HOW LOVED THEY ARE – AT 11:05 A.M. ET:   The popularity of both political parties has now fallen below 40%.  That may not be entirely bad news.  From The Hill:

Both major political parties are viewed favorably by less than 40 percent of the American public for the first time in nearly 25 years, according to a new poll.

In a survey from Gallup, 37 percent say they view the Republican Party favorably while 39 percent say they view the Democratic Party favorably.

Fifty-three percent now have an unfavorable perception of the GOP, and 51 percent view the Democrats unfavorably.

It is also the first time since the survey house began polling on the parties' favorability in 1992 that neither has gotten over 40 percent. When Gallup began asking the question, both parties were viewed favorably by over 50 percent of the public.

The findings come amid continuing dysfunction in Washington — as the White House and Congress battle over everything from nuclear negotiations with Iran to the president’s executive action on immigration.

The poll also found that the percentage of Americans who view the Republican Party favorably has fallen by 5 points since the midterm elections, when they won a majority in the Senate and made gains in the House.

After the midterms, 42 percent said that they viewed the GOP favorably. That number, however, was up from 34 percent earlier in 2014.

COMMENT:  On balance, the news is better for Republicans than for Democrats.  We've been bombarded with theories that the Democrats can only rise in American politics because of demographic changes.  The fact that the GOP is within two points of the Dems in favorability, and within two points on unfavorability, damages that theory.  Remember that a greater percentage of Republicans vote than Democrats. 

The key, of course, is how these numbers will read in 2016, and who will actually vote in the 2016 presidential election.  But I'm not discouraged by the current standing.  We're not ten points behind.

March 16, 2015