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Independents more unhappy with Congress than Republicans.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  November 15th, 2009 at 01:00 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Far too soon for DOOMWATCH, but one year in you don’t want to see this kind of reaction if you’re a Democrat:

Short version: both Democratic and Republican voters are happier with Congress these days, and Independents are not. The uptick for the first two is easy enough to explain: both side’s partisans are happy that their respective sides are slugging it out. The question is, which side are the folks in the middle supporting?

Well…

The new 2009 low in approval from independents comes at a time when a majority of registered independents say they would likely vote Republican rather than Democratic, 52% to 30%, if elections for Congress were held today. With Republicans and Democrats exhibiting the same degree of loyalty to their parties’ candidates, independents’ preference for Republicans gives that party a 48% to 44% edge over Democrats among registered voters overall.

…it’s not really a question, is it? Although I imagine that a lot of people are going to be doing their best to suggest that it is.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

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COMMENTS

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  • Born Again Capitalist

    we mustn’t sit on our laurels. In fact, I’m not even sure we’ve earned any laurels yet. Harnessing the public’s opposition to Obamacare is great, but we need to put more emphasis on what conservatives have to offer America. I’m not saying we don’t have great things to offer, but we aren’t doing a great job as marketing ourselves.

  • vamoose

    It seems rather obvious to me that the NC/NRCC/NRSC antics that spawned the not-one-more-dime crowd are responsible for these polling numbers. Those who are ticked at congress are increasingly identifying themselves as independents.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    If they were, we wouldn’t be seeing the independents going back to the GOP in both these polls, and NJ/VA.

  • JoeG

    Where they talk about shifts in affiliation.

    But looking at other polls, I do not believe there is much of a shift other than a small down tick in Democrat affiliation.

  • Bham

    is my “friend,” said the ancients. Independents are clearly alienated by the Dems, but I’m not yet persuaded they now love the Republicans. Until Republicans represent a principled, conservative alterantive — enthusiastically and unapologetically expressed — we’ll only be friends of convenience with Independents.

    Bham

  • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

    as usual, are feeling used and lied to. After all they willfully ignored all that the crazed right wingers revealed about Obama’s past and chose to believe his words that he would be (just like them) a blessed moderate.

  • RedBeard

    I want an alternative other than a bunch of people saying, “See? We’re not as bad as those awful Democrats.”

    For many years now, the public voice of the Republican Party has been muted and muddled, unable even to defend good policy, let alone promote it.

    People generally don’t respond nearly as well to a meek “here’s what we’re against” as they do to a strong and resolute “here are the principles for which we stand.”

  • proudgop

    Just was over at Public Policy Site and they just did poll on AR 2 ( Snyder D) Heck, last cycle Republicans didn’t even challenge him and its district that went for McCain

    http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2009/11/snyder-in-trouble.html

    Snyder’s approval rating is now 42%, with 46% of voters in the district disapproving of him. He’s at a solid 75% in his own party but with independents the spread is 30/56 and with Republicans it’s just 12/75.

    54% of voters in the district disapprove of the job Congressional Democrats are doing, 52% disapprove of Barack Obama’s job performance, and 50% express the feeling that Congressional Democrats are too liberal. Additionally 55% of voters say they’re opposed to the health care bill the House passed last week with Snyder’s support, including 91% of Republicans and 67% of independents. Snyder seems to be bearing the brunt of a lot of animosity toward national Democrats in his district.

    The practical implication of all this is that the district looks like a toss up for next year. In possible 2010 match ups Snyder leads Tim Griffin 44-43, Scott Wallace 44-42, and David Meeks 45-42. Those close margins come despite the fact that none of the Republican candidates are well known- 67% of voters have no opinion about Griffin, 75% say the same of Wallace, and 78% are ambivalent toward Meeks.

    The Republicans hold leads of 13-15 points among independent voters, continuing a trend being seen across the country this year that was particularly important in giving the GOP victories in races for Governor of New Jersey and Virginia.