• by Joe Mandese , Yesterday

A new consumer poll commissioned by Adtaxi finds a majority of Americans of all party affiliations are pessimistic about the economic outlook heading into the midterm elections. That said, Republicans -- not surprisingly -- index as the most optimistic, proving once again that partisanship outweighs reality.

“Economic anxiety is central to how Americans across party lines evaluate candidates, brands, and even their everyday purchasing decisions,” Adtaxi Director of Research Murry Woronoff affirms, adding: “What stands out in this year’s data is that it reflects a more cautious consumer mindset influencing political attitudes.”

The study, the 15h annual edition fielded by Adtaxi, also found that political media persuasion has become much more multi-platform, despite the continuing reliance on TV advertising.

“The media environment surrounding politics has fundamentally changed,” Woronoff says, noting: “Search, streaming TV, social media, and mobile platforms now dominate political information discovery and advertising responsiveness across voter groups, which is a dramatic shift from the traditional television-centric model that defined campaigns just two decades ago.”

When it comes to brands, the majority of Americans believe they should keep their politics to themselves, though Democrats index highest in terms of brands sharing their political points-of-view.