Economic Advantage: Democrats

As the 2008 election draws closer, the economy continues to be Americans’ top concern, with 89 percent describing it as "extremely” or “very" important in a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. This may help the Democratic Party, which holds double-digit leads over the GOP on key economic issues. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 42 percent of Americans said the Democrats would do a better job of reducing the deficit, compared to only 20 percent who said the Republicans would. Even on “dealing with taxes,” a traditional GOP advantage, the Democrats led the Republicans by 5 points. Source: NBC News/ Wall Street Journal, January 2008.