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Poll: 6 in 10 Republicans embarrassed by GOP race

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/22/16 8:22 AM ET

Most Republicans say they are embarrassed about the GOP presidential race dominated by controversial businessman Donald Trump, according to a new poll.

Sixty percent say they are embarrassed by the GOP race, compared to 13 percent of Democrats who say the same of their party’s race, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

{mosads}Republicans overwhelmingly see their party as divided, with 88 percent holding that view, compared to 33 percent of Democrats who consider their own party to be divided.

While a slim majority of Republicans, 51 percent, have a favorable opinion of their front-runner, most Republicans, 58 percent, consider the tone of the GOP race to be more negative than past campaigns.

The poll was one of two national surveys released this week showing Trump with a double-digit lead in the GOP race over rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich, who are pushing for a contested convention in July. Trump also leads the field in delegates by more than 200.

Hillary Clinton also maintains a lead on the Democratic side. More than seven in 10 Democratic voters expect her to be the nominee, though rival Bernie Sanders sees more enthusiasm in the race.

A majority of Democrats, 56 percent, would enthusiastically support Sanders if he was the nominee, compared to 40 percent for Clinton. That’s an 8-point fall for Clinton and 12-point increase for Sanders over the past month.

The survey of 1,252 adults, including 362 Republicans and 388 Democrats, was conducted March 17–20 via landlines and cellphones with an overall margin of error of 3 points.

Tags 2016 GOP primary 2016 Presidential race Bernie Sanders Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Republicans Ted Cruz