Subject: [big campaign] Gallop: Almost 4 out of 10 Republicans have unfavorable image of their party
From: Aniello Alioto <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:34:44 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

http://www.gallup.com/poll/120815/Republicans-Down-Own-Party.aspx
June 11, 2009 Republicans Down on Their Own Party Almost 4 out of 10
Republicans have unfavorable image of their party by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -- Almost 4 out of 10 (38%) Republicans and Republican-leaning
independents have an unfavorable opinion of their own party, while just 7%
of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have an unfavorable opinion
of the Democratic Party. Additionally, a May 29-31 *USA Today*/Gallup poll
shows that the top-of-mind images of the Republican Party among Republicans
are considerably more negative than are the images of the Democratic Party
among Democrats.

Although it is generally well known that the Republican Party has an image
problem today (after all, the Democrats have control of the White House and
both houses of Congress), these findings reinforce the depth of that problem
by pointing out the degree to which Republicans themselves have a lower
opinion of their party than Democrats do of their party, as noted above. The
only saving grace, perhaps, is the finding that Democrats are slightly more
positive in their opinions of the Republican Party than is the case the
other way around.

Among all Americans, the poll shows a 19-point advantage for the Democratic
Party over the Republican Party when it comes to the two parties' respective
favorable images -- a finding little changed from last November, when Gallup
last updated the parties' images. Fifty-three percent of Americans today
have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, compared to just 34% who
have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party.

The Republican Party's image deficit is further evidenced by the examination
of responses given to open-ended questions asking Americans what comes to
mind they think about the Republican Party and, separately, the Democratic
Party. (Answers were recorded verbatim and coded into categories.)

The data make it clear that Republicans are more likely to have negative
images of their own party than are Democrats of their party. Among
Republicans, two of the top five categories of responses about the GOP's
image are categorized by Gallup coders as a general "unfavorable" response
(given by 19% of Republicans) and that the GOP has lost its direction (9%).

None of the top five categories of responses about the image of the
Democratic Party among Democrats is negative. In fact, one of the starkest
contrasts is between the percentage of Democrats whose responses are broadly
"unfavorable" (2%) compared to the percentage of Republicans who say the
same about their party (19%).

Not surprisingly, both Republicans and Democrats have negative things to say
about the *other* party. For Republicans, the top images associated with the
Democratic Party are "liberal," "big spending," "unfavorable,"
"self-centered/out for themselves," and (tied) "big government" and
"socially conscious/progressive." For Democrats, the top images associated
with the Republican party are "unfavorable," "conservative," "cater to the
rich," "George Bush," and "lost their direction."

*Images of the Parties Among All Americans*

For the entire U.S. population, the top four categories of images that come
to mind first when Americans think about the Republican Party are:

   - Unfavorable
   - Conservative
   - Favorable
   - (Tie) Lost their way and Caters to the rich

The top four categories of images of the Democratic Party are:

   - Liberal
   - Favorable
   - For the people/working, middle, lower class
   - Socially conscious/Progressive

Other than the generic positive and negative responses given by the
partisans and opponents of each party, the data reinforce the basic images
that generally are associated with the parties; i.e., the Republican Party
as conservative and more for the rich, and the Democratic party as liberal
and more for the working, middle, and lower classes. All in all, as
suggested by the partisan breakout of responses discussed above, the
Republican Party has more negative images associated with it than does the
Democratic Party.

The same open-ended questions were asked twice before -- in September 2001
(just prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks) and in 2005. Since the 2001
poll, the percentage of all Americans who say "unfavorable" when asked about
the Republican Party has increased significantly, to 25% today, from 13% in
2001 and 11% in 2005. And while 6% say today that the Republican Party has
"lost its way," or "has no direction," no one volunteered this response in
either of the two previous surveys. (On the other hand, the percentage who
say the GOP caters to the rich and to big business is down from previous
surveys.)

There have been a number of changes in the responses to the Democratic
open-ended question, but many of these represent fluctuations across the
surveys rather than a consistent pattern. Still, the percentage who say the
Democratic Party is "for the people" is down some since 2001, as is the
percentage whose image of the party is classified broadly as "unfavorable,"
while the percentages saying "socially conscious" and "big spending" are up.

*Implications*

All of these data taken together underscore the challenges facing the
Republican Party today. Not only are Americans' basic opinions of the GOP
significantly more negative than are their opinions of the Democratic Party,
but the top-of-mind images of the Republican Party also include more
negative categories than is the case for the Democrats.

Perhaps most worrisome to the Republicans is the fact that a substantial
minority of Americans who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party
also have negative views of the party. Almost 4 out of 10 Republicans say
their opinions of the party are unfavorable, and a number of Republicans
volunteer that the first thing that comes to mind when they think about the
GOP is "unfavorable" or "lost its direction."

Taken together with Gallup Poll evidence showing that almost half of
Republicans cannot name an individual who speaks for the
party<http://www.gallup.com/poll/120806/Limbaugh-Gingrich-Cheney-Seen-Speaking-GOP.aspx>,
the results reinforce what Republican leaders already know -- that there are
significant challenges ahead as the party gears up for the important 2010
midterm elections and the 2012 presidential election that follows.

*Survey Methods*

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,015 national adults, aged
18 and older, conducted May 29-31, 2009. For results based on the total
sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum
margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for
respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents
who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties
in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of
public opinion polls.

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group.

To post to this group, send to [email-masked]

To unsubscribe, send email to [email-masked]

E-mail [email-masked] with questions or concerns
 
This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization.
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---