Democrats edge past the GOP in party affiliation. Does it matter?

Democrats edge past the GOP in party affiliation. Does it matter?

By Brad Knickerbocker at the Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2015/0705/Democrats-edge-past-the-GOP-in-party-affiliation.-Does-it-matter

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Whether a voter identifies or leans toward a political party is becoming less and less relevant as the 2016 presidential election approaches.

Americans are more likely now than at any other time in recent history to avoid identifying themselves as Republican or Democrat, with 43 percent instead now calling themselves "independent," Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport reported in January, adding that the favorability rating for both major parties has dropped from 54 percent in 1993 to just 39 percent today.

Still, the way voters and potential voters register is closely watched by pundits and political pros, and the latest trend seems to favor Democrats.

In the second quarter of 2015, Democrats regained an advantage over Republicans in terms of party affiliation, Gallup reported last week. Forty-six percent of those surveyed identified as Democrats or said they are independents who lean toward the Democratic Party, while 41 percent identified as Republicans or leaned Republican

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