A new NBC News poll has gone viral online, and people are talking about one big thing: young conservative men and young liberal women don’t agree on much. This poll shows a deep divide between what each group sees as the most important things in life, like having a family or being successful. But is the buzz around this survey accurate? And what does it really say about the future of our country?
Let’s break it down.
NBC News released the poll on Monday and Steve Kornacki, a well-known political analyst, shared the results on social media. The survey looked at young voters and asked them what they thought made someone successful. They split the answers into different groups based on how people voted in the last election — for President Donald Trump or former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Among young men who voted for Trump, the most common answer was that having children defined success. About 34 percent of them said this was at the top of their list. That was followed closely by financial independence (33 percent) and having a fulfilling career (30 percent). Marriage also scored high, with 29 percent saying that being married was a big part of success. Owning a home, having money for fun, and being spiritually grounded were also mentioned by many.
In short, young conservative men are thinking about building a full life — one that includes family, money, a strong career, a home, and even spiritual values.
Now, compare that to young women who voted for Kamala Harris. Their answers painted a very different picture. For them, the top marker of success was a fulfilling career, chosen by 51 percent. Nearly half — 46 percent — said having money for fun was important. Emotional stability came in at 39 percent, and helping others using their talents followed at 37 percent. Only 6 percent said being married or having children was a top sign of success.
That’s a huge difference.
What stands out is how low family and marriage ranked for liberal women, while those were top priorities for conservative men. Even financial independence, which you’d expect to be important to everyone, was more central to men than women in some cases.
Commentator Matt Walsh summed it up this way: “Having children was the most important thing to men. It was least important to women. Tells you everything you need to know.” While that may sound a bit sharp, the numbers back up the point — the two groups are living in completely different worlds with different values.
Some people have asked whether this divide is only between men and women. But the answer is no. Even when they looked at conservative women and liberal men, the same pattern showed up. Trump-supporting women put marriage low on their list — only 20 percent said it was key to success. Harris-supporting men ranked marriage even lower at 11 percent. Both groups put money and career first.
So what’s really going on here?
This poll tells us that politics today isn’t just about taxes or laws. It’s about how people live their lives and what they think matters most. Young conservative men seem to value traditional things — family, faith, and building a stable life. Liberal women are focused more on personal goals, careers, and emotional well-being.
And here’s something else to note: NBC News, a left-leaning outlet, split the poll clearly between men and women. That might not seem like a big deal, but in a time when many media outlets insist there are more than two genders, it’s interesting that NBC went back to basics. Whether they meant to or not, they showed that biological sex still matters in how people think and live.
In the end, this poll doesn’t just reflect opinions. It reflects a culture split in two. One side wants to build homes and raise families. The other wants independence and personal success. The question is: can a country stay united when its young people want such different things?
Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure — the divide is real, and it’s growing.