A new poll from Pew Research Center reveals that nearly 57 percent of Republican voters are pretty satisfied with pool of GOP candidates in the race for the presidency.
That may seem low, but satisfaction is actually higher than it was at the same point both either 2008 or 2012. In contrast, only about 54 percent of Democratic-leaning voters have warm feelings for their 2016 options — that’s nearly 10 percent lower than they felt in 2008.
The numbers come from a national survey conducted among about 2000 adults, living in all 50 states. The survey also revealed that, though Jeb Bush was the best known of all the potential GOP contenders, he also had the highest unfavorable rating: 35 percent. Mike Huckabee had the highest approval and lowest disapproval rate at 54 percent and 23 percent respectively.
On the Democratic side, 77 percent of Democratic-leaning voters viewed frontrunner Hillary Clinton favorably. The survey notes, however, that Clinton’s ratings have declined over the past year. Forty-seven percent of the general public now views her adversely — the lowest since spring of 2008.
Why do you think GOP satisfaction is so high? What could be contributing to the lack of enthusiasm for Democratic candidates?
Guests:
Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California
Mark Barabak, political reporter for the LA Times