Dimock provides overview of electorate during Ripon Society symposium

Pew Center Vice President of Research Michael Dimock discussed the American electorate on Friday during the Ripon Society’s 2014 Legislative and Communications Directors Symposium on Leadership.

In general, Dimock said, Republican voters are more critical of their own party than Democrat voters are, which often sways favorability ratings in Democrats’ favor.

Approximately half of those who lean toward the Republican party have a favorable view of the party, Dimock said. That “leaners” group can generally be broken down into two subsets: younger voters who haven’t fully formed their political beliefs and very conservative voters.

“Within that Republican-leaning block, there’s a really diverse set of opinions within that space of people who are sort of sitting in that shoulder space, so-to-speak, politically for two different reasons,” Dimock said.

When it comes to specific issues, there isn’t a consistent advantage for Democrats. Republicans have consistently led Democrats in most fiscal areas, like deficit reduction and the economy, Dimock said.

Dimock said every poll has shown the public’s favorability of the Affordable Care Act dropping in recent months.

“But that hasn’t translated into a Republican edge on the issue (of healthcare),” Dimock said. “More Americans in virtually every poll still think the Democrats have better ideas on this, despite their dislike of Obamacare.”

Dimock said it’s common for the political party that doesn’t hold the presidency to be viewed less favorably, or as “the party of no.” That could explain why Republicans haven’t been able to turn public disapproval of the ACA into support for Republican healthcare policies.