A staggering decline in the Democratic Party’s favorability rating has raised alarm bells among party leaders, as a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS reveals historic lows in public perception and deep fractures within the party itself. According to the poll, only 29% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably—the lowest rating recorded in CNN polling since 1992. It also marks a 20-point drop since January 2021, when Democrats regained control of the White House following Donald Trump’s  first term. A key driver of this dissatisfaction stems from growing frustration among Democratic voters who believe their party is failing to take a strong enough stand against Trump and the GOP agenda. When asked whether Democrats should prioritize working with Republicans to pass bipartisan legislation or focus on stopping the GOP’s policies, 57% of Democrats and left-leaning independents said their party should fight the Republican agenda, while only 42% favored collaboration. This marks a dramatic shift from September 2017, when 74% of Democrats supported working with Republicans to push forward Democratic priorities. For the first time in nearly a decade, a majority of Democratic-aligned voters believe their party is heading in the wrong direction. According to the poll, 52% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents disapprove of their party’s leadership, a stark contrast to eight years ago when Democrats overwhelmingly supported their leadership. The numbers underscore a growing divide between Democratic voters and their party establishment. Among self-identified Democrats, 72% still hold a favorable view of the party, but among independents who lean Democratic, that number plummets to just 37%. Adding to the party’s woes is the lack of a clear leader to rally behind. When Democratic-aligned respondents were asked to name the leader who best reflects the core values of the party, no single figure dominated the field. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the most frequently mentioned name, cited by 10% of respondents, followed closely by Vice President Kamala Harris at 9% and Sen. Bernie Sanders at 8%. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was named by 6%, while former President Barack Obama and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett each received 4%. Schumer barely registered at 2%, joining a handful of other low-profile mentions. Most strikingly, more than 30% of respondents could not name a single Democratic leader they believed embodied the party’s values. One respondent summed up the sentiment bluntly: “No one. That’s the problem.” This vacuum contrasts sharply with the Republican Party’s consolidation around Trump, despite internal tensions. The poll found that 79% of Republicans and right-leaning independents hold a favorable view of the GOP, compared to just 63% of Democrats who view their own party positively. Additionally, for the first time in CNN’s polling, Democrats are no longer widely seen as the mainstream political party. In 2022, 56% of Americans considered the Democratic Party’s policies to be mainstream. Now, a majority believe both the Democratic and Republican parties are too extreme, with 50% and 51% respectively saying the two parties have moved away from the center. While political independents still view Republicans as more extreme than Democrats, with 57% saying the GOP is too far right compared to 48% who say the same about the Democrats, this marks a significant image shift for a party that has traditionally positioned itself as the moderate alternative to Republican policies. The cracks in the […]