Poll: Most Want New Blood in Congress
CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.
CBS
Americans are dissatisfied with their representation in Congress, a new CBS News/New York Times poll shows, with just 34 percent of registered voters saying their own member of Congress deserves re-election.
Fifty-five percent, by contrast, say it's time to give someone new a chance. That's up from 47 percent in 2006 and 27 percent in 2004.
Asked about most members of Congress, voters are even harsher: just 12 percent say they deserve reelection, while 78 percent want someone new. Those figures are similar to findings in 2006, when Democrats took control of Congress, as well as 1994, when Republicans took over.
The approval rating for Congress, meanwhile, stands at a lowly 21 percent, down four points from 2006. Seventy percent disapprove of the job Congress is doing.
And while Americans are no fans of Congressional Democrats - 58 percent disapprove of their performance - they feel even worse about Congressional Republicans. Just 20 percent approve of their performance, while 68 percent disapprove.
The Midterm Elections:
CBS
And a higher percentage of Republicans (45 percent) than Democrats (34 percent) say they are paying a lot of attention to the campaign.
Likely voters are split on which party they prefer. If the midterm elections for the House of Representatives were held today, 40 percent say they would support the Republican candidate, while 38 percent would support the Democrat. About one in five says they are undecided.
President Obama's potential influence looks like something of a wash: 23 percent of registered voters say their vote in the midterms will be in support of the president, while 25 percent say it will be in opposition to him. Nearly half say the president, whose approval rating in the survey stands at 45 percent, will not be a factor in their vote.
When it comes to their response how candidates voted on two of the most controversial Democratic legislative achievements - the stimulus package and health care reform - registered voters were similarly divided.
Most - 57 percent - said a candidate's support for the stimulus bill made no difference in their vote. Nineteen percent said it made them more likely to vote for the candidate, and 22 percent said it made them less likely.
On the health care bill, 28 percent said a candidate's support made them more likely to vote for that candidate, while an identical percentage said it made them less likely to vote for him or her. Forty-one percent said it made no difference.
Forty-five percent of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably, while 48 percent view it unfavorably. The party's favorable rating has dropped seven points since 2006. Just 34 percent view the Republican party favorably, down seven points since 2006 and seventeen points since 2004.
Registered voters say Democrats are better than Republicans when it came to helping the middle class, helping small businesses, creating new jobs, and dealing with national problems. Republicans are said to be better at reducing the budget deficit and dealing with terrorism. Voters are divided on which party better handled the issue of immigration.
Voter Anger and the Tea Party Movement:
Fifty-two percent of registered voters say they're dissatisfied with Washington, and another 22 percent describe themselves as "angry." Just two percent are enthusiastic. Most angry voters say they will vote for Republicans in November.
Asked to volunteer what they are most angry about, 17 percent of self-described angry voters said partisan politics. Twelve percent said unemployment or the economy, while another 12 percent cited their feeling that the government isn't representing the people. Nine percent pointed to government spending or the deficit.
A majority of voters - 53 percent - said they favor a smaller government with fewer services. Far fewer - roughly one in three - backed a larger government with more services.
Amid the rise of the Tea Party movement, 54 percent of Americans say their country needs a new political party, matching the levels who said as much in the mid-nineties. Forty-two percent say two parties is enough.
Nearly half of registered voters declined to offer an opinion of the Tea Party movement. Twenty-three percent said they had a favorable view, while 29 percent had an unfavorable view.
Twenty-eight percent said a candidate's Tea Party affiliation would make them less likely to support that candidate, while just 14 percent said it would make them more likely. Half said it didn't make a difference.
Tea Party supporters, however, are among the most enthusiastic voters. Sixty-four percent say they are more enthusiastic about voting this year than in the past, compared to 43 percent of registered voters overall. Nearly eight in ten plan to vote for Republicans.
Nineteen percent of Americans overall support the Tea Party movement. Most are conservative and identify as either Republican (54 percent) or independent (38 percent).
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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 990 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone September 10-14, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from random digit dial samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. 881 interviews were conducted among registered voters. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points.
This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
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Maybe that will help a little....not a lot, but at least a little.
Americans were led to believe that if the $860+ Billion stimulus was approved, unemployment would not go above 8%. (Did Team Obama just not know how to count or estimate?)
Americans were told by Biden that the summer of 2010 would be the 'SUMMER OF RECOVERY'! (Will admit this came from the Court Jester, but who within Team Obama is feeding Biden talking points??)
And for his next BAILOUT TRICK, the NYT is reporting that Team Obama will assist in bailing out the Kabul Bank in Afghanistan!!!
Throughout the past 20 months, from the promise on GITMO to the failed Olympic bid disaster, to the dithering on major policy issues and domestic challenges, there has been one misstep after the other. Deals have been cut in secret -- especially with unions. Legislation was signed into law that the citizens did not want, and still do not have a clear idea of Obamacare's contents or impact. Not sure that he or his team realize just how much trust he lost with the American people on his ploy of Obamacare and bailouts in general. For Pete?s sake ? he can?t even get quotes on a brand new carpet for the Oval Office RIGHT: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090305100.html
He has become the ?180 degree president? ? 180 degrees from what he promised!
And now, we learn that 1 out of 7 Americans are living in poverty! American business is scared to act!! What will be their future tax liability? What will be their cost of OBAMACARE? What tricks will Pelosi and Reid come up with next to get into the pocketbooks of hard working Americans? NO WONDER THEY ARE NOT HIRING!!
In sum, confidence in Obama's ability to lead and manage has been eroded to the degree that he no longer has credibility with the majority of American citizens.
What should he do you ask?
Answer:
* Get rid of his current economic team and replace it with a bipartisan team who have the interest of the Country at heart, and some REAL WORLD BUSINESS EXPERIENCE -- not socialistic doctrine.
* Extend ALL OF THE BUSH TAX CUTS through 2013. (Someone on the Obama Team needs to explain to Obama is simple terms that if he takes those tax dollars from the top earners, they will not have it to create jobs. At the same time, advise Obama that we are tired of hearing him say he will spend it on government workers ? firemen, police and teachers. WE WANT SMALLER GOVERNMENT NOT LARGER!! ACCORDING TO WaPo, WE HAVE TOO MANY GOVERNMENT WORKERS WHO ARE NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES ? HEY ? THERE?S A THOUGHT IRS ? COLLECT A $BILLION FROM THEM!!)
* Dismiss all of his 'czars' (THE NEWEST ? AN ASIAN CARP CZAR IS REALLY LAUGHABLE!! WHAT IS THE INTERIOR DEPT DOING FOR A LIVING??). They are a waste, and are now seen as a major impediment to transparency and EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT!!
* Employ an immediate hiring FREEZE for all of government positions except for DOD.
*No more ?GIMME?S? to unions if Team Obama wants this country to compete globally, (and for Team Obama, that is defined as JOBS)!
*Cut the corporate tax rate by at least 30% to make the US competitive with growing global markets.
* Freeze all promotions, step increases, and bonuses for higher level civilian employees through 2012. With nearly 20% under employment or unemployment, how can the Chief Executive justify promotions, pay increases and bonuses for government employees when the government IS NOT WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING?
*Roll back federal spending on all programs ? except defense ? to 2004 levels, and hold for the next four years.
PS: DO NOT LET THE UNION BOSSES WRITE THE LEGISLATION, NOR DO YOU TURN IT OVER TO NANCY PELOSI AND HARRY REID TO WRAP IT IN NON- TRANSPARENT PAPER, AND HIDDEN TAXES ON YARDS OF UNREQUIRED RIBBON!