As both major parties take center stage at their respective conventions over the next two weeks, a new poll released Wednesday shows that the public’s impression of Republicans is comparable to where it stood before their 2008 convention, while Democrats have seen a decline in popularity over the last four years.
According to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, 44 percent of registered voters nationwide have a favorable view of the Republican Party, compared with 50 percent who have an unfavorable view — virtually identical to the GOP’s favorability level in August 2008, when 41 percent viewed the party favorably and 51 percent viewed it unfavorably.
The poll shows that 43 percent of voters currently have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, while 52 percent have an unfavorable view. That makes for a clear drop since the previous presidential election cycle. Democrats were held in high esteem by voters in August 2008, with 54 percent of voters viewing the party favorably at that time and only 39 percent viewing it unfavorably.
