{"id":51672,"date":"2010-04-28T12:27:45","date_gmt":"2010-04-28T17:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2010\/04\/28\/section-1-the-parties-and-obama\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:48:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:48:39","slug":"section-1-the-parties-and-obama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2010\/04\/28\/section-1-the-parties-and-obama\/","title":{"rendered":"Section 1: The Parties and Obama"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

As the debate in Washington heats up over new regulations on financial markets, the public is divided evenly over whether the Republican Party or Democratic Party (36% each) can do a better job of dealing with banks and financial institutions. Another 28% offer no preference between the two. The parties are also even when it comes to dealing with the job situation \u2013 36% see the GOP as stronger, 37% the Democratic Party. The last time this issue was tested in 2006, the Democrats held a wide 47% to 29% advantage on jobs.<\/p>\n\n

Similarly, neither party has an advantage on two other key issues that may be addressed in Congress this year, immigration and energy. Currently, 36% say the GOP can do the better job on immigration, while 35% pick the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n\n

The Democratic Party holds a slim edge (40% vs. 32%) when it comes to dealing with the nation\u2019s energy problems, but its lead has narrowed substantially over the past two years. As recently as last August, 47% favored the Democrats and just 25% the Republicans on this issue.<\/p>\n\n

Since last summer, there has been a sharp turnaround in the balance of public opinion with respect to foreign policy. In August 2009, 44% favored the Democratic Party on foreign policy and 31% the GOP. But today, the Republican Party holds a slim 39% to 34% edge in this issue area.<\/p>\n\n

On each of these issues, the balance of opinion among independents generally mirrors the balance of opinion among the public at large, as Republican and Democratic views offset each other.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

But the GOP\u2019s edge among independents on both foreign policy and the budget deficit is significant because they are less likely to favor Democrats on these issues. The GOP holds a very small 38% to 35% edge overall on the deficit, but the margin is 38% to 25% among independents. Similarly, the GOP\u2019s slim 39% to 34% overall lead on foreign policy becomes a 37% to 26% advantage when independents are analyzed separately. On both issues, independents are roughly twice as likely as partisans to volunteer that neither party will do a better job.<\/p>\n\n

A Leaderless GOP<\/h3>\n\n

To most Americans, there continues to be no clear leader of the Republican Party. Only about three-in-ten (29%) can name someone who they think of as the leader of the GOP these days. Just over half (52%) say they don\u2019t know, and 18% volunteer that \u201cnobody\u201d leads the party.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Among those offering a name, John McCain continues to be mentioned more frequently than any other Republican as the party\u2019s leader, though only 8% of Americans cite him. Sarah Palin is named by 4%, Mitt Romney by 3%, and 2% of Americans name Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich as the Republican Party\u2019s leader.<\/p>\n\n

More than a third (36%) of Republicans name someone as the party\u2019s leader, up from 28% in December. But even among Republicans, 46% say they don\u2019t know and 17% say nobody leads the party. As with the public at large, McCain\u2019s name comes up more frequently than any other (11%), followed by Mitt Romney (6%) and Sarah Palin (5%). Among conservative Republicans, Romney\u2019s name comes up about as often as McCain\u2019s (8% vs. 9%), with Palin (6%) and Gingrich (5%) not far behind. Just 2% of the public names Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the GOP; however, 8% of liberal Democrats say Limbaugh leads the party.<\/p>\n\n

Obama\u2019s Job Approval<\/h3>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Barack Obama\u2019s overall job approval ratings have remained steady in recent months, with a slim plurality approving of his job performance (currently 47%), and nearly as many disapproving (42%). About eight-in-ten Democrats (79%) approve of Obama\u2019s job performance, up slightly from a low of 74% shortly before the passage of health care reform legislation in March. Just 18% of Republicans approve of Obama \u2013 largely unchanged over the course of 2010. Independents are divided over Obama\u2019s job performance: 46% disapprove while 41% approve.<\/p>\n\n

Public reactions to Obama\u2019s handling of major domestic policies have also remained fairly steady. On the key issues of the economy and health care, slim majorities disapprove (54% and 51%, respectively) with little change over the course of the year. Health care remains the single most polarizing issue \u2013 with 70% of Democrats approving of Obama\u2019s job compared with 11% of Republicans.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Nearly half of Americans (47%) say they disapprove of Obama\u2019s handling of the nation\u2019s immigration policy, while just 29% approve. This is largely unchanged from January, when 50% disapproved and 30% approved. Obama\u2019s low ratings on immigration reflect the fact that fewer than half of Democrats (45%) say they approve of his performance on the issue. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) offer no opinion on Obama\u2019s handling of immigration.<\/p>\n\n

Obama receives more positive (43%) than negative (34%) ratings on the issue of energy policy, with little change in the balance of opinion since January. As with immigration, many Americans (23%) have no opinion one way or the other.<\/p>\n\n

There has been more fluctuation in public ratings of Obama\u2019s handling of Afghanistan. Currently, about as many Americans approve (41%) as disapprove (42%) of how Obama is dealing with the situation in Afghanistan. The balance of opinion was much more positive (51% approve, 35% disapprove) a month ago. In November, prior to Obama\u2019s announcement of his Afghanistan strategy, more Americans disapproved (49%) than approved (36%). As in previous months, Obama receives better marks from Republicans for his handling of Afghanistan (31% approve) than any other issue. The partisan gap on this issue is smaller than any other, as barely half (54%) of Democrats offer a positive assessment.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the debate in Washington heats up over new regulations on financial markets, the public is divided evenly over whether the Republican Party or Democratic Party (36% each) can do a better job of dealing with banks and financial institutions. Another 28% offer no preference between the two. The parties are also even when it 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