Republican approval ratings hit 5-year high

A recent Bloomberg Politics poll echoes what the midterm election results revealed: that Republicans are more popular than they've been in a while, and that Americans regard President Obama and the Democratic Party with decreasing favor.

The poll shows that 45 percent of Americans now view the Republican Party favorably, while 47 percent hold an unfavorable view. This is the highest approval rating the GOP has seen since 2009, when the survey was created. Opinion of the Democratic Party, on the other hand, is at its worst level in five years: 41 percent of participants say they have a favorable opinion of Democrats, while 50 percent have an unfavorable view of the party.

Despite these results, Republicans shouldn't rest on their laurels. The Bloomberg poll also showed that "Americans are more likely to view Republicans as more confrontational than Democrats, and to say Republican politicians are more motivated by their desire to antagonize Obama." In addition, Republican leaders of Congress John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are also viewed more unfavorably than favorably, according to the poll.

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