Partisanship and political animosity at historic highs: Poll

Partisanship and political animosity are at historic highs, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday that showed majorities of both Democrats and Republicans expressing deeply negative views of the other party.

For the first time in more than two decades of Pew surveys, majorities in both parties expressed “very” unfavorable views of the other party.

Today, 58 percent of Republicans have a “very unfavorable” impression of the Democratic Party — up from 46 percent in 2014 and 32 percent in 2008.

And 55 percent of Democrats said they have a “very unfavorable” impression of the Republican Party — up from 43 percent in 2014 and 37 percent in 2008.

Fifty-five percent of Democrats also said the Republican Party makes them feel “afraid,” while 49 percent of Republicans said the same of the Democratic Party.

Asked to rate the likely major-party nominees on a 0-100 “thermometer” rating, with 0 being the most negative rating and 100 the most positive, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were judged to be ice cold by members of the opposing party.

Mrs. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, scored an average “temperature” rating of 12 among Republicans, while Mr. Trump, the likely Republican nominee, was given an average rating of 11 by Democrats.

About two-thirds of Democrats — 68 percent — gave Mr. Trump a zero, and 59 percent of Republicans gave Mrs. Clinton a zero.

The survey among 4,385 adults was conducted from March 2-28 and April 5-May 2 among Pew’s nationally representative “American Trends Panel.”