For the first time Chick-fil-A has landed a spot on the Republican's top 10 perceived brands list, as part of an annual index that measures top brands by party affiliation.  Chick-fil-A, which came under fire this summer for controversial anti-gay comments made by the chain's president Dan Cathay, shot to the number 4 spot with a score of 61.8, according to YouGov BrandIndex.  Democrats gave Chick-fil-A a score of -12, down from 17.6 last year, according to the index.  YouGov BrandIndex calculated scores, which can range from -100 to 100, by subtracting negative feedback from positive feedback on quality, value, general impression, satisfaction, reputation and willingness to recommend.  M&Ms debuted on the top 10 best perceived brands for both Democrats (at number 7) and Independents (at number 10), while dropping off the Republican list from last year.  Cheerios was one of the brands that was able to cross all political aisles: Cheerios moved up with Democrats to the number 3 ranking, while coming in at 7 for Republican and 9 for Independents.  But the YouGov BrandIndex isn't just about food items.  For Republicans, Fox News Channel regained the top spot with a score this year of 64.5. For Democrats, Google once again came in first with a score of 65.  Staples got the fifth-largest lift in perception among Republicans, perhaps because Staples founder Thomas Stemberg introduced GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney at convention in Tampa in August.  General Motors, was the fourth-biggest gainer among Democrats, according to YouGov BrandIndex, which cited President Obama's auto bailout and the slogan “Osama Bin Laden is dead, GM is alive” which was used at September’s Democratic convention and on the campaign trail.
Chick-fil-A has become one of the five best-rated brands among Republicans in a year marked by protests and counter-protests over its opposition to gay marriage.