The contrast between public attitudes toward the Republican and Democratic parties is pretty stark in a new Gallup poll. Thirty-six percent of those polled have a favorable impression of the GOP, versus 56 percent with an unfavorable view. For the Democrats, the favorable/unfavorable is 51-41.

As for the presidential candidates, there is only one leading candidate in either party with a higher unfavorable than favorable rating. And that candidate is…Mitt Romney, at 23-31. Of the other top candidates, Hillary Clinton is at her usual 48-48; Barack Obama is 53-27; John Edwards is 50-32; and Al Gore is 52042. Rudy Giuliani is 55-31; John McCain is 46-35; and Fred Thompson is 30-19. Michael Bloomberg, in his first Gallup test, is 36-27.