Voting enthusiasm among Republicans is at a record high, significantly over 2016, when Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton, and even higher than for Democrats, according to a new survey out Friday.
Gallup said that the GOP's 64% enthusiasm at this stage of the election is higher than “any election since Gallup first measured this in 2000.”
Significantly, it breaks the recent pattern of the party not in the White House having higher voter enthusiasm in a reelection year. Currently, 58% of Democratic voters are enthusiastic, a 6-point gap with the GOP.
“In some years when only one party had a competitive race for the nomination, that party was the more enthusiastic: Republicans in 2012 and Democrats in 2004. By contrast, although President Donald Trump is seeking reelection this year and Democrats are waging a nomination contest, Republicans are the more enthusiastic,” said the polling outfit.
In 2012, when President Barack Obama faced Republican nominee Mitt Romney, the GOP was more enthusiastic, 53%-45%, at this stage of the election. In 2004, when former President George W. Bush faced Democratic nominee John Kerry, the Democrats had the edge, 59%-53%.
“The current 64% feeling more enthusiastic easily beats the prior high of 53% in 2012 and 2004 for this time of year,” said the Gallup analysis.
Democrats, though, are more enthusiastic now than when they were in 2016, when Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders were fighting for the nomination.
“Democrats' enthusiasm (58%), in turn, well exceeds where it stood at a slightly later point in 2016 (43% in May) and in February 2012 (45%) and March 2000 (33%). It matches the level recorded in January/February 2004 (59%) but is considerably lower than in February 2008 (79%),” said Gallup.
Unclear is whether enthusiasm will deliver Trump a victory. The record is split, with the party with the most enthusiasm winning two of the last four presidential elections.
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