not especially
“Nothing will be fair because at all” that both the Demo- country’s leaders are chosen. our money, sending it all over confident that their party’s
the last election was rigged,” cratic Party and Republican About half of U.S. adults are the world and not protecting primary contests will result in a
said Julie Duggan, 32, of Chi- Party have a fair process for pessimistic about the future of our people here in the Unit- candidate who can win the
cago, a Trump voter, referring selecting a presidential nomi- the Republican Party, includ- ed States of America,” said general election in Novem-
to 2020. “I don’t trust any of nee. About half of independ- ing one-third of Republicans Gary Jackson, a 65-year-old ber. Additionally, there are
them at this point.” ents have that low level of and 45% of independents. retired trucker and Republi- some doubts on both sides
The AP-NORC poll found a confidence in both party’s The poll found 45% of U.S. can in Boise, Idaho. “Right that the emerging candi-
widespread lack of trust in processes, compared with adults are pessimistic about now, I’m not impressed with dates will represent their
both major political parties one-quarter of Republicans the future of the Democratic either party.” party’s views or Americans
among U.S. adults overall. and 19% of Democrats. Party, including about one- Christine Allen, a political overall.q

Jacksonville, Florida, mayor has Confederate monument

removed after years of controversy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) "Symbols matter. They tell ordered the removal of an- moved on it. Earlier this
— Crews removed a Con- the world what we stand other monument, a bronze month, Jacksonville's Of-
federate monument from for and what we aspire to statue of a Confederate fice of General Counsel
a Jacksonville, Florida, park be," Deegan said in a state- soldier that had been in a determined that city coun-
Wednesday morning fol- ment. "By removing the downtown park for more cil approval was unneces-
lowing years of public con- confederate monument than 100 years. The move sary because city funds
troversy. from Springfield Park, we came weeks after the were not being used for the
Mayor Donna Deegan or- signal a belief in our shared death of George Floyd at work. As the city's top ex-
dered the removal of the humanity. That we are all the hands of a Minneapo- ecutive, Deegan, a Demo-
"Tribute to the Women of created equal. The same lis police officer and on the crat, had the authority to
The bronze statue of a woman the Southern Confedera- flesh and bones. The same heels of marches and other order the statue's removal,
reading to two children is cy" monument, which has blood running through our calls for social justice. city attorneys said.
placed on pallets after being
removed from the "Women of been in Springfield Park veins. The same heart and A proposal to remove the The $187,000 bill is being
the Southland" monument in since 1915. She said the soul." Confederate women trib- covered by a grant that
Jacksonville, Fla.'s Springfield decision is not an attempt Serious discussion of the ute was introduced to the the Jessie Ball duPont Fund
Park on Wednesday morning, to erase history but to show monument's fate began in Jacksonville City Council in and anonymous donors
Dec. 27, 2023. that people have learned 2020 after Deegan's prede- 2021, but the Republican- made to 904WARD, city of-
Associated Press from it. cessor, Mayor Lenny Curry, controlled board never ficials said.q