Here's some more good news in post-election polling from Gallup, which reports significant improvements in favorability ratings for both President Obama and the Democratic Party. Although Gallup's reputation has been tarnished this election, especially with regard to erroneous assumptions in their likely voter screens, it is still possible to learn things from relative trends within their own databases.
PRINCETON, NJ -- Now that the presidential election is over, Americans look a bit more positively toward both the winner (Barack Obama) and the loser (Mitt Romney) than they did in the final days leading up to the election. Americans' views of the Democratic Party are up significantly, while their views of the Republican Party are unchanged.
The results are based on a Nov. 9-12 USA Today/Gallup poll. The pre-election measures for Obama and Romney are based on a Nov. 1-2 USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted a few days before Election Day. The pre-election measures for the political parties are based on an Aug. 20-22 USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted just before the party conventions.
Obama's current 58% favorable rating represents his best in over three years, since a 66% reading in July 2009. He was more popular after his first election than he is now, with a 68% favorable rating just after the November 2008 election. His all-time high of 78% was measured shortly before his inauguration as president in January 2009.
Great news for Democrats. Romney's score of 50% rating was also an improvement, equalling his personal high set in May, which is surprising given the numbers of derisive jokes at his expense from late night comics, although nearly the same percent of people have a negative view of him.
And, our Democratic Party shows an encouraging upward 6% blip since prior to the election.
For the first time since the late summer of 2009, a majority of Americans have a positive opinion of the Democratic Party. Views of the party had generally been more positive than negative in 2009 and before, but more negative than positive in 2010 and 2011.
Another surprising finding is that while 50% have a unfavorable view, compared to 43% favorable, the unfavorable opinions of the Republicans has been flat and has not increased over the last months, as I would have expected given the number of astonishingly stupid and offensive remarks conspicuous made by Republicans.
We should continue to build our party's and president's favorable reputation by maintaining our campaign-mode focus on progressive issues, problematic Republicans and their regressive policies, with the kind of full court press with regard to reaching out to voters we achieved during this last year of the election.