Gallup: Voters Trust GOP Over Democrats On Big Issues

On left, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) sits to the right of the man who may soon take his job, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Voters trust Republican candidates significantly more than Democrats on four of the six big issues they say will impact how they vote in November. On the top issue, the economy (88 percent), a slight 5-point advantage has expanded significantly to 11 points since Gallup last polled registered voters on party preference in April.

The six big issues identified by Gallup are issues that receive more than the average 69 percent of voters who cite an issue “extremely” or “very important” to their vote.

These results posted in the graph above are from a Sept. 25 – 30 Gallup survey that asked registered voters — likely voters would no doubt be more favorable to the GOP — to rate the importance of 13 issues regarding their vote for Congress, as well as the party they believe would do a better job on each. The results are strikingly pessimistic for Democrats.

“The higher an issue is, the greater the Republican Party’s advantage. And the farther to the right an issue is, the more important it is to the electorate,” Andrew Dugan said.

“Notably, as the GOP tries to gain control of the Senate, the current GOP advantage on the economy nearly matches the 12-point advantage the party held in August 2010, shortly before the midterm elections that gave the Republicans control of the House of Representatives,” he added. “The GOP’s lead on the federal budget deficit has also widened, to 20 points from 14 points in April, and is now higher than at any other time during Barack Obama’s presidency.”

There are a number of new items included in the poll, including “the way the federal government works” and “the situation in Iraq and Syria,” both of which Republicans have the advantage (R+8 and R+19).

While voters have historically trusted the GOP over Democrats on terrorism and national security, as Dugan noted, it would appear that voters aren’t buying the incessant charges of “Republican obstruction” from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and President Obama. There are literally hundreds of House bills sitting on Sen. Reid’s desk that he has not allowed the chamber to vote on, and, according to the Gallup poll, Americans see Democrats as the obstructionists.

Only on the top issue of “the availability of good jobs” are the two parties close, though Republicans still hold a 1-point Republican lead.

Above Average Importance

1. the economy (88%)
2. the availability of good jobs (86%)
3. the way the federal government is working (81%)
4. the situation with Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria (78%)
5. equal pay for women (75%) and
6. the federal budget deficit (73%)

Democrats aren’t without their advantages, however. On the above-average issue of importance — equal pay for women — Democrats have a whopping 38-point advantage, which is the largest lead held by either party on any issue.

On the two issues that are of average importance to voters, “foreign affairs,” and “taxes,” Republicans also have the trust of registered voters. Of the five issues voters say are least important to their vote in November, on all but immigration (R+5), Democrats hold the advantage.

It is entirely possible that Democrats limited their losses by putting together a coalition of small issue-voters (sorry, but that’s an accurate why to characterize them), particularly considering another Gallup poll released today found nearly 4 in 10 Americans say equal pay is the top issue facing working women in the United States today. The belief is widespread, as roughly the same proportions of men, women, and working women say it is so.

The “war on women” mantra worked well for Democrats in 2012, though the data certainly would suggest the attack line has lost its appeal at least to some degree. In Colorado, for instance, vulnerable incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall has centered his entire campaign on a strategy that seeks to scare young women voters away from Rep. Cory Gardner on women’s issues. However, that strategy backfired last weekend, when the left-of-center Denver Post endorsed Gardner over Udall, even after they stuck with Gov. John Hickenlooper and praised fellow-Democrat Sen. Michael Bennett.

“Rather than run on his record, Udall’s campaign has devoted a shocking amount of energy and money trying to convince voters that Gardner seeks to outlaw birth control despite the congressman’s call for over-the-counter sales of contraceptives,” the Denver Post wrote. “Udall is trying to frighten voters rather than inspire them with a hopeful vision. His obnoxious one-issue campaign is an insult to those he seeks to convince.”