Tweet
There are some very worrying signs for Congressional Democrats and President Obama in the latest poll of likely voters (PDF) by Lake Research/Tarrance Group for Politico/George Washington University. The poll found Democrats trailing in the generic ballot by four points, Republicans 47 percent, Democrats 43 percent. Equally disturbing for Congressional Democrats is that they seem to have completely lost any advantage they once had on the top issue for voters, jobs and the economy.
Voters are effectively split dead even on which party in Congress would be better able to create jobs. Among likely voters, 44 percent think Congressional Republicans would do a better job, while 45 percent think Congressional Democrats would. Trailing in the generic ballot and dead even when it comes to the dominant issue with voters is a recipe for serious Democratic losses this November.
What is interesting is that on the top issue of job creation, Obama is performing much worse than Congressional Democrats and Republicans. Compared to Congressional Republicans, only 40 percent think President Obama will better handle the issue of creating jobs, while 51 percent think the Republicans in Congress would do better.
This should worry the White House. Congress in general and Congressional Republicans specifically are deeply unpopular. The poll found 59 percent of likely voters strongly disapproved of the job Congress has been doing this year. Yet, voters still think the Congressional GOP is better able to handle the employment issue right now.
Perhaps even more worrying, Obama’s numbers compared to Congressional Democrats. There is a significant set of voters that trust the Democratic Party in general to handle the economy, but think Obama is less capable than the party—a very bad place to be as the de facto leader of a party.
Of course, if employment improves significantly in the next year, Obama’s numbers are likely to improve, as well. But if economic growth continues to be sluggish, the fact that Obama is already seen as less able to grapple with the situation than Congressional Republicans or even the Democratic Party speaks to a potentially serious vulnerability in 2012.
63 Comments
Get in gear man, these are important issues. Lol. Don’t worry regardless of how the people feel, I’m certain all those millionaires in Congress and the White House will do fine.
Obama has less trust than Congressional Dems on Jobs and the economy this confirms that Mainstreet is not buying the happy talk.
Its not just the Left Obama you lost the country when your in a hole stop digging.
Wait, I’m confused. Why should they be worried again? When the Republicans take over will they suddenly stop working for the interests of the wealthy?
When the GOP takes control things will get worse and a third party not the Tea Baggers will be more likely.
If the White House didn’t want a GOP Congress to run against in 2012, that is.
Otherwise, it’s cool.
The Dem/GOP/Corporate power depends on the economy getting better and voters not getting angry enough to create real change.
Anger levels are going up both parties have less than 50% support and nobody thinks the economy will be better a year from now. The Trend line is down and falling fast. Just wait until all those companies that boosted their bottom line by cutting workers run out of the cash as their workers stop buying their products.
Sooner or later banks are going to have to ask companies for more collateral on those loans they gave hedgefunds to buy companies or the banks themselves will fail.
I expect an other bank bailout in a year. I expect voters will not be to happy especially with cuts in social security used to pay for it.
I hope the Dems in DC are worried. Maybe they will do something for the country. They can’t move much more to the right without actually attending Tea Parties.
Well, what can the common voter do but to switch to the ‘other’ faction of the oligarchy? There allegedly is no alternative to the two party oligarchy just like there is no alternative to market fundamentalism. Everyone must “buck up” and make the government work, because the American system is the best system that humanity has every created.
/sarcasm
Don’t say that: The Democrats surely can move to the right of the Tea Parties.
Tomorrow’s headline: Obama proposes Military Dictatorship to replace constitutional government in the USA. “Liberty must be defended at all costs,” the President noted, “and I can think of no better defender for liberty than the men and women in the armed forces, the DHS, NSA, etc.”
[R's v D's],” Keynes vs Hayek? Friedman vs Krugman? Those are the wrong intellectual debates. Its you vs. Tony Hayward, BP CEO, You vs. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs CEO. And you are losing . . .”
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/09/you-vs-corporations/
Deserting rats, meet sinking ship. Ship, meet rats.
Right! After all, a government controlled by a single party is a government that can be held responsible for everything that happens. Obama certain would not want that to continue much longer.
The GOP will create more jobs, in total, than the current administration is capable of creating. The problem with that is the jobs will be on a par with third world working conditions, no benefits, no job protection, and starvation wages. But when it comes to citing numbers of overall jobs created, the numbers will be there because they’re gonna be the ones putting the reports out.
Big business is gonna love the GOP back in power. No silly regulatory agencies to worry about, no IRS audits, no accountability of any kind. And the people who are lucky enough to get a job won’t be tempted to join a union, or demand higher wages or health care benefits, or sick days or any of that bolshevik nonsense, they’ll be too happy to have a job, no matter how shitty it is.
And with the anti-immigrant flavor of the GOP, there won’t be any pesky foreigners to compete with in the race to the bottom here, either.
Who coulda anticipated….
Except the only jobs republicans create are in the death machine, the magnificent ‘mercian murder machine or death for dollars.
Agree with all you say. Obama has kicked out something like over 300k “illegals,” which is way more than what Bush did in 8 years I believe.
Today on the radio, I heard a snippet talking about actually going after businesses that actively recruit and hire undocumented workers. Well, I’ll believe it when I see it; business owners will still mostly just get a tap on the wrist (other than a couple of potential scapegoats), but the race is definitely to the bottom.
With less undocumented workers out there to do the scut work for less than minimum wage, guess what US worker jobs are going to be going forward? Hope everyone listened real well to what Steven Colbert said to congress about field work bc – comedian or not – Colbert told it like it is. Hot, back-breaking, no water provided, no toilets, long hours, crummy pay. That’s what’s lying ahead for citizens. Guess T-partiers will be ever so joyful to THAT work, instead of having dirty messicans doing it.
That’s the thing that has bugged me forever about unemployment numbers, it hides so much. Those that fell off the other side, did they disappear into the ether? What about those that took “ding the fries are done” jobs, are they considered fully employed at minimum wage?
Where is the accounting for the lost payroll taxes from year to year? Where and how is this accounted for? The wealth of this nation is gone and we are just struggling to make ends meet however we can.
We are in a free fall and frankly corporate media hides the truth about the plight of the average American.
Several months ago, someone posted an article about some Tennessee town that was all excited about the insourcing that was going on. No one stopped to think why. Could it be that wages and expectations of Americans had fallen to the point that it finally became cost effective for those businesses to reopen plants in the US?
Perot was right, we’re in a race to the bottom. It is a shame politicians don’t actually represent the needs and desires of their constituents. No, instead they represent the corporations who fund their campaigns.
Don’t worry about the Democrats. They may lose their seats, but they’re all set to be lobbyists in a few years. Don’t cry for them.
Reading this post, I can’t help but think that this country needs to switch to a parliamentary system. If I’m not mistaken, such an idea was seriously considered in the ’70s. Maybe it’s time to revive the idea.
Maybe Obama just needs to reach out to the Republicans more. Maybe he hasn’t been bipartisan enough. Maybe I’ll sprout wings and fly to the moon.
Obama also has shown he wants a ‘win’ wherever Bill Clinton has ‘failed’ — healthcare, Middle East, etc. What better way to eclipse Clinton’s presidency than to beat an investigation and impeachment rap in the House in 2011/2012?
Can’t lose with that strategy.
Just a threat to get campaign donations up from those corps after which they won’t be bothered. Have to make an example of a couple of them, though, to make the others take the threat seriously.
400,000
link
VERY funny. Anchor on cnbc just presented data showing that lower personal tax rates do NOT deliver higher growth. Guest demurs, claims ‘studies’ show they do.
If I remember right all the poles in 2008 were predickting there was no way that Obama was going to be elected, but here he is. Poles are crap.
I am not the least bit surprised that the people are seriously underwhelmed by Obi and the ruling dems. We’re stupid, but even these clowns are not putting one another one over on the people.
A voters’ revolution shortly followed by an uptick in direct action and it escalates from there.
Obama has only himself to blame for this and any adverse results that might follow from it. It’s a wholly self-inflicted wound.
Not to worry. Obama will blame retarded fucking liberals like me for being ungrateful. This will prompt liberals like me to go vote dem because Biden said the sky will fall if I don’t get with the program and get off my ass.
So see, nothing to worry about. I’m retarded and I’m properly motivated to vote for the party that is disgusted with the likes of me.
Obama should be impeached for creating a perfect storm:
One that has rehabilitated; lent credibility where credibility was totally and completely shot to hell, and otherwise propped up a defeated Republican Party that was gasping for its last breath.
This is the true Obama Legacy.
No one could have done a better job if he were doing it on purpose.
IMHO, he did it on purpose. They JFK Wellstoned him. Wasn’t difficult. Obama admits that a key element of his demeanor is that he is malleable.
Malleable? The man is Silly Putty.
There is no question in my mind that the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich will be extended after the mid-terms. Obama and the Dems are corporate tools. It is their real job to fool us and to aid and abet the Rethugs.
I ran into this f-u attitude with O’s reps at the 08 NN convention. The snot nosed kids at O’s booth (it was after it was obvious that he was the D candidate but before the convention) told me I didn’t have any choice but to vote for him. And after his FISA reversal, which is what I went to complain about. Got his # really early, and he hasn’t changed since. And my experience shows how far down the O supporter chain the f-u voters attitude goes.
And needless to say, when the Dems get creamed, it’ll be all our fault–for not pushing Obama enough, not toeing the line, not being loyal enough, not getting out the vote, whatever.
David Dayen has a fresh cross-post up: Rivlin: “Stars Aligned” for Cat Food Commission Cuts to Social Security
But the bulk of those jobs will be overseas.
Just watch – the Goopers will *promise* to Repeal the Healthcare Bill and throw it back in Obama’s face – and then, after they take Congress – it will be Item Number One on their legislative agenda – and they’ll repeal it.
How’s that compared to Our Dems – who were given the greatest political mandate in over 60 years – only to squander it looking inept and clown-like every step of the way…
With that description, I assume you mean the GOP plans on opening lots of Walmarts.
eCAHN @ 31
Kucinich confronted one of these young O’bots and took him to the woodshed in this short exchange.
Kucinich at Single-Payer Hearing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXP7bRbuhHU&list=QL
Who says Obama isn’t doing this on purpose? If that’s what the corporate masters want…
The wealth of this nation is concentrated in a very few hands. We need a wealth tax.
And by extension, the loss of D seats will be blamed on Dems (which in the Real World are Right Wing Blue Dog republican-lite corporate whores) that were out of touch with the Mainstream, excessively liberal, too radical, far left, socialists, etc.
62% say they would favor a third party. Time to vote like it.
The Dems don’t even pretend to represent us anymore.
As for unemployment improving significantly this year…Not. Going. To. Happen.
Here’s ZerObama henchman Gibbs:
While many Americans may hope that recovery is around the corner, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said economic recovery will take years.
“This is going to take an enormous amount of time,” he said.
Later, I asked him what he meant by “enormous amount of time.”
“Well, I think it’s going to take several years,” he said.
There are some who cling to false hope. Reality-based analysis of O’s track record indicates that he willfully rehabilitated the Rethug party.
Mission Accomplished.
I don’t think he should be impeached, that will cost the taxpayers too much money, but maybe we can file a class action suit for negligence.
Sorry, the sound seems to be messed up on that.
Only for the right.
Its all monopoly money anyway. Dick Cheney was correct when he said that deficits don’t matter. (They only matter when Dem’s are in charge).
Deficits are hocus pocus. It is campaign trickery.
M&A activity seems to be increasing. This means
more job losses to cover the costs of it
Try this one, demi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0qPYkfNMPg&feature=fvw
Deficits are what is owed to Wall Street Bankers.
That is true but I know a good lawyer who will take the case pro bono.
No, it was his choice to coddle republican torturers instead of tearing the country apart, which is needed, and effectively destroying the evil of operating on the ” dark” or lawless side.
You made your bed you sicko, pleasant dreams.
I’m sure we’ll have 41 Democratic steel spine senators to block every piece of legislation the republicans try to push, including impeachment.
See we win by losing.
Good One!
You’re right about how far down the chain the FU attitude extends. I have an Obamabot friend who said the criticisms of liberals by Obama and his ilk are right but I should still vote for the Obama and other dems. They are living in their own bubble.
Prediction: Former president Barack Obama returns to the U of Chicago law faculty in time for the 2013 spring semester, and teaches “Constitutional Law 2.0: Why 9/11 Changed Everything.”
Can’t think of any other reason to delay the vote until after the election.
Nah, illegal alien labor will continue to rise. After all, when you’ve got a steady supply of wage slaves who will shut up and not make any trouble for fear of being deported, and can easily be used to scare Americans into accepting lower wages, fewer (or no) benefits, longer hours, and unsafe working conditions, why rock the boat by actually doing anything about illegal immigration?
Dude, pay attention to spelling. It’s “polls”, not Poles. Poles are either long, thin rods that hold things up, or people who are Polish. I’m half Polish.
And yet we will have continuing debate on how bad the democrats “really” are compared to the repubs and hope we can pass some campaign reform laws (like they’d do that without giant loop holes, Puleeze…). I am sorry but that wheel has gone round and round a little too much for me. We can’t fix ‘em, they are not just broken, they are shattered. It won’t happen and if ‘the plan’ is for us to get progressive dems in about 40 years or so if everything goes well sorry I just think that’s nuts. It took 10 years but we got a democratic majority and still went backwards…think about it.
See Comment 3
Wouldn’t it be AMAZING if every Congressional race went to either Elizabeth Warren or Public Option?