While the holiday season should be filled with love and joy, this year may find many Americans agitated due to the recent government shutdowns and online snafus.
So this year, for our annual Holiday Survey we gave people a chance to change the way Washington D.C. works, and shake up the status quo.
As approval ratings for the President and Congress plummet to all time lows, maybe it’s time to switch them out with some of America’s most loved celebrities. It was a close vote, but the nominees in order of popularity are:
- Tom Hanks 45%
- Morgan Freeman 44%
- Oprah Winfrey 36%
- George Clooney 31%
- Ellen DeGeneres 27%
- Sandra Bullock 26%
- Robert De Niro 21%
- Matt Damon 16%
- Angelina Jolie 16%
- George Takei 13%
(note: multiple responses allowed)
Among the companies listed below, which one do you think would have done the best job of building the Healthcare.gov website?
- Google 26%
- Microsoft 20%
- Apple 12%
- Facebook 5%
- Walmart 3%
- Coca-cola 1%
- Home Depot 1%
- Tesla 1%
- Twitter <1%
- General Motors <1%
Facing unemployment, perhaps our politicians want to try their hand at acting? As part of the E-Poll survey, Americans cast political figures for which classic holiday characters they’d be a best fit to play in a remake. Here are the top picks:
“It’s A Wonderful Life”
“Miracle on 34th Street”
“Grinch Who Stole Christmas”
“Frosty The Snowman”
“Bad Santa”
“Elf”
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
Thinking about how the government shutdown may have affected you, do you plan to spend more, the same, or less this holiday season compared to previous years?
| I plan to spend more this holiday season |
6% |
| I plan to spend the same amount this holiday season |
57% |
| I plan to spend less this holiday season |
37% |
Which television family would you most like to spend the holidays with?
1. The Robertsons, “Duck Dynasty” 18%
2. The Pritchetts, “Modern Family” 15%
3. The Crawleys, “Downton Abbey” 7%
4. The Bravermans, “Parenthood” 5%
5. The Kardashians, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” 5%
6. The Bluths, “Arrested Development” 4%
7. The Hecks, “The Middle” 4%
8. The Goldbergs, “The Goldbergs” 4%
9. The Bates, “Bates Motel” 2%
10. The Thompsons, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo 1%
The following are selected open-ended responses we received for the top five TV families :
Why would you most like to spend the holidays with the Robertson family?
1. Because their values and mine are similar. I would like to take a weed whip to their beards, though!!!
2. I like ducks, camo, and beards.
3. They are most like my family only a little more sane. Plus they would be a BLAST to be around.
4. I am from Louisiana, love their values and way of life. Least fake of all reality shows.
Why would you most like to spend the holidays with the Pritchett family?
1. They would be the most fun and I think we would get along the best. Also, they would not make me eat squirrel or bullfrog.
2. Crazy and likable.
3. They’re fun, always a good story going on, and the women are hot.
4. Gloria duhh.
Why would you most like to spend the holidays with the Crawley family?
1. Because they are sophisticated, well educated and financially well off.
2. If you’ve ever spent an English Christmas you won’t have to ask.
3. They live in a great house, are waited on hand and foot, and I always wanted to visit England.
4. It would be an interesting experience to go back in time. They also dress up for their meals, FABULOUS.
Why would you most like to spend the holidays with the Braverman family?
1. They have the close knit kind of family, they all have each other’s backs. Lots of love in that family.
2. This is such a fun, interesting and true to life family. One of my favorite shows.
3. They are fun and they drink a lot!
4. Like the level of dysfunction and love between them.
Why would you want to spend the holidays with the Kardashian family?
1. I love their fashion style and would love to get tips from them.
2. It’s a lifestyle and a freeness I will never know in this lifetime.
3. It would be full of drama, plus outstanding gifts.
4. They just seem like a fun group of people, and a little over the top so the holidays would be spectacular and memorable.
Why do you plan on spending less this holiday season?
1. Because of the ObamaCare, we do not have the extra money that we would have had.
2. Because of the shutdown, my husband’s hours were cut drastically.
3. I am tired of Christmas being SO over-commercialized. I’m getting off this merry-go-round.
4. SOMEBODY has to reign in spending; the morons running the country are unable or unwilling to do it.
Why do you plan on spending more this holiday season?
1. I can’t take it with me when I die and I want to do good as an American.
2. Just feeling in the xmas spirit this year. Plus my nephews and nieces are older.
3. More money to spend this year. Share the wealth!
4. Life is too short to worry about the government issues. Family and friends are what matter.
The 2013 Holiday Survey polled 1,100 men and women ages 13-54 with general representation across income, age, education and geographic demographics to represent a cross-section of the U.S. population.