Van Tran for Congress

Poll Points To Dangers Ahead For Congressional Democrats

Poll Points To Dangers Ahead For Congressional Democrats
The Wall Street Journal
Jonathan Weisman
September 2, 2009, 10:31 AM ET

If congressional Democrats needed more warning signs about a potential drubbing in next year’s midterm elections, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press just provided them.

Opinions of Congress have taken a 13-point nosedive since April and are now at one of the lowest points in more than two decades, according to a new poll by the nonpartisan outfit. Currently, 37% feel f avorably toward the men and women on Capitol Hill; 52% feel unfavorably.

And while Democrats still maintain a narrow advantage over Republicans, it is now well within the margin of error. Of those polled, 45% said they would vote for the Democratic candidate in their district or lean that way, compared with 44% who lean to the GOP. At this point four years ago, Democrats led the so-called generic ballot 52% to 40%.

Independents, which recently backed Democrats by a wide margin, now support Republicans in their district, 43% to 38%. And though Democrats still hold advantages on most issues, two issues that Democrats recently dominated – the budget deficit and managing the federal government – are now neck and neck. By a 46% to 39% margin, Americans say they generally oppose the health care proposals under consideration in Congress.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/09/02/poll-points-to-signals-dangers-ahead-for-congressional-democrats/tab/print/