Republican Leadership Approval Hits All-Time Low (WP/ABC poll)

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Republican Leadership Approval Hits All-Time Low
By Richard Morin and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Public confidence in Republican governance has plunged to the lowest levels of the Bush presidency, with Americans saying they now trust Democrats by wide margins to deal with Iraq, gasoline prices, immigration and more, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll that underscores the fragility of the GOP's grip on power six months before the midterm elections.

Dissatisfaction with the administration's policies in Iraq has overwhelmed other issues as the source of President Bush's and the Republican's problems. The survey suggests that this increasingly pessimistic mood about the direction of the country -- 69 percent said the nation is now off track -- as well as the Republican Party and congressional incumbents have dramatically improved the chances of Democrats to register significant gains in November....

***

Democrats are now favored to handle all 10 issues measured in the Post-ABC News poll. The survey also shows a clear majority of the public (56 percent) saying they would prefer to see Democrats in control of Congress after the November elections. Only a third want the GOP to remain in the majority. Nearly three times as many Americans say they will use the elections to express opposition to the president (30 percent) than to show support for him (12 percent).

The poll offers two clear cautionary notes for the Democrats. One is a growing disaffection with incumbents generally. When asked whether they were inclined to reelect their current representative in the Congress or look around for someone new, 55 percent said they were open to someone else, the highest since just before Republicans captured control of Congress in 1994. That suggests that some Democratic incumbents could feel the voters' wrath although as the party in power, Republicans have more at risk.

The second warning for Democrats is that their improved fortunes in November appear driven primarily by dissatisfaction with Republicans rather than by positive impressions of the Democratic Party. Congressional Democrats are rating only slightly more favorably than congressional Republicans, and 52 percent of those surveyed said the Democrats have not offered a clear direction in contrast to that of Bush and the Republicans....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601264.html?nav=hcmodule

[Knurled99]

1. Awesome news... maybe we'll have reason to celebrate soon

:party:

[opihimoimoi]

2. The Republicans have shot themselves in the FOOT...perhaps both feet.

Throughout this 6 year Bush/Pub Record...the Party has demonstrated a lack of Leadership to the point of Malfeasance...

Now they pay the Price...DEFEAT...People have come to realize the Pub Plans are full of it...period.

[truthisfreedom]

17. nobody likes getting shot in the face.

cheney sucks. that's part of the problem for thugs.

[opihimoimoi]

23. These guys will kill off yo ass if it meant POWER/WEALTH

Spooky

[Demeter]

3. I'll Believe It When the Voters Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is

and their votes in the Democrats' column.

[E-Z-B]

19. Yeah, November is a long way off...

...and voters tend to have short memories.

[GOTV]

21. Exactly.

We let statements like this lull us into false optimism:

"The survey also shows a clear majority of the public (56 percent) saying they would prefer to see Democrats in control of Congress after the November elections."

These sentiments are always trumped by the "but I like MY congressman" sentiments. No one gets to vote on which party runs the congress. If we could vote for that I would be confident that Dems will control congress next year. But lots of people who don't like what the GOP or Bush are doing will STILL vote for DeWine.

This fall will not be a cakewalk.

[kskiska]

4. WP: Confidence In GOP Is At New Low in Poll

Democrats Favored To Address Issues

Wednesday, May 17, 2006; A01

Public confidence in GOP governance has plunged to the lowest levels of the Bush presidency, with Americans saying by wide margins that they now trust Democrats more than Republicans to deal with Iraq, the economy, immigration and other issues, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll that underscores the GOP's fragile grip on power six months before the midterm elections.

Dissatisfaction with the administration's policies in Iraq has overwhelmed other issues as the source of problems for President Bush and the Republicans. The survey suggests that pessimism about the direction of the country -- 69 percent said the nation is now off track -- and disaffection with Republicans have dramatically improved Democrats' chances to make gains in November.

Democrats are now favored to handle all 10 issues measured in the Post-ABC News poll. The survey shows a majority of the public, 56 percent, saying they would prefer to see Democrats in control of Congress after the elections.

(snip)

Bush's job approval rating now stands at 33 percent, down five percentage points in barely a month and a new low for him in Post-ABC polls. His current standing with the public is identical to his father's worst showing in the Post-ABC poll before he lost his reelection bid to Bill Clinton in 1992. Bush's father fell below 30 percent in some other independent polls that year.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601264.html

[Tom Joad]

5. It can go lower.

[TygrBright]

6. I may be dating myself here, but...

...I keep hearing music from "The Limbo"...

How LOOOOOOOOOOOOW can you GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?

::cue steel band::

reminiscently,
Bright

[eleny]

8. Sung in a nice bass voice!

[truthisfreedom]

7. no overconfidence here. i'm just hoping they continue on a downward trend.

we don't need anything to happen that causes an uptick for these criminals. we need MORE INDICTMENTS and MORE CONVICTIONS.

[phiddle]

9. Hit 'em when they're down

We need to take advantage of this dissatisfaction to discredit the entire radical right agenda: belligerent foreign policy, government of, by and for the wealthy, leaving all children behind through massive public debt, and big brother in your private, i.e., reproductive and communicative, life.
Useful points of vocabulary: constantly refer to Bush as our "misleader", and substitute "con" wherever you might use "conservative".

[rodeodance]

13. ~~dwon, down down, into a burning ring of fire~

[jaysunb]

10. This can't be turned around !

America = once burned , twice shy.......

[expatriot]

14. i would be happy with just once shy for now...

given how many times we've been burned.

[GOTV]

22. They don't need to turn this around.

Bush's low approval rating doesn't matter because Bush will not be running. Polls of one party against another don't matter because most people don't vote that way.

The only polls that do matter are the ones that pit a specific incumbent against a specific challenger. When I see those kinds of polls we have an edge but it's not the blowout that the generic polls present.

At this point I'd be concerned if I was a Republican incumbent but I wouldn't be sending my resume out yet.

[Diane R]

11. I want the teens....

I want him to set a record for the lowest presidential poll ratings that will stand forever in history.

[Demeter]

20. Summer Driving Season Should Do It

It's only a matter of time....and lack of money.

[TexasLawyer]

12. And yet Karl Rove is confident the Repubs. will sweep in November!

[annabanana]

16. How do we get the elected Dems to take vote machine fraud

SERIOUSLY??

That one little tough tidbit is the only thing that will keep us from righting the ship of state.

We have to make it so damn loud that corpomedia is forced to cover it.

[Hekate]

15. Yoo-hoo, Laura --sorry to have to tell you, but nobody likes the creep!

Dropping. Like. A. Stone.

Hekate

[truthisfreedom]

18. hear hear! bush sucks!

like there's no tomorrow. bush sucks.

[wellst0nev0ter]

24. So When It Comes To Terra-ism, Democrats Are Favored

It's still 46-41 percent, but it still puts a smile on my face :)

[brooklynite]

25. Who cares about polls?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

26. Democratic incumbents take note

"Congressional Democrats are rating only slightly more favorably than congressional Republicans, and 52 percent of those surveyed said the Democrats have not offered a clear direction in contrast to that of Bush and the Republicans...."

Absolutely fucking A right. You're on notice too- take positive action to swiftly reverse the course this nation is on or you'll lose your seat as well.

[Veronica.Franco]

27. Feeling Blue? ...

What color is your state NOW? ...