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What accounts for it? And how has it been able to withstand this fall's avalanche of unhappy political news for the GOP?
Well, Republicans are different from Democrats. How so? Let us count the ways.
- They have more money. 2
- They have more friends. 3
- They are more religious. 4
- They are healthier. 5
- They are more likely to be married. 6
- They like their communities better. 7
- They like their jobs more. 8
- They are more satisfied with their family life. 9
- They like the weather better. 10
- They have fewer financial worries. 11
- They're more likely to see themselves doing better in life than their parents did. 12
- They're more likely to feel that individuals - rather than outside forces - control their own success or failure. 13
2 Republicans have a median annual family income of $64,000; Democrats have a median annual family income of $46,000, according to a February, 2008 Pew survey.
3 Some 31% of Republicans and 26% of Democrats say they have a lot of friends in the community where they live. Also, 15% of Republicans and 26% of Democrats say they don't have many friends, according to an October, 2008 Pew survey.
4 Some 51% of Republicans attend religious services once a week or more; only 30% of Democrats do so, according to a February, 2008 Pew survey.
5 Some 37% of Republicans report their health condition is excellent, only 25% of Democrats say so, according to a February 2008 Pew survey.
6 Some 62% of Republicans and 44% of Democrats are currently married, while 7% of Republicans and 13% of Democrats are currently divorced, according to a February 2008 Pew survey.
7 Some 71% of Republicans rate their communities as "excellent" or "very good"; only 54% of Democrats say the same, according to an Oct ober, 2008 Pew survey.
8 Some 90% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats are completely or mostly satisfied with their job, according to a February 2008 Pew survey.
9 This 4 percentage point difference falls short of statistical significance at the 95% confidence level.
10 Some 77% of Republicans and 62% of Democrats are "very satisfied" with their family life, according to a June 2008 Pew survey.
10 Some 27% of Republicans rate the climate where they live as "excellent" ; only 18% of Democrats think so, according to an October, 2008 Pew survey.
11 For more details, see Page 10.
12 Some 75% of Republicans and 61% of Democrats think that their own standard of living is better than the one their parents had when their parents were the age they are now, according to a February, 2008 Pew survey.
