A record low number of Americans regard the party favourably, a new CNN poll suggests
The Democratic Party’s favorability rating among the American public has hit a record low, a new CNN poll suggests.
The poll, commissioned by the broadcaster, was conducted by SSRS from March 6 to 9, sampling the opinions of 1,206 respondents. It suggested that the approval rating of the party stands at just 29% – a record low in regular CNN polling carried out since 1992. The Republican Party fared better, with its rating currently at 36%, according to the poll.
Partisan approval differed for the two parties as well, with just 63% of Democrats and Democrat-leaners speaking favorably of their party, while 79% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approved of the GOP. Independents, however, do not regard either of the parties highly, with favorability ratings hovering around 20%.
The Democrats have also struggled with consolidating any party leader supposed to “best reflect the core values,” the poll suggested. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez topped the list, with 10% of Democratic-aligned respondents picking her for such a role.
Former VP and Democratic presidential runner Kamala Harris got 9% and US Senator Bernie Sanders received 8% support. Only 1% of Democratic-aligned respondents picked former US President Joe Biden, while over 30% gave no option on the matter or opposed all the high-profile Democrats.
The poll has also suggested the Democratic-aligned Americans have taken an increasingly combative approach towards the Republicans, with some 57% stating the party’s lawmakers should focus on stopping the GOP agenda rather than advancing their own ideas. Only 42% said the lawmakers should cooperate with their GOP counterparts.
The figures constituted a drastic shift in the sentiment compared to the first tenure of US President Donald Trump – according to a CNN poll conducted in September 2017, some 74% of Democratic respondents said the party should cooperate with the Republicans while only 23% said it should focus on disrupting their agenda.
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