Poll Shows GOP on the Move

Republicans now outnumber Democrats 37-34

It’s been a long held assumption in political circles that Democrats traditionally outnumber Republicans. This was true during the 1990’s, and according to Gallup, the tide has indeed shifted:

A new Gallup poll shows that the public values “values” less than November exit polls suggested, but another survey from the same outfit released today shows a historic surge in Republican party affiliation.

In Gallup’s latest poll this month, those identifying themselves as Republicans jumped to 37% of the public, with Democrats now clearly trailing with 32%.

Democrats have long held more party members than Republicans. During the Clinton years, the bulge was about 5% to 6%. As recently as late-October of this year the Democratic edge was 37% to 34%.

Gallup also confirmed that values ranked far behind other concerns such as the war in Iraq, terrorism, and the economy.