Dems falter, GOP gains
According to a recently released ABC/Washington Post poll, the Democrat Party is falling out of favor with voters in the aftermath of the midterm election slaughter.
The poll indicates that the number of Americans who self-identify as Democrats has reached a 34-year low at 26%, down from 32% just a few weeks ago. But the GOP hasn’t picked up the voters as new adherents, as the poll show self-identified Republicans unchanged at 23%. Where it appears these voters are going is to the burgeoning middle as Independents.
However, the GOP has gained in another number since the midterm’s historic victory. A full 47% of Americans view the Republican Party favorably ahead of the 114th Congress in which the party will have full control. Whether that new found favorability will hold ahead of the 2016 elections remains to be seen.
The Republicans in Congress, moreover, lead Barack Obama by 47-38 percent in trust to handle the economy, a clear GOP advantage on this central issue for the first time in his presidency.