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For the first time in a very long time, the American people have a slight, net positive view of the Republican party, according to Gallup:
Americans’ opinions of the Republican Party have improved to the point where now more have a favorable than unfavorable opinion of the party. The last time more Americans viewed the GOP more positively than negatively was in 2005.
For the early part of the 2000s, Americans had a net-positive image of the Republican Party. That changed in 2005, as Americans soured on the Bush administration over the ongoing Iraq war, the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, and rising gas prices, among other issues. After the 2006 midterm elections, which saw Americans remove the Republicans as the majority party in Congress, the Republicans’ ratings were 35% favorable and 58% unfavorable.
The Republican Party’s image remained negative over the next two years as the economy worsened, except for a 47%-47% reading after the party’s well-received national convention in 2008, which ended days before the financial crisis intensified. Just after Americans elected Barack Obama to replace Bush later that year, the Republicans’ net-favorable score was -27 (34% favorable, 61% unfavorable) — the worst Gallup has measured in this trend dating to 1992.
Over the last few weeks, the Democratic brand has also managed to improve slightly, but not by nearly as much as the Republican brand.
Currently, 47 percent of the country view the Democratic party as unfavorable, while only 46 percent view it favorably.
It appears the rare moments of semi-bipartisanship during the lame duck session might have improved both parties’ brands slightly. Of course, when you have only two major parties, politics are by nature a zero sum game, so the important thing is on net, the Republican Party is the winner.
21 Comments
The “Who Sucks Less” game.
that’s not the important thing jon, the important thing is that the r’s made those gains while doing the most damage to democratic principles, and they made those gains in spite of and because of the nuts in the tea bagger party
this bodes much worse then a “net gain” it bodes as an incredible negative barometer for the d’s`
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
H. L. Mencken
I’m glad somebody likes them. I’d sure hate to think they were put in office by those that don’t care. /s
What difference does it make now? Besides, most of the polls are fake and propaganda.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
Agree with PeasantParty: fake propoganda.
In true reality, I thought the majority of the population hated both parties with a passion… oooops or perhaps I’m just projecting… heh
No surprise. That was Obama’s mission, and he accomplished it.
Thanks Mr President! You may not have rejuvenated the job market or the rule of law, but you brought new life to the other party! That’s something!
To be fair Bush was a war President after 9/11 Bush’s popularity went sky high as we all rallied around the flag ok maybe I rallied for America not Bush or the war but I was a minority then.
bush had the country and the world at his fingertips
he turned the greatest love for a president in generations into the most vile hatred ever witnessed
I happen to like him better then obama right now
it looked like we could bury the republican party and corporatists for good
but then obama was the wolf, the trojan horse, he is the corporatist, the “trickle down economist” he is the enemy progresive economics, the enemy of the middle class and the champion of international corporatism
This is very discouraging. I think it reflects the total uselessness of the media.
Dementia?
and now he’s going to use the republican party to push more of his agenda, making believe he’s steering “toward the middle” when in fact, if he were to steer towards the middle he would be taking a giant turn to the left
ah
me
GOPers win because they have higher voter rates and under populated Rural red States have more electoral votes per person. If we want to win elections we can’t give the GOP an unfair advantage. One person one vote! That should include electoral votes! No Taxation Without Equal Representation!
Is it any wonder that the Red States for decades have gotten more cash than they pay in taxes since they have more representation in Congress than their numbers warrant?
In a sense we pay the Red States to continue economic policies like Farming for example that don’t work and we don’t like! Farmers need tariffs not free markets. They need to pay their workers over time not get special treatment to oppress people!
Every state at a minimum should pay to the government equal what they get back from the government if they can’t they should lose their statehood for being incompetent Blue State Pols should be brought in to teach the locals how to run a government.
No More Red State Welfare the Democratic Blue States can’t afford it! Before Obama cuts Social Security he needs to cut off those Welfare States!
This says a lot about the extent to which Obama and the Dems have trashed the anti-Bush mandate they were gifted in 2008.
My theory is Obama was like Juan Williams on Fox News a fake Liberal paid to take a dive and surrender 90% of the time when ever a GOPer sneezes. Just like Obama Juan when he was Public TV was a smart man a good speaker but just like Obama Juan folded when he reached the big time. The money was to good I guess.
This is how the GOP is going to win all the government back….Lets face it , the GOP and the national media LOVE each other. From long before Nov the GOP has been ‘shining the light ‘ in the eyes of all Americans. For atleast 1.5 years the GOP has been buying out America through the Media. If they don’t own the station then they buy it.NPR is going to be shut down and the list goes on. The GOP has had FRONT PAGE NEWS AND PICS for quite some time.Personally I’m f-in sick of it but they own the news and soon they will OWN YOU. 24/7 they are shoving it a ya, the seniors fell for it first next , next the whole Dem party according to Newt will be history.
Republicans don’t pretend to be something they are not unlike the Democrats and the Democratic President who pretend to be for average Americans, labor, civil rights, an accessible and affordable healthcare program, etc.etc.etc. and then do everything possible to disembowel the same in the shadows.
This surprises me not at all! When national Democrats, cough-Obama-cough, do not call out the Republicans on their lies, such as “Death Panels,” and “Socialist-Marxist-Kenyan-Government-Take-Over-Of-Just-About-Everything,” Americans do not hear the other side. If they don’t hear the other side, how can they believe the other side? And, how great is it for the Republicans when the Democratic, cough, president regurgitates Republican talking points!
Approval of either party is a sign of popular brain damage. Disgust with Obama doesn’t instill in me any nostalgia for Reagan or Bush or Clinton or Bush. They have all been deplorable, right-wing agents.
By the sound of your post, you sound like a extreme left winger. Sean Hannity says “Hi”.