Americans Give GOP Edge on Most Election Issues (USA Today/Gallup poll)

[sabra]

Source: Gallup

Greatest Republican advantages on terrorism, immigration, federal spending
by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds Americans saying the Republicans in Congress would do a better job than the Democrats in Congress of handling seven of nine key election issues. The parties are essentially tied on healthcare, with the environment being the lone Democratic strength.



The Republicans' advantage on most issues is an indication of the currently favorable political environment for the party. Of particular note is the parity between the two parties on healthcare, an issue on which Americans historically have viewed the Democrats as superior.

A similar USA Today/Gallup poll conducted in October 2006, just prior to Democrats' major gains in that fall's elections, highlights the potential implications of these findings. That poll, which includes several issues measured in the current survey, found the Democrats leading on all eight issues tested at that time, including some usual Republican strengths like terrorism and moral values.

Read more: http://www.gallup.com/poll/142730/Americans-Give-GOP-Edge-Election-Issues.aspx

[NC_Nurse]

1. Short memories. Sigh.

[ixion]

2. The dems had a golden opportunity to be populist heroes, and instead

chose faux bi-partisanship as a thinly-veiled guise for serving their true masters.

This isn't about the GOP doing well, it's about the Dems doing poorly.

[billymayshere]

7. You said it

If the Dems lose it will be their own fault. Instead of taking principled stands they started every debate from a compromised position.

[wellst0nev0ter]

13. What's Worse

If the Democrats lose, they'll take it as a sign that they aren't sufficiently wingnut enough, which will mean more shameless backsliding on their principles -_-

[elocs]

28. Indeed, if Dems lose either house they will tend to move to the right.

For any who normally vote Democratic and are thinking of sitting out this election, beware of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

[RaleighNCDUer]

36. So the choice is to vote for Dems who will move the party to the right,

or lose, at which point the Dems will move the party to the right.

FUCK THAT - I QUIT.

[elocs]

38. If the Dems lose big they will move farther to the right than most here would like.

In an imperfect world you do not get perfect choices. Reality is what it is and you must deal with it and not fantasies. A party that has moved to the right can in time move back to the left. The place to do that is the primaries, not the general election.

This is DemocraticUnderground.com. Perhaps you could start FuckThatIQuit.com.

[pattmarty]

9. Yep.

[Gecko6400]

10. Very well stated!!!!!

[onehandle]

14. Dems wimped out bigger than ever. Especially the White House. nt

[Amonester]

27. What they failed to realize (and address) is that the Left

left.

[Iowa]

34. You nailed it. We have witnessed fumbling, bumbling, incompetence on an epic scale...

...and that includes the WH.

[Safetykitten]

37. So that message we are putting out that they are nuts is working.

What a waste. So much could of been done, so little of consequence was.

[bluestateguy]

3. nt

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9055674

[rfranklin]

4. Teh stoopiditee is painful!

We are doomed!

[wuvuj]

5. At least 50% of Americans....

...are dumber than our last President...when they can't think and can be easily manipulated...democracy fails. Best bet? Issue them guns so they can shoot themselves in the foot...over and over.

[Gecko6400]

11. Most of them already have guns!

[mrcheerful]

6. Americans have to be some of the dumbest people on the planet if they believe that a vote for

a republicon is going to help them get a job good lord. Strong on terrorism yeah right the republicons are great for recruiting more terrorist, stupid stupid stupid. Morals? Grown men hiring hookers to change their soiled diapers are moral values I guess, better then asking your spouse to change you after all why would she have to deal with your crap. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[quakerboy]

39. Um... the dumb is all over

At least, in the english speaking parts. Look North, Look at Ye Olde England, look to our Aussie bretheren and sisteren. We are all picking real winners as of late.

[AndyA]

8. Give the combination to the safe to the bank robber, because it's been a couple of years

since they robbed the bank.

Yeah, brilliant plan America. Wake. The. F*ck. Up.

[still_one]

12. A sad testement to the lack of critical thinking, but also a failure of the Democrats

We should have never lost Kennedy's seat, but after we did, that should have been a glaring red flag

The Democrats do not seem to have the stomach to fight, especially for the issues that count

When you reports that have some Democrats in Congress, and the administration willing to compromise on Social Security, it should be no surprise that HCR and the financial reform was mediocre at best

If the the polls are right and we lose one or both houses of Congress will the Democrats change direction, and start to stand for principle?

[T Wolf]

15. The rethugs know how to play the public. The Dems do not know how to do anything except sell out

principles for... what exactly do they gain by abandoning traditional Democratic goals? Oh yeah - the maybe vote of two New England rethug Senators.

But their biggest prize is the betrayal felt by millions of liberals and Democrats who thought the party, when we gave them the WH and large majorities in Congress, would actually do something progressive.

How many times does it need to be said? Americans will vote for a real GOPster over a Dem pretending to be one.

And while the public is indeed incredibly ignorant and stupid to think that the GOP will do anything for them, they are not wrong in rejecting the less-than-half-assed efforts by our party to improve things.

Just think how much more support and enthusiasm there would be if the Democrats had pushed for single payer or the public option, passed some real financial reform legislation and done something about the economic disaster that has gotten worse since 2008.

Democrats - for get about losing your base (most of us will probably vote in November) - we obviously are not important to you at all. But you are also losing that great unwashed, pre-occupied with American Idol, ignorant and susceptible to Fuck Nuze propaganda middle that was there in 2008. They were looking for hope and change, maybe even more than the base. And they have seen that it is not coming from this administration and Congress (that, despite our protests, IS SEEN as in Democratic control and thus, responsible for what they enact).

Is the party complicit or just stupid?

[Bitwit1234]

16. Boy - remember the fight in Florida over the honesty of the

poll companies. Who got practically every one of the polls incorrect. Who believes the republican owned companies. And who believes the republicans when they say that conservatives are the majority in this country that over 50 percent to 30 percent. What a laugh. Democrats out number republicans 3 to 1.

[EC]

17. This has to be an outlayer

it says the Republicans would do better with the environment...give me a break...this has to be skewed....of course if we remember USA Today was so full of hype about Bush I thought he must have been giving editors blow-jobs every morning...

[0rganism]

46. no, I think the environment thing looks accurate

Democrats lead by 23 points on that, according to the survey.
That the GOP even scores in the 30s reflects how much propaganda we've been hit with.

the perceived difference would be -
Democrats = pro-regulation of industrial pollutants, including greenhouse gases, cap & trade, that kind of complicated shit
Repubs = "let the free market decide" on the environment so maybe that factory you used to work at opens up again, very simple

The population has been immersed in a continuous campaign atmosphere for the last several years by repubs. Many Americans apparently think global warming's a hoax, industry can responsibly self-regulate, and we just need to let the rich people in to run things "right" again.

[Frank Booth]

18. I don't know why I still care about this country.

[TheWatcher]

32. There really isn't a country left for you to care about, in all fairness, Frank.

The country you and I believe in was gone long ago.

And I fear there is now no way of ever getting it back.

When War Criminals can commit whatever atrocities they want, and never have to fear accountability or prosecution for those crimes no matter how big they are, then you no longer have Rule Of Law, and you no longer have a country.

Strap In, it's going to get ugly.

The American People on the Right AND the Left simply cannot find enough ways to facilitate and enable the Criminals that rape, pillage, and steal from them.

Game Over.

[Frank Booth]

45. Built on the blood of so many.....

I guess we were doomed from the start.

[Historic NY]

19. REPUBLICAN's got us in this mess...people are so ADD.

[krabigirl]

20. I cannot believe the gop was rated so high on terrorism, considering when 9/11 happened.

[No Elephants]

21. They believe the Big Lie. namely, "Bush kept us safe."

[No Elephants]

22. Those polled have a very rich fantasy life, a very poor memory and a lame brain.

"Leave Bush's tax cuts for the rich alone" is all the Republicans have given us in years.

[bitchkitty]

23. I hate polls.

Even when they're bullshit they get too much attention, and might become self-fulfilling prophecies.

[creon]

24. self inflicted

The Democrats in Congress - especially the Senate - did not do a good job in writing and passing good legislation. I think that is mainly due to the inability of the members to work together. There seems to be very little solidarity and discipline within the Democratic Party. Obama bears part of the blame in this.

The economy is in a very serious recession, and people are worried and fearful. Unfortunately, the state of economic thinking rules out workable solutions. Orthodox economics has nor solution; the economy will "fix itself".

The GOP could do quite well in November. That would be due the failure of the Democratic Party - in Congress and the WH.

[JDPriestly]

25. They did not ask the key issue: Who would do better on Social Security?

Amother post on DU told Obama what he needs to do: fire Kaine; hire back Dean; announce the appointment of Elizabeth Warren.

I would add: Stop being nice to Republicans.

[0rganism]

47. I doubt you would have liked the answer

Sadly enough, Obama doesn't listen to DU. We're the "professional left", and our advice is poison to his administration.

[florida08]

26. really now

I don't think 1,021 phone surveys speak for the majority of the country..but let me say that taking a poll at this time is highly questionable. The country in the past month has been thrown a curve by what has been termed a 'mosque' at ground zero. It has been emotionally stirred up by the suggestion there will be prayer calls 3 times a day on the site of ground zero. You can thank Palin and her cult along with others like Fox and the GOP for that. Skewing poll surveys are their specialty. Rile the country up..release the poll data.

No thanks..I'll wait till the country is calm and thinking clearly again.

[totodeinhere]

29. Here is the problem.

No thanks..I'll wait till the country is calm and thinking clearly again.

What you said about the mood of the country is logical. However, the right will continue to stir things up right up to the election in November, and by then the country very well might not have returned to calm and clear thinking yet. And if that is the case then the Democrats lose big.

As far as the poll itself goes, the sample size they used is really quite large for a poll of this type, and if you do a statistical analysis you will find that the margin of error is probably no more than + or - 4%. It seems that a lot of people at DU only want to believe the validity of polls that have results that they agree with, and they will reject any poll that they don't agree with.

[tritsofme]

31. Well gee, how else would you know whether a poll is reliable or not?

It seems that a lot of people at DU only want to believe the validity of polls that have results that they agree with, and they will reject any poll that they don't agree with.

[florida08]

33. Correction

Did I say the poll was wrong? I said it was skewed and it is, however that does not make it inaccurate in this political climate. Do you know where the country will be in November? Your crystal ball is that clear? I prefer a wait and see approach than one that is defeatist. I don't like polls nor pundits telling me what to think. This is the point I was making. If republicons are doing our thinking for us we're in trouble as progressives not because of what others might do.

The fringe on the right are the minority. They want to be the majority. Yes the country is not thrilled with what hasn't been done. I don't blame them but this is a fight with corporate America. The cons have already said if they get in, Congress will come to a stand still with subpoenas and investigations. They want to destroy SS. I don't for one second believe this is what the majority wants.

If the democrats lose they lose but how many they lose depends on how determined we are to counter the right. We must stop being passive in this election cycle and get geared for a fight. We are imo worth fighting for. Democracy of the people is worth fighting for. A battle is already lost or won in the mind before it's ever played out. You see many on DU fighting everyday to get the truth out. Untangling the lies. The poll should make us dig in. That's how republicans win. They don't run in the face of a fight. They get louder.

[quakerboy]

40. Will Fox be letting things calm down for the election?

I have my doubts that come late October, they will suddenly become happy lapdogs, letting the american populace get down to looking at the truth and the facts so that they can vote with a clear head.

[dmosh42]

30. Gallup is for sale! n/t

[Dawson Leery]

35. Perhaps this country deserved McCain.

[Change Happens]

41. Based on these numbers, and IF the GOP makes serious gains this November. we will easily have Pres.

Palin in 2012...

[tabasco]

42. Americans are a bunch of dumb fucks.

There's just no way around it.

[Demeter]

43. I'm Not Really Worried

Either the GOP will screw up and lose

OR

the GOP will screw up and win

In either event, the message will penetrate that DC Democratic bubble--WE ARE NOT AMUSED.

[depakid]

44. It's always impressive how easily people are manipulated by the likes of Gallup

This outfit could say anything and Americans would believe it was the Gospel truth.