Pew Poll: Democrats advantage over Republicans Narrows

[pampango]

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2067/2012-electorate-partisan-affiliations-gop-gains-white-voters

As the country enters into the 2012 presidential election cycle, the electorate's partisan affiliations have shifted significantly since Obama won office nearly three years ago. In particular, the Democrats hold a much narrower edge than they did in 2008, particularly when the partisan leanings of independents are taken into account.



Notably, the GOP gains have occurred only among white voters; a two-point Republican edge among whites in 2008 (46% to 44%) has widened to a 13-point lead today (52% to 39%). In sharp contrast, the partisan attachments of black and Hispanic voters have remained consistently Democratic.

Analysis of the overall balance of partisan identification in all Pew Research Center polling conducted in each year -- updated with data from the first six months of 2011 -- finds that as the number of Democrats has fallen from a quarter-century high in 2008, the number of self-proclaimed independents has continued to grow. As a result, there are now as many independent voters as Democrats (34% each) -- the first time this has occurred in more than two decades of Pew Research Center surveys, and, by all indications, the highest percent independent since party identification was first measured in the late 1930s. ...the number identifying as Republicans has remained relatively flat (28% in both 2008 and 2011)...

Most of this shift in the balance of partisan attachment occurred prior to this year. The sharp gains in Republican leanings between 2009 and 2010 have not continued into the first half of 2011. (See a detailed table at people-press.org for a full demographic breakdown of party identification in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.)

[montanacowboy]

1. I think this is the ttip of the iceberg

Since Obama wants to ignore the will of the people he will go down and take the party with him.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. The "will of the people" does not equal "white men." That's what this poll was about. n/t

[xchrom]

2. Maybe independents aren't so independent?

And maybe the democratic party can do better by actually BEING the party of the left and offering real plans based on those ideas instead of trying to make every Tom, Dick & Harriet happy w/ fuzzy words that say nothing.

[DJ13]

3. Why vote for imitation Republicans when the real thing is available?

[n2doc]

5. When the Democrats act like Republicans, what do they expect?

Obama, are you listening?

[ej510]

7. No Obama doesn't give a fuck about working class people. He is a Wall St. man.

[n2doc]

11. Then all I can say is that the congressional Dems need to wash their hands of his policies

They need to act like traditional democrats, lest they suffer Obama's fate. If you look at that graph anything less that a 3-4 point Dem lead means a republican victory in Presidential elections. We are at 4 right now.

[KansDem]

6. Interesting...

Notice the years the two lines were furthest apart with Dems on top?

1992--Bush's lies leading up to his invasion of Iraq
2008--the election of Barack Obama

We could learn something from this...

[Laf.La.Dem.]

8. GOP gains among Low Income????

WHY wound anyone considered "low income" EVER vote GOP??:wow:

[newspeak]

14. yeah, isn't it ironic

the some americans not only have short term memory, but must have masochistic tendencies. That's right people, vote for repug and let them finish you off!! The no regulations, pro-corporation, slave labor party. And while they're at it, while you're wages are further diminishing or you're still looking for a job, they'll make damn sure you can starve and go homeless. Because, even though Obama looks like he's somewhat in agreement, that's their grand plan-starve granny and let the sick and disabled die.

I can't believe this poll. Maybe instead of voting for a repug, ones he got us in to this mess, just maybe they could have said "other."

[JoeyT]

17. Two words:

"Free Trade".

Free trade annihilated large amounts of jobs in small rural cities the last time it got pushed, and people are afraid it's going to finish them off.

[jtown1123]

9. Surprise Surprise. Obama puts SS and Medicare on the table & Democrats brand name sours...

[daa]

16. What can the dems run on???? nt

[Romulox]

10. Nothing a little "free trade" or some more cheap labor won't fix!

Eh, OP? :hi:

[joeybee12]

12. Interesting that the number of independents ahs now equalled Dems...

Obama is making the dem brand toxic...people don't want to be associated with it.

[bahrbearian]

13. Nobody can be sure Who wants to cut the safety net the most.

[w4rma]

15. Obama is talking about cutting social security, medicare and teachers, every day.

As long as Obama is talking like this under a Democratic label, Democrats are going to do worse. I can't stand that SOB, anymore. I would honestly rather have Bush in the Presidency, right now. With a Bush, we would win seats in Congress, at least. With this schmuck we're about to give Republicans full control of all three branches.