In TargetPoint’s Thanksgiving Survey among nearly 1,500 registered voters, we sought out opinions on the most important topics such as; favorite Thanksgiving dinner foods and desserts, whether Black Friday, small business Saturday, or Cyber Monday was the most popular shopping day, and what the National Football League should do with their annual games.
Will you break a cardinal rule?
Less than half of voters are planning to discuss the results of the midterm elections at Thanksgiving dinner, with 53% saying they are not at all likely to talk about the results. Democrats are more likely to discuss the results than Republicans, with 52% saying they are likely to dive into the results from November 6th. Younger voters are more likely to engage in some political discourse as voters under the age of 35 are the most likely to talk about the results of the midterms, 59% of this group are likely which may lead to some contentious Friendsgiving debates. We don’t know the President’s favorite pie but voters who approve of President Trump are more likely to prefer Pumpkin Pie – 44% say so compared with those who disapprove of the President only 38% prefer Pumpkin Pie. As for those who disapprove of the President, carbs seem to be a staple of their meal as they are more likely to say stuffing is their favorite dish this Thanksgiving.
Travel, Traditions & Taste buds
After an exhausting midterm election, 75% of America’s voters are excited for Thanksgiving. Forty percent of voters will be hosting the festivities this year, while about a third will be traveling to visit family or friends. The last third of voters make up the late planners who have still not decided what their Thanksgiving plans are. Among those traveling to visit their family or friends, more than two thirds are staying close to home, traveling less than 50 miles, while 18% of people will be making a trek over 100 miles. It seems like Grandma is the one traveling now, as 74% of those traveling more than 100 miles are 45 or older. When it comes to meal time, nearly half of voters say their favorite dish is turkey, while green bean casserole and cranberry sauce are the least celebrated fixings. Pumpkin pie is the strong first choice for dessert, with 40% declaring it their favorite followed by sweet potato, pecan, apple, and cherry in that order. When it comes to morning entertainment, just under half of people will be watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the definitive leader compared to the America’s Thanksgiving Parade and the Dunkin Donuts Parade.
Technology & Thanksgiving
A quarter of people would consider taking an autonomous driving car to their Thanksgiving dinner. Young voters are much more likely to be interested in taking the back seat to a robot than seniors, with 34% of eighteen to twenty-four year old’s saying they would consider an autonomous car while only 14% of seniors would give up the steering wheel. Independents are more open to traveling in an autonomous vehicle than partisans, and men are slightly more likely than women. The distance being traveled doesn’t seem to impact a person’s willingness to ride along, with 26% of those going over 100 miles saying they would take an autonomous vehicle, the same percentage as those going between 26 and 100 miles. When it comes to a helping hand in the kitchen, 41% of voters said the Thanksgiving chef is likely to ask Siri, Cortana, Alexa, or Google Home to find them a recipe. Age plays a large factor here as 60% of millennials will be asking for recipe help, and we don’t mean how long to microwave a 25lb turkey.
Should the Lions and Cowboys continue their Turkey Day tradition?
Just under half of voters believe that the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys should keep their annual Thanksgiving Day games, while 58% want to see the games rotated around the National Football League. Those in the northeast are the strongest for rotating the games – 67% think the game should rotate to other teams (we didn’t ask if these were Patriots or Eagles fans, we’ll leave the guessing to our readers).
Will you fight the Black Friday crowds or surf the sales on Cyber Monday?
As major chains and local businesses get ready for the holiday shopping season – here’s where American voters stand on Thanksgiving weekend. Forty-six percent of voters have an unfavorable opinion of stores that require their employees to work on Thanksgiving Day, while only 35% have a favorable opinion of these businesses. Older voters are less likely to approve of these stores, as 52% of those over the age of fifty-five had an unfavorable opinion. When it comes to spending money, Black Friday still reigns supreme as 41% are likely to spend the most of their money the day after Thanksgiving. Fourteen percent of people will spend their money on small business Saturday, while 18% will shop from the comfort of their homes on Cyber Monday. Young voters are the most willing to brave the crowds of Black Friday, as 61% of eighteen to twenty-four year old’s are likely to spend their money during these sales. Women are more likely than men to wait until Cyber Monday, with 21% saying this is when they will spend their money. Over half of our respondents are feeling charitable around the holidays, as 56% are likely to participate in Giving Tuesday and donate to an organization. Democrats are the most likely to give – 62% say they are likely compared with 58% of Republicans, and only 55% of Independents. In 2017 more than 2 million donations were processed on Giving Tuesday – if even only 1 out of every 10 voters here who said they are extremely or very likely to donate do follow through – this could represent up to 6.2 million potential donations.
