My usual response to this question is that the average Democrat is better than the average Republican, but the very best Republicans are better than the very best Democrats. However, given that my model of the "average Democrat" is the average person in the Bay Area, and my model of the "average Republican" is some mix of Fox news wacko and George W. Bush, I'm not sure I should trust this. Does anyone have any anecdotes about Democrats out side of the Bay Area? Republicans?