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The Republican Party took a big lead in the generic ballot in Gallup’s weekly tracking poll of registered voters. Among registered voters, 51 percent prefer a Republican candidate while only 41 percent prefer a Democratic candidate. This is not only the largest lead this election cycle; it’s the largest lead for Republicans that Gallup has ever seen in their history of tracking the generic ballot for midterm elections. This double-digit deficit in support for Democrats is mirrored in my analysis of the results in the Washington State primary.
Republicans have held the lead in the generic ballot since earlier this month. They not only lead the generic ballot, but their voters are dramatically more enthusiastic about voting this year. A full 50 percent of Republicans say they are very enthusiastic about voting while only 25 percent of Democrats make that claim. This is also the largest enthusiasm gap this year.
It’s not all bad news for Democrats today, though. A Newsweek poll (PDF) of registered voters also released Monday found Democrats simply tied with the Republicans in the generic ballot at 45 percent each. A tie in the generic ballot would still mean large losses this year for Democrats, just not a total bloodbath anticipated by a ten-point deficit in current polls.
The poll also found Obama had a respectable 47 percent job approval rating with only 45 percent disapproving of the job he is doing as President. Unfortunately for Democrats, Obama’s numbers are very bad on the most important issue this cycle. Only 40 percent approve of the way he is handling the economy while 56 percent disapprove.
While the data from these two polls varies, the results range from things being only bad for Democrats to being truly terrible for Democrats.
31 Comments
The Democrats spent their time turning us into a nation corporate serfs and giving the cold shoulder to the unemployed while plotting to strangle Social Security right from the White House itself, so what do they expect? This isn’t even getting into matters of indefinite detention and prosecuting whistleblowers.
Obama has to pick up his attacks on the GOP for their obstructionism and the dems in congress need to show some guts when they get back. The jobs bill needs to be passed and Obama has to reiterate that SS is not in any way in jeopardy with the dems. There really is too much doubt about what is going to happen to SS and other programs. The dems have to lead and show up how bankrupt the repug party really is right now.
“Obama has to pick up his attacks on the GOP for their obstructionism”
The problem is that the Democrats have offered up horrid corporatist legislation – if the Democrats had actually offered good legislation, obstructionism would be working against the Republicans instead of for them.
“Obama has to reiterate that SS is not in any way in jeopardy with the dems.”
Yeah, if he lies big enough and often enough maybe he’ll be able to scam enough voters before he puts the finishing touches on cutting Social Security. Your plan might work for the midterms, but once voters see that they’ve been lied to about something like that, it will be a long time before the Democrats recover.
In the run up to elections I tend to not pay much attention to the polls. I think they are propaganda. My opinion only, but I feel that the more that spill gets out the more it affects voters in a negative way. I say don’t count your chickens until they are hatched.
If Democrats mess with social security and medicare they are DONE for. I do agree with that. I don’t care if it is after the mid-terms when they pick up the hatchet, they will still suffer the same tar and feather treatment.
sadly, far too many wont see it as a “hatchet”, just “minor adjustments”, “tweaking” if you will ’cause people are livin longer doncha know
People are living longer and Simpson plans to stop that right now.
Fixed that for you.
Thanks, Doctor. You’re right.
A pox on both their houses. Democrats and Republicans only have one campaign strategy and that is to portray the other party as even more worthless than they are. A vote for any Democrat or any Republican is a vote for wars and kleptocracy.
Obama turned his back on America on day one when he should have said ” Let the Torture Investigations begin Eric, as our sworn duty to protect and preserve our constitution” but he chose not to, makes him a war criminal too.
The republicans would have howled till the moon fell from the sky but at the end of the day Obama would have stood on the side truth and justice and in doing so would have destroyed the republican party as he should have.
Those old sayings” the die is cast” and ” if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen” apply.
Then he could have restored what was lost and passed single payer and reinstated Glass-Steagall for starters but nooooo……
Play up the crazies
That’ll get ‘em to accept
And kiss the hand that slaps them
For their own good, of course
Fucking retards
Who’s the engine?
economically speaking
they are,
but they need a spanking
let’s see the look
on their petulant faces
when they hold their nose
to vote us in
and then we rape them
again
Obama’s inept leadership will continue to rule the day. Black Democrats have a death grip over the party. They will support Obamacorp no matter what preventing a real progressive candidate from saving us in 2012. But because Obama’s henchmen have called people like me retarded, I will not donate a penny nor will I encourage anyone to vote for him. I think the Obama administration is so duplicitous they will throw Democrats into hell to make Obama look more moderate and possibly pull out the 2012 election. Obama only cares about his little inner circle.
you’re both right, was just snarking about how many have swallowed the ‘people living longer’ poison
“Black Democrats have a death grip on the party”. Bet that would be a surprise to them.
I agree about the inept leadership. Obama has been damaging the Democratic Party ever since he came on the scene.
The Adminstration will let the Dems go down the tubes this year, then throw the left a bone as the 2012 elections near. In other words, Obama will finally do something progressive, to snooker his erstwhile base into voting for him once more. Progressives are so starved for some sign of liberalism on Obama’s part, the trick will probably work.
Yes, it is more like the neoliberals in economics and neocons in foreign policy, you know the DLCers who have the Democrats in their pocket.
Got that right.
Republicans,
Led by Sarah Palin and her buddy, NH Senate Candidate Kelly Ayotte, are ruining this country with their Right-Wing-Hegemonic ways.
Watch Kelly in action 3 days ago:
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/68155
It’s heinous.
Unfettered capitalism kills democracy.
It will also eventually kill finance capitalism, which is a good thing.
Ticks eventually come back, even after the hardest winter.
Let us Leave FDR, JFK, LBJ, Democrats out of this POLL!
Obama and Clinton democrats are not polling well
Who in their right mind think FDR, JFK, LBJ, would ever govern the USA like Obama and Clinton!
What would FDR, JFK, LBJ have done?
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would have at least supported the base of the Democratic Party!
Obama and Clinton the democrooks attack the base of the democratic party on a regular basis.
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would have supported and fought for the public option
“Obama and Clinton democrooks fought to kill the public option”
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would have fought for unions and teachers
“Clinton, Obama democrooks hate unions”
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would have passed a health care bill Ted Kennedy would have love!
“Clinton, Obama, democrooks passes a Bill written by Bob Dole a republican”
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would have put people on their economic team that could get us out of this depression!This is not a recession. the USA is currently in a severe depression”
“Clinton, Obama democrooks put people on their economic team that cause the current depression”
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would never let the NSA spy on americans
“Clinton, Obama democrooks like Bush are all for letting the military of USA spy on americans”
FDR, JFk, LBJ, would have supported and appointed people like Elizabeth Warren in their Adminstration.
“Obama and Clinton democrooks support and listen to people like Alan Simpson, and well point executives”
FDR, JFK, LBJ, would have fought for the people of the Gulf of Mexico, they would have taken BP to the woodshed!
“Clinton, Obama democrooks help companies like BP cover up disasters”
Fact: the people of the Gulf now think Bush done a better job with Katrina, than Obama is doing with BP! who thought Bush would do something better than Obama? this says it all.
Like most americans when I hear the word Democrat, the first thing pops in my mind are people like FDR, JFK, LBJ, Ted Kennedy, not Reagan, Bush, etc.
Clinton likes the Bushes
Obama likes Reagan
enough said! can you say Trojan Horses
The next time democrats need to elect a democratic president that likes people like FDR, JFK, LBJ, Ted Kennedy, etc.
Trojan horse, yeah. I’ve had this stuck in my head since Dec. 2008.
Clinton and Obama have hijacked and sold out the Democratic Party. I believe history will reveal this to be true.
Could be right.
I’ve got Barack standing arm in arm with the oppressor New Hampshire School Board Assn, supporting restrictive speech for parents at school boards in NH:
http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2007/03/peter-tosh-barack-obama-and.html
While Alderman Teeboom and I changed First Amendment and public comment policy in Nashua:
NH Telegraph story p.1
http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/3082/livingthedreamgz4.jpg
NH Telegraph story p.2
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/170/livingthedream3kn4.jpg
Even the Nashua City Attorney agreed with us so the policy was changed. Yet Barack was there, with the wrong crowd and apparently not doing anything to change their policy. Ditto the Patriot Act:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/constitution/3035-obama-signs-patriot-act-extension
Ahem.
-The KingCaster.
Thank you commenter #23, you just hit the ball out of the park. I have never been so disgusted with the Democrats since November 2008. Did the Senate Dems rewrite the rules and dump the filibuster? No, they much preferred continuing the stupid offensive anti-democratic filibuster so that they could cry, “oh, the pity, we can’t get the major sixty votes to pass anything progressive…”
According to the “logic” of the absurd statements of Att. Gen. Holder, we should not be prosecuting any bank robbers, because, well, all the bank robberies were in the past, and you know, we must look forward…
And Pres. Obama is a total sellout to Repubs and Corporations… He is worthless for those millions of Americans who voted for progressive change.
Our endless wars of Nazi aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq will go on and on…
So what’s the answer? Vote Republican? That way lies madness, my friend. Just think about what life in this country was like when Bush and Cheney were raping it. We will long pay the price for their criminal behavior, but the ONLY alternative is to support the President and vote Democratic in November. I’m mad as hell, but my memory doesn’t begin in January, 2008.
Anyone note this question from the Newsweek poll?
If you’d ask me to guess how that question would turn out, I wouldn’t have guessed approval would be that high.
It’s like that now. The difference between you and me is that I realize that, and you don’t.
The only question is would it be worse next time around with the GOP? That’s certainly possible. But don’t talk to me about how things were so much worse before. Obama hasn’t undone any of Bush’s abuses of power, and has added a few of his own. Neither he nor most prominent Democrats have been anywhere near forceful enough in decrying the ugliness out there, and they damn sure haven’t relieved the economic misery that’s at the heart of much of it.
Bingo.
Folks need to speak out about this.