by Mark Silva
There was a time, early in this most eventful year soon coming to an end, when most people thought the country would be better off with Congress controlled by the Democrats, as it was then and is now.
That also was a time when the new president's job-approval stood at 69 percent in the Gallup Poll.
But that time has passed.
Now, according to the findings of a CNN-Opinion Research poll released today, the American public appears almost evenly divided on the question of which party should be controlling the Congress - just as public opinion appears fairly evenly divided over the job that President Barack Obama is performing.
Two big things have happened since January that most likely help explain both trends:
-- The nation's economy, as seen from the street level, has grown worse - regardless of the fact that the recession begun in December 2007 appears to have ended, with the Gross Domestic Product on the rise again. The unemployment rate has risen to 10 percent, with millions out of work as the December holidays arrive.
-- Congress has been enmeshed for months in a debate over health care which many Americans fear will only make things worse, more costly, for them. Despite all of the president's assurances that people will be better off, coverage ensured, health care improved, the public has watched a long, painful debate over a bill that barely made it out of the House and is getting a patch job in the Senate with the sole goal of keeping 60 votes needed to keep the bill alive - throughout, compromises have appeared more aimed at what will pass, as opposed to what will work.
And now, just as opponents want to label the bill "Obamacare,'' with the president pressing Congress for action, the economy too has become Obama's, after nearly a year in office. That can be seen in the attention that the president, long focused on health care, is paying to employment lately. The two, he maintains, go hand in hand. The GOP, for its part, agrees: Maintaining that health reform will punish employers.
Obama's approval rating has settled at about 50 percent -- in the Gallup Poll's daily tracking this week -- lower in some polls, higher in others.
And, when asked: "Do you think the country would be better off if the Republicans controlled Congress, or if the Democrats controlled Congress?"
Forty percent said the Democrats, in the new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, and 29 percent said the Republicans.
As recently as the end of July, the Democrats held a 10-point edge in this question, in the same survey -- 44 percent picking the Democrats, 34 the Republicans.
In early April, it was 15 points: Democrats 49, Republicans 34.
The week before Obama's election, with Democrats taking firmer control of both the Senate and House in the new Congress, Democrats held a sizeable -- 25-point -- edge in public opinion: 56 percent choosing the party as best to run the Congress, 31 the Democrats.
Other polls, too, have shown sliding advantages for the Democrats in the generic question of which party's candidate voters are most likely to choose in the 2010 midterm elections less than a year away.
And both of the factors that led the parties and the president to this point -- the economy and health care -- may play serious continuing roles in what these numbers look like 11 months from now: An improved economy will go a long way for the party in power, just as a health care bill that offers some promise of real reform, coverage for the many lacking it, might as well. A staggering economy and failed, or botched, health care, will go a long way tloward boosting the party out of power.
The CNN/Opinion Research Poll of 1,041 adults, conducted Dec. 2-3, carries a possible margin of error of 3 percentage points. But when a poll rolls out fairly evenly split numbers, the margin isn't very meaningful -- there is little room for error, it would appear, for either party's agenda in the many months ahead.
Comments
Big deal....
The Repugs are going to gain a few seats in 2010, I mean how can they not? They've lost so many seats the past two years that it would be almost impossible for them not to. But they're not going to get enough seats to be a majority in either the House or the Senate and then they're going to be back to defending seats in 2012 again.
The Repugs aren't fooling anyone, Americans still hate the Party of No more than they ever have.
Posted by: Former Republican | December 10, 2009 1:48 PM
People want the messes that the Bush Republicans made fixed right now even though Obama has only been in office ten months. Unfortunately it's going to take longer than that to fix things, but in the meantime no one is exactly jumping on the Republicans band wagon.
Only 20 percent of adults identify themselves as Republicans, little changed in recent months, but still the lowest single number in Post-ABC polls since 1983.
http://whigblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/only-20-identify-as-republicans-42-are.html
Posted by: B Mobbie | December 10, 2009 1:54 PM
If the Democrrats do not address the rising deficit and jobs in the very near future they will lose control of Congress.
People are fearful of the amount of debt that Washington has taken on and they are rightfully concerned that they could join the ranks of the unemployed.
The stimulus bill is recognized as failing and when the administration starts talking about spending more money they vigorously disagree.
It is time for the politicians to listen to the common folk!
Posted by: Pat H | December 10, 2009 2:27 PM
There was a time, early in this most eventful year soon coming to an end, when most people thought the country would be better off with Congress controlled by the Democrats, as it was then and is now.
That also was a time when the new president's job-approval stood at 69 percent in the Gallup Poll....But that time has passed. ~ M.S.
----------------------
Yeah, but has it passed soon enough. These Marxists will still be around through 2010, doing what they do, wrecking everything that could actually have any chance of providing a real benefit or value to anyone. Thanx M.S., for at least recognizing that there may be a mounting problem here.
It is so easy to hate the Prince of Darkness. He couldn’t make a speech that floats you out of your seat. He can’t put two sentences together. He is from TX. He is apparently the dumbest guy to ever be awarded degrees from Harvard and Yale. He could not cite you the Vice -Prime Minister of Kurdistan for beans. When he laughs at his own reflections, his little shoulders shake. Prince is a monkxx ~ oops! Prince is a simian, and his VP was Darth Vader reincarnated.
The Prince-Darth Hatred is all well and good. Prince cares less than anybody about that stuff. HOWEVER, when you ain’t got NO damn job, No hope of a damn Job, when every little thing IS a crisis but then it IS NOT a crisis, higher taxes waiting on your a$$ if you do get lucky and make a $, your Health Care is being transformed in ways that NO ONE can really project, every piece of new legislation has to be 2,000+ damn pages long, your financial system are being destroyed ~ Bank of America can’t bribe nobody to run their operations, democrats can’t manage cash for clunkers but they can manage the weather, Czars taking over, running and ruining all aspects of our business and personal life as they express their deep love and affection for Mao. Damn ~ Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun.
You would have to be a really committed Leftist to maintain that there is any good in all of this Hoax and Change rhetoric that is totally lacking in any degree of transparency.
IF you are mainlining the Koolaid then certainly there is no problem here. But the average electorate person is eventually going to realize that he / she is NOT better off, and has NO prospects of EVER being better off. Bring back the monkxx ~oops simian guy,or someone more like him than an alpha controller like Mustapha Mond. We have tried Brave New World and it has been a dismal failure with no shortage of nightmare scenarios still to yet be rolled out. This is jimmy carter-esque to the power of 10.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 10, 2009 2:48 PM
@ Pat H 2:27 PM
The stimulus saved this country from going off the cliff into a full blown Bush depression.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/workplace/144205/new_info_shows_the_stimulus_is_working,_time_for_conservatives_to_thank_obama/
And it's laughable the way the Wingnuts all of sudden pretend to be concerned about the deficit after they spent the last eight years cheerleading for Bush and Cheney while they doubled the deficit (a record) in only eight years. And for what? Nothing but the enriching of the Military Industrial Complex and giving tax cuts to Billionaires.
Spending for American jobs is the only way to get this economy going again. I don't care what the Herbert Hoover Repugs think, they were the ones who put us in this position in the first place.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/20767.html
Posted by: DrainYou | December 10, 2009 2:58 PM
CONSERVATIVES OUTNUMBER LIBERALS 2 TO 1, ADD IN THE MODERATES AND 2010 IS GOING TO BE A SEA CHANGE, SORRY SOCIALISTS, YOUR TIME HAS PASSED.
*
http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 10, 2009 3:06 PM
***_________________________________***
Yeah, but has it passed soon enough. These Marxists will still be around through 2010, doing what they do, wrecking everything that could actually have any chance of providing a real benefit or value to anyone. Thanx M.S., for at least recognizing that there may be a mounting problem here.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 10, 2009 2:48 PM
***___________________________________***
Yeah,....because things were so great when the fascist Republicons were in charge and busy warmongering, torturing, outing CIA agents, politisizing the DOJ, letting Wall Street run like a casino, tanking our economy by giving tax cuts to the top 1%, big corporations and big oil...etc etc etc...People just loved that stuff, in fact I can't wait for the Republicons to come back into power either. I miss laughing at those photo-ops on the aircraft carriers and all that other phony tough guy stuff that you Wingnut droolers love so much.
Posted by: Ramon Hernandez | December 10, 2009 3:11 PM
It's hard to imagine that even Democrats would be pleased with (1) Record unemployment; (2) Record national debt and deficit; (3) Socialized auto industry; (4) Modern record business failures; and (5) A president seemingly without a clue about any solutions. But then again, it's Democrats who elected the current
White House occupant; the incompetent Congressional leadership; the majority legislature in corrupt Illinois, and the leadership in Chicago and Cook County. I guess it is understandable after all.
Posted by: Delano | December 10, 2009 3:38 PM
Brain Drain, $300 billion of "stimulus" pumped into the economy aint gonna do a damn thing to a $13 Trillion economy. It didn't create nor save jobs, certainly not the 1.6 million this clown act now claims (geez, just a couple of weeks ago it was 650,000 jobs saved/created under then fishy accounting practices).
The stimulus did crap, except perhaps cause more global warming fumes to leave the puny little minds of the loony left and its clown leader. (With an apology to all the real clowns out there.)
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 10, 2009 4:09 PM
The poll numbers are down for Democrats for one reason - the Democratic base is angry that their leadership keeps selling out to the Republicans on everything. Republicans are a super minority because their policies have been proven to be failures, if the Dems continue to kowtow to them it will be a recipe for disaster.
Until the Dems understand that no matter what they do the Repubs and their noise machine (Faux News, Rush etc) are going to bitch and moan about it and start telling them to go pound sand, nothing is going to change.
Posted by: Joey Votto | December 10, 2009 4:12 PM
It is amazing (and amusing) that all of a sudden the Republican party is now so concerned about run away spending and deficits.
Bush #43 inherited a budget surplus from Clinton (not a single hypocrital Republican voted for Clinton's budget). Under the illegitimate administration of Bush #43, spending was wild and out of control. Republican Congressmen gave Bush blank check after blank check without question (the blind leading the blind). You also have to recall the hugh deficits and deficit spending under Ronnie Reagan, the overrated actor President. The GOP want Obama to fail and are doing all they can to obstruct. On the other hand, they have absolutely zero to offer the American people...no ideas, no plans, no vision for the future. They are street prostitutes. Most are bought and owned by big oil and big business. They are worthless trash that do not even serve the people that voted for them. We are in the situation we are in now because of Republican policies and legislation going all the way back to Reagan.
Pat H.'s posting is right on as well.
Posted by: Doug R. | December 10, 2009 4:14 PM
The current economy is a mess that Obama inherited from his predecessor (Bush Jr) -- a stinking, seething pile of crap festering throughout the economic and social infrastructure of the nation, with vast ties to the world economy. Made ever-more complicated by the expansive reduction in regulatory controls that the GOP's unfettered majorities of the preceding 12 years made possible, this is one of the biggest messes to clean up. Obama has made several unpopular decisions, some of which appear to be strategically necessary and others which appear unfathomable betrayals...yet, behind the scenes, other steps have been taken that have garnered less attention and move us further toward unraveling the twisted knots of red tape.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125858925917154669.html
Posted by: casey | December 10, 2009 4:25 PM
*******************************************
CONSERVATIVES OUTNUMBER LIBERALS 2 TO 1, ADD IN THE MODERATES AND 2010 IS GOING TO BE A SEA CHANGE, SORRY SOCIALISTS, YOUR TIME HAS PASSED.
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 10, 2009 3:06 PM
************************************************
Really? If that was the case you Repug minions never would never have fallen so far in the minority in the first place.
Nowadays, real conservatives call themselves Independents, Libertarians and Democrats, that's why the Republican ID has fallen so far.
Try again, Teresa...and please quit using all caps, it does nothing but highlight your desperation for attention.
Posted by: Free To Watch Whatever I Want | December 10, 2009 4:42 PM
@ John D 4:09 PM
Johnny DittoHead,
Did your mom drop you on your head or something? I just posted proof showing that the stimulus IS working and it did keep us from going into a full blow depression and you reply by vomiting up some more crap about "loony lefters" and "clowns"?
With intellectial whackjobs like you leading the way for Republicans I can now see how they've failed so miserably and find themselves in the position they're in now. You really are as stupid as people on here say you are, aren't you?
Posted by: DrainYou | December 10, 2009 4:51 PM
No mention yet in the DNC Swamp of today's lousy employment report.
See CNN's website for the bad economic news The DNC Swamp is trying to hide.
Posted by: Inconvenient Truth | December 10, 2009 4:55 PM
CONSERVATIVES OUTNUMBER LIBERALS 2 TO 1, ADD IN THE MODERATES AND 2010 IS GOING TO BE A SEA CHANGE, SORRY SOCIALISTS, YOUR TIME HAS PASSED.
*
http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 10, 2009 3:06 PM
Did you even read the article that you posted?
Posted by: martin | December 10, 2009 5:07 PM
The Swamp keeps deleting comments negative about Obama.
This is the media who cover for obama and keep the truth from the public.
I will take it to another blog and let everyone know about the swamp censorship!!!!
Posted by: Joe | December 10, 2009 5:22 PM
Yeah,....because things were so great when the fascist Republicons…
Posted by: Ramon Hernandez | December 10, 2009 3:11 PM
----------------------
John E., quite understandable that you don’t really know what a Fascist is. You appear to be in need of a few tenets of Fascism, the political ideology of Fascists. Allow me.
- Fascists work to impose an authoritarian, nationalistic, totalitarian control on their citizen-subjects. In the world of Fascists, corporations exist only to serve the state and maybe give the state’s subjects somewhere to go during the day.
- Fascists believe that their subjects are totally unsuited for self-government, and certainly not by any democratic means.
- Fascists believe that the citizen-subject can only be motivated by a need to achieve glory. They are therefore RIPE for ANYTHING that the state may decree. This may include war fodder, but it could just as easily be volunteerism (or else), sacrifice (or else), or green jobs. In any event, the choice certainly won’t be made by the citizen-subject.
- In the Fascist value system, capitalism or economic desires are simply exploitive desires and need to be crushed out whenever and wherever that unholy desire would appear.
- Fascists “claim” to oppose class conflict, but Hitler and his czarist team of Goebbels and Himmler certainly got a lot of mileage out of it in their pursuit of ensuring the superiority of their master race ideology. Mussolini had the more modest goal of decreeing that the trains “shall” run on time. There’s that word “shall”. Apparently though, by 1945, the Italians had seen enough of either On-time trains or Bennie. You decide which.
Like anything else, I suppose, Fascism can be done in degrees. I would submit to you that Fascists are really LEFT Wingers because of their quite serious intent to execute total control over every aspect of your life. The literature may erroneously, or conveniently, place them on the Right but only based on their opposition to communism. Communism simply cuts in on their action. If the Cubs were to suggest that they may leave Chicago, I don’t believe the White Sox would necessarily be begging them to stay. They both have the common goal of wanting to see you at the ballpark next summer, with what little ca$h the democrats are planning to allow you to keep.
Enjoy the Koolaid. There is a whole lot of Fascism in the daily operations of the Administration of Mustapha. Benevolent it may be, or may be intended, but it is nevertheless quite obvious, but only to those that have ears and eyes that work every once in a while.
John E., where are your links? Can you mix cherry coke in with the Koolaid? How about scotch? I like Chivas. You know, the good stuff, if that is o.k. with the Leftists-Socialists-Marxists-Fascists, but where are your links?
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 10, 2009 5:41 PM
Sewer Drained John E,
Let's see how well BO's Stimulus plan has worked as compared to what the economy would be w/o the Stimulus. These are BO's numbers
http://michaelscomments.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/correction-to-the-may-unemployment-chart/
Make sure you keep moving the red dots to update the chart.
Posted by: Terry | December 10, 2009 7:50 PM
@ Django 5:41 PM
Scotty the All Hat, No Cattle And Definitetly Doughy Middle Aged White Guy Who Can't Get Any Action.
Here's your link, clown.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9mYCU0mH7w
.
Posted by: Angel Lopez | December 10, 2009 8:01 PM
I know wingnutters like you slept through this part of history Scotty, but the rest of us out here in the real world didn't..
GEORGE W BUSH and REPUBLICAN FASCISM:
.
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm
.
Posted by: sonic | December 10, 2009 8:09 PM
Terri,
Despite your Wingnut fantasies about what the country would look like without the stimulus, the stimulus saved us from a Depression. And this entire mess was caused by the "Tax Cuts for Billionaires" right wing intellectual brain farters that you cheerlead for.
.
http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/10-lessons-for-tea-baggers
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 10, 2009 8:22 PM
Trickled On JohnE,
That was a graph prepared by the BO Economic advisors.
The cause of the recession was not tax cuts for the economic producers, but the bursting of the housing bubble. The housing bubble was caused by democratic policies on forcing banks to loan to unqualified borrowers.
Go have mommy read you a bedtime story.
Posted by: Terry | December 10, 2009 10:38 PM
@ Django 5:41 PM
Scotty the All Hat, No Cattle And Definitetly Doughy Middle Aged White Guy Who Can't Get Any Action.
Here's your link, clown. …
Posted by: Angel Lopez | December 10, 2009 8:01 PM
--------------------
John E.,
“Doughy Middle Aged White Guy”, I kind of like that. Quite off the mark, but yet sweet, in a Liberal sensibility weird kind of way.
You know who IS doughy? Algore and Slick Clinton. Now there’s a couple of pasty dudes that would benefit greatly from a little bit of time in the sun. Drop those double cheese whoppers, fellas, and drive that Lear Jet to somewhere where there is SUN. Sunlight would probably be some kind of environmental hazard to a couple of “doughy” pasty dudes like this though.
Yeaaaaa John E. There’s that missing “link”. I knew that you had one. I usually don’t bother with them. Anything can be “linked”, a rusted-out radiator off of a ‘48 Ford truck and a Buck Rodgers lunch bucket. Anything. This one, however speaks volumes. About you. You, my man, are beyond redemption, as brother Jesse would say. There’s nothing that I can do that could ever be of any help you. This is beyond Stage IV.
I know wingnutters like you slept through this part of history Scotty, but the rest of us out here in the real world didn't…
Posted by: sonic | December 10, 2009 8:09 PM
--------------------
Yeaaaaa John E. Another missing “link”. Unfortunately, it is just more ridiculous, factually challenged, absurd kind of stuff, very heavy handed on the indoctrination, amazingly incredibly hate-filled, and so strange in a way that only Liberals can appreciate. Creepy, my friend.
In addition to the aforementioned, this “link” is also very incomplete. If consistency and fairness were criteria, which clearly they aren’t, there are some notable missing names on your famous Fascists list. Your Fascist list needs to also include: G. Washington, J. Adams, T. Jefferson, J. Madison, J. Monroe, for sure Andrew Jackson, A. Lincoln, U. Grant, W. McKinley, T. Roosevelt, woodie wilson, FDR, H.Truman, Ike, JFK, LBJ, RN, RR, and of course G. H. Bush.
Now that’s a list there, jack, to be “fair”. Liberals are all about “fairness”, and I provide you the additional names of the insinuated from my infallible memory. The treason guy, jimmy carter would never make it, and neither does Slick, the pasty doughy guy, but you gotta include the others. That would only be “fair”.
There is, however, a sliver of redeeming value for this distorted “link”. The Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, and David Limbaugh books are great. They would all be on Django’s Book of the Month Club Selections. Django recommends them highly. It will put hair on your chest as well as change your soul-less, directionless life. You don’t have to be an aimless drifter.
Let’s add another book to this esteemed list: “Liberty and Tyranny” by the great Mark Levin. Two concepts there. One is good, and one needs to be confronted and defeated at all cost. You will never figure it out, John E, but if you just took a guess, you would have a 50% chance of being right. Simians can do 50%. IF the first guess is wrong, you would have a 100% chance on your second guess, but that is only IF you DON’T make the exact same guess the 2nd time. So, shy away from that.
I am well aware that Liberals don’t do too well on sorting through right and wrong concepts. It is a defining quality. Sadly, though, this is a Stage IV kind of deal. Forgetaboutit.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 10, 2009 11:39 PM
Terri,
Despite your Wingnut fantasies about what the country would look like without the stimulus, the stimulus saved us from a Depression. And this entire mess was caused by the "Tax Cuts for Billionaires" right wing intellectual brain farters that you cheerlead for.
.
http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/10-lessons-for-tea-baggers
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 10, 2009 8:22 PM
Talk to us when the bill comes due, you economic genius you.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | December 11, 2009 4:28 AM
Sounds like Django is off his meds again.
Posted by: Maria | December 11, 2009 1:49 PM
Free to be stupid,
The recession was caused by the housing bubble bursting, which was caused by democratic policies. The bill that is coming due is from the $10 Trillion in deficits that BO is planning on racking up in the next 8 years
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 9:37 PM
Sounds like Django is off his meds again.
Posted by: Maria | December 11, 2009 1:49 PM
---------------------
John E. and his Unlimited Drive By Aliases,
Weak, trite, insipid and doing it jimmy carter style. But where are your deranged, cartoon "links"? Gotta have "links".
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 11, 2009 9:40 PM
$10 Trillion in deficits that BO is planning on racking up in the next 8
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 9:37 PM
-----------
.....yeah, because the right wing nutbags at the Murdoch Street Journal told Terry so.
Posted by: Kids, todays word to desribe Terry is: H Y P O C R I T E | December 11, 2009 11:57 PM
But where are your deranged, cartoon "links"? Gotta have "links".
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 11, 2009 9:40 PM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You're right Texas Goober, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me.
http://www.somejokes.com/images/Baby%20Finger.GIF
Posted by: Diego Velázquez | December 12, 2009 1:08 AM
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 10, 2009 8:22 PM
You may want to go back and do a little fact checking on that site. A lot is out of date and just wrong.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | December 12, 2009 1:44 AM
But where are your deranged, cartoon "links"? Gotta have "links".
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 11, 2009 9:40 PM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You're right Texas Goober, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me.
Posted by: Diego Velázquez | December 12, 2009 1:08 AM
John E.
But do you have any flag burnings scheduled for today? Where are the flag burnings? Are you generating CO2? Sure looks like you are. Need “links”. No “links”, no sandwiches. Where are your “links”?
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | December 12, 2009 12:14 PM
Trickled On JOhnE,
Actually, the deficit number came from your favorite source PMSNBC and then add onto that BO's healthcare fiasco - ten trillion easy.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29791927/
Posted by: Terry | December 12, 2009 1:00 PM