Americans Think Republicans Are Intolerant, Too Extreme, And Right On Foreign Policy

◼ There's good news and bad news for both parties, in a Pew Research poll out Thursday: Republicans are seen as extreme and intolerant but more trusted to handle international issues, while Democrats' position as the party of the middle class doesn't translate into an edge on the economy. - Huffington Post

Compared to the GOP, Democrats are 24 points more likely to be perceived as tolerant and open to all groups of people, and 17 points more likely to be seen as caring about the middle class. They're also 14 points less likely to be perceived as being too extreme.

But "the Republican Party fares much better on issues than image," the survey finds. While Democrats are slightly more trusted on health care, the two parties are about tied on the economy, immigration and abortion. The GOP has a significant lead as the party preferred to handle taxes, the threat of terrorism, and, for the first time since 2002, foreign policy. Americans are now 13 points more likely to trust Republicans than Democrats on foreign policy, up from just a 1-point edge on the issue last October.