Wide chasm separates likely Democratic and GOP caucusgoers

Way back in February when Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren were the talk of the Iowa caucuses campaign, Democrats and Republicans agreed that the economy would be the most important issue in choosing a presidential nominee.

Eighteen percent of Democrats and 12 percent of Republicans identified that as the most important issue, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll. For Republicans, the only other issue to register in double digits was immigration at 10 percent.

That was then.

Now, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, while 21 percent of Republicans say the economy is their top issue, terrorism has leapfrogged past it for 30 percent of likely GOP caucusgoers.

Meanwhile, the economy remains the No. 1 issue for 35 percent of Democrats while just 7 percent are most concerned about terrorism.

And that's just the beginning of the wide gulf between the Democrats and Republicans who tell pollsters they are likely to caucus Feb. 1. From attitudes on issues from abortion to putting boots on the ground in Syria, their divergent positions have changed little since the campaign's early days when people thought Vice President Joe Biden would run and businessman Donald Trump wouldn't.

That shouldn't surprise anyone, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll.

'Members of the two parties hold serious differences on what they value, what they think and how government should act,” he said. 'One thinks government should have a big role in their lives, the other thinks government should have a minimal role in their lives.”

That Democrats and Republicans are at odds isn't surprising, but Iowa State University political science professor Steffen Schmidt finds the margin of difference to be a concern. He points to the Iran nuclear deal, which only 6 percent of Republicans support compared with 66 percent of Democrats.

'I ask myself how the hell can we ever get bipartisan government with these chasms between the two parties,” Schmidt said.

On the question about sending U.S. troops into Syria, Republicans have overwhelmingly supported it since the beginning of the year. In February, GOP voters supported that idea 73 to 23 percent. This month, they're still in favor - 72 to 24 percent.

University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle finds that interesting 'as Republicans had begun to show war fatigue and they don't have confidence in Obama being able to handle any conflict.”

Democrats started the year dead set against boots on the ground - 29 percent in favor to 63 percent opposed. Now 36 percent support that idea, but 58 percent still think it's a bad move. Hagle suggested the uptick might be attributed to the fact Hillary Clinton 'is talking tougher these days (that) may be a signal that it's OK to suggest greater U.S. involvement.”

There's been similar movement among Democrats on whether the United States is winning its battle with the Islamic State. In February, 27 percent said the United States was winning compared with 44 percent who thought the nation was losing. Now it's almost an even split with 38 percent saying the nation is winning to 37 percent saying it's not.

On the question of whether the United States should accept Syrian refugees, very few minds have changed since the questions was first asked in November.

Democrats favored resettlement 80 to 14 percent then and by 79 to 15 percent now. Republicans have only slightly moved from opposing the idea 13 to 82 percent in November to 15 to 82 percent this month.

On those defining issues that have long separated the parties, the divide seems as great as ever. Only 8 percent of Republicans believe abortion should be legal in all cases while 46 percent of Democrats think the same.

'What's interesting here is the low percentage for Democrats given how central it is both as the ‘choice' issue and the more general ‘war on women' theme,” Hagle said. 'This suggests Democrats need to be careful about pushing this theme too much or they could lose some of these voters.”

Schmidt wasn't surprised by the differences on the abortion issues because it 'is a surrogate for all the other differences - abortion, women's rights to control their health and body, as well as religion, which separates the two parties.”

Democrats and Republicans don't just disagree on the major issues facing the country. They also disagree on the best preparation for future presidents.

By 64 to 21 percent, Republicans began the year favoring governors over members of Congress. However, governors are not faring well in the GOP nomination contest, which is being led by senators - Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz - and people without experience in elected office - Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

Schmidt said that finding back in February 'fits into the GOP hostility with Congress.” Quinnipiac found that Democrats thought congressional experience was better training than being governor by a 63 to 25 percent margin.

Two who have served in the Senate lead the current Democratic race. The lone governor is a distant third.