Republican voters say they want a gutsier GOP nominee, who will challenge establishment orthodoxy on issues like climate changeand immigration.
And the GOP is more unified in its support of a candidate who can get more Americans to cast ballots, particularly for the first time.
And, on a national level, Republicans are more united behind the party’s message in this election — that the economy is improving.
“There is a growing sense that the economy is finally improving. And the Republicans are making it much easier to vote in this election,” she said.
The latest Pew poll — released Monday — has Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by double digits in a head-to-head matchup among all respondents.
The latest poll also shows that 62 percent of registered voters say they will definitely vote to re-elect Clinton, while 28 percent say they have no definite plans and 18 percent are undecided.
The poll’s findings could cause problems for the Republican National Committee, which has made the presidential election a major priority for fundraising and building support in various voter outreach programs in battleground states through the spring, including the RNC’s “Stand For Days” bus tour on the coasts.
Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short said the poll’s findings are “a big wake-up call” for the party to do better in this election and will help them move to a more positive stance toward the contest.
“People across the entire country care about the economy … and they feel like President Obama has failed them,” Short said. “The RNC looks at this as a potential election issue.”
Clinton has been gaining momentum in the race, particularly since the publication of the video in which she appeared to mock a disabled reporter, in an apparent attempt to remind supporters that she can do better.
“The question now is, will voters react positively to the video that shows Secretary Clinton’s strength, or negatively to the video that shows what she is not?” she said about Trump’s own response.
Republicans are also taking steps to broaden the electorate.
In the House last cycle, Romney got 41 percent of Republican voters.
Now, only 36 percent of all GOP primary voters say they are certain they will vote for Romney.
