Rasmussen polls have long shown the GOP with a slight advantage on the “generic ballot” question asking voters whether they support unnamed Democratic or Republican candidates for congress. In general, because Rasmussen polls “likely voters” rather than adults, it tends to get numbers that are a little more Republican and conservative than polls focusing on all adults or all registered voters.
In the current political climate, Rasmussen has been a leading indicator; what Rasmussen polls today, other polls will soon start to show.
Today the Gallup organization released numbers that confirm this trend. The Gallup poll now reports that 48% of voters prefer Republican candidates and 44% support Democrats. Rasmussen has the Republican lead rising to six points; during last fall Rasmussen had Democrats up by four to six points.
This shift comes despite continuing dissatisfaction with Republicans. In my view, that makes the situation for Democrats more serious, not less so. If the Democrats are behind the Republicans at a time when voters loathe and despise the GOP, what will happen if the Republicans actually manage to improve their image a bit?