国际英语资讯:Republicans pre-convention image ties Democrats among U.S. voters: poll_时事

国际英语资讯:Republicans pre-convention image ties Democrats among U.S. voters: poll

TAMPA, the United States, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The favorability of the Republican Party among U.S. registered voters matches the 2008 pre-convention level, and has a virtual tie with that of the Democratic Party, shows a poll released Wednesday.

Forty-four percent of registered voters held a favorable view of the Republican Party, compared to 43 percent for the Democratic Party. While the Republicans' favorable rating is similar to that before the party conventions started in 2008, the Democrats' is 11 percentage points lower than 2008, according to the USA Today/ Gallup poll conducted on Aug. 20-22, just ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

The favorability of the Democrats among the voters is at the lowest pre-convention level in Gallup records since 1992, the Gallup said in a report on the poll. The relatively low ratings for both parties likely reflect Americans' broader dissatisfaction with the country's direction and government leaders, including Congress, the Gallup said.

The independent voters are expected to be crucial to decide the result of this year's U.S. presidential election on Nov. 6. But the Republicans and Demorcrtats again have a virtual tie in terms of favorability among the independents, at 50 percent to 49 percent. The Republicans have a 38 percent unfavorability rate, in comparison with 37 percent for the Democrats.

More than 40,000 Republican delegates, activists and supporters are attending the three-day Republican National Convention in Tampa, which on Tuesday formally nominated former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in the race for the White House.