Poll: Americans want Democrats in power

RushlimboRushlimbo Posts: 832
edited July 2006 in A Moving Train
America has finally seen the GOP for what it is -- budget bloating, morally bankrupt, corporate whoring, empire spreading murderers. I cannot wait for the new dawn to arrive.


Poll: Americans want Democrats in power
By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 14, 8:42 AM ET

Republicans are in jeopardy of losing their grip on Congress in November. With less than four months to the midterm elections, the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that Americans by an almost 3-to-1 margin hold the GOP-controlled Congress in low regard and profess a desire to see Democrats wrest control after a dozen years of Republican rule.

Further complicating the GOP outlook to turn things around is a solid percentage of liberals, moderates and even conservatives who say they'll vote Democratic. The party out of power also holds the edge among persuadable voters, a prospect that doesn't bode well for the Republicans.

The election ultimately will be decided in 435 House districts and 33 Senate contests, in which incumbents typically hold the upper hand. But the survey underscored the difficulty Republicans face in trying to persuade a skeptical public to return them to Washington.

The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults conducted Monday through Wednesday found that President Bush has stopped his political freefall, with his approval rating of 36 percent basically unchanged from last month. Bush received slightly higher marks for his handling of the Iraq war and the fight against terrorism, weeks after his surprise trip to Baghdad and the killing of Iraqi terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a U.S. airstrike last month.

But a Democratic takeover of either the House or Senate would be disastrous for the president, leaving both his agenda for the last two years in office and the chairmanship of investigative committees in the hands of the opposition party. To seize control of Congress, the Democrats must displace 15 Republicans from House seats and six Republicans from the Senate.

The AP-Ipsos survey asked 789 registered voters if the election for the House were held today, would they vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district. Democrats were favored 51 percent to 40 percent.

Not surprisingly, 81 percent of self-described liberals said they would vote for the Democrat. Among moderates, though, 56 percent backed a Democrat in their district and almost a quarter of conservatives — 24 percent — said they will vote Democratic.

Democrats also held the advantage among persuadable voters — those who are undecided or wouldn't say whom they prefer. A total of 51 percent said they were leaning Democrat, while 41 percent were leaning Republican.

"We still have wind in our face. It's a midterm election in the president's second term," said Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Today is a little bit better in the atmospherics of Washington than it was maybe a month ago."

The president's party historically has lost seats in the sixth year of his service. Franklin D. Roosevelt lost 72 House seats in 1938; Dwight D. Eisenhower 48 in 1958. The exception was Bill Clinton in 1998.

By another comparison, polls in 1994 — when a Republican tidal wave swept Democrats from power — the two parties were in a dead heat in July on the question of whom voters preferred in their district.

"It comes down to a fairly simply question: Can Democrats nationalize all the elections? If Republicans prevent that, they have a shot. If they don't, they lose," said Doug Gross, the GOP gubernatorial candidate in Iowa in 2002 and the state finance director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign.

Overall, only 27 percent approved of the way Congress is doing its job. Lawmakers get favorable marks from 36 percent of conservatives, 28 percent of moderates and 17 percent of liberals.

Some criticism of Congress has focused on lawmakers' inability to control spending, with lawmakers tucking in special projects for their home districts.

"They used to say there's nothing worse than a tax-and-spend liberal Democrat," said Gary Wilson, 51, a self-described liberal from Gaithersburg, Md. "There is something worse: It's a borrow-and-spend Republican. This is going to come back to haunt us."

One bright spot for the GOP is that Republicans hold an advantage over Democrats on issues such as foreign policy and fighting terrorism — 43 percent to 33 percent — and a smaller edge on handling Iraq — 36 percent to 32 percent.

The AP-Ipsos poll was conducted after the divisive Democratic debate in the Senate over setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq. Potential voters were paying attention to the GOP complaint that Democrats want to "cut and run."

"It seems like the Democrats want to pull out or start to pull out, and I don't think that's the correct thing to do," said Eric Bean, 24, a college minister in Fort Worth, Texas. "I'd much rather see a Congress that would support our president. I think George Bush is doing the best he can. I think Republicans will support him."

John Dendahl, the Republican candidate for governor in New Mexico, said Democrats, with the help of some Republicans, have been successful at obstructing legislation in Congress while heaping the blame on the GOP.

Tom Courtney, a Democratic state senator in Iowa, said U.S. voters are ready to trust his party to lead.

"I honestly think it's ours to lose," Courtney said. "My experience, we're not above that. Americans are ready for change."

The poll of adults had a margin of error of 3 percentage points and the survey of registered voters had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    Good...change is very good....
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    I hold them both in low regard. I'd like to see more independents...
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    know1 wrote:
    I hold them both in low regard. I'd like to see more independents...

    Well Nader was a missed opportunity....
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    Well Nader was a missed opportunity....

    I agreed with Nader on a lot of issues, but I couldn't vote for him due to his pro legal abortion stance.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • weenieweenie Posts: 1,623
    The Dems are the lesser of two evils....and I DO MEAN EVIL. Let's hope the Repubs don't have the ability to rig the election results again......and that brother Jeb is no longer in control of Florida.
    ~I want to realize brotherhood or identity not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life, even with such things as crawl upon earth.~
    Mohandas K. Gandhi

    ~I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulette I could have worn.~
    Henry David Thoreau
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    weenie wrote:
    The Dems are the lesser of two evils....and I DO MEAN EVIL. Let's hope the Repubs don't have the ability to rig the election results again......and that brother Jeb is no longer in control of Florida.

    I think they're both pretty evil, but I tend to think the Dems are just a bit moreso. I don't vote for either, though.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Fuck the democrats too. Go Libertarians, Greens and Independants.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • floyd1975floyd1975 Posts: 1,350
    Well Harry Browne was a missed opportunity....

    I like that one better.
  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    know1 wrote:
    I agreed with Nader on a lot of issues, but I couldn't vote for him due to his pro legal abortion stance.

    Your very strong on your beliefs...I respect that....
  • AbuskedtiAbuskedti Posts: 1,917
    know1 wrote:
    I think they're both pretty evil, but I tend to think the Dems are just a bit moreso. I don't vote for either, though.

    Abortion is legal. It is the will of the people at this time. The president can do nothing with this issue but use it to gain votes from people like you. You allow it and you are helping liars get elected.

    However, I agree with your stand on not voting for either dem or rep.
  • NMyTreeNMyTree Posts: 2,374
    I want someone other than Republicans and Democrats in power.

    Enough these two frat brother parties, who pretend to be so different.

    Fuck 'em both.
  • Your very strong on your beliefs...I respect that....

    Except that I would ask anyone faced with choosing between a morally corrupt, arrogant asshole who says he's anti-abortion and another candidate with integrity and who shares similar views socially and economically otherwise to get past one-issue voting. Vote for the better all-around candidate. I don't want another Bush in the White House.

    By the way, I would challenge the pro-choice voters to do the same if the best person happens to be anti-abortion. There's more out there than abortion. Just turn on the TV.
    We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality. - Ayn Rand
  • jeffbrjeffbr Posts: 7,177
    Until we can get minor parties playing a larger role, I'd love to see the Dems take the congress and the Reps keep the Whitehouse. Gridlock rules! As long as they stalemate they can't take any more of my money or liberty. So vote Libertarian, or at least vote for gridlock.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    I really don't want to see Democrats or Republicans in office anymore..
  • denverfandenverfan Posts: 218
    Dems or Repubs...neither need to be in power. You know who needs to lead this country... Jo Blow blue collar worker busting his ass 80 hours a week just making ends meat to feed his family. Sweeping reform would be nice
    "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity but they've always worked for me." Gonzo

    'If my fuckin' ex-wife told me to take care of her dog while her and her new boyfriend went to Honolulu, I'd tell her to go fuck herself." -The Dude

    Whisky Drinker, Non-Hunter from Denver.
  • jeffbr wrote:
    Until we can get minor parties playing a larger role, I'd love to see the Dems take the congress and the Reps keep the Whitehouse. Gridlock rules! As long as they stalemate they can't take any more of my money or liberty. So vote Libertarian, or at least vote for gridlock.


    Thats the most realistic solution... I want Congress and the President to be in different parties... i dont care which two, or who is in what spot....

    Too much power for any group is what causes these scary situations.
  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    Thats the most realistic solution... I want Congress and the President to be in different parties... i dont care which two, or who is in what spot....

    Too much power for any group is what causes these scary situations.

    I agree...its what is okay about the political enviornment in Canada right now the Conservatives hold a minority government and it could be toppled at any minute if the majority parties work togther (which are all Liberal orientated parties)..gives a more even stroke of governance....we went over a decade of majority Liberal power and has lead to some divisions in the country...but nothing like that in the States....a good mix is good...forces people to work together and actually get something useful done for a change....
  • rightonduderightondude Posts: 745
    The wealth of the corrupt select international banking families needs to be overthrown and redistributed. That is where the focus should be. They control the government, the factories, corporations, all land, products..you name it and they own it. Doesn't matter which country. They call all the shots. It will never matter who is in office as long as the world has these evil greedy satanic rats on our backs.

    Some politicians with decent (and I use that term lightly) morals can try to fight it, however they will be turned to their ways whether they choose to or not, or even realize it.
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    Rushlimbo wrote:
    America has finally seen the GOP for what it is -- budget bloating, morally bankrupt, corporate whoring, empire spreading murderers. I cannot wait for the new dawn to arrive.


    Poll: Americans want Democrats in power
    By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Writer
    Fri Jul 14, 8:42 AM ET

    Republicans are in jeopardy of losing their grip on Congress in November. With less than four months to the midterm elections, the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that Americans by an almost 3-to-1 margin hold the GOP-controlled Congress in low regard and profess a desire to see Democrats wrest control after a dozen years of Republican rule.

    Further complicating the GOP outlook to turn things around is a solid percentage of liberals, moderates and even conservatives who say they'll vote Democratic. The party out of power also holds the edge among persuadable voters, a prospect that doesn't bode well for the Republicans.

    The election ultimately will be decided in 435 House districts and 33 Senate contests, in which incumbents typically hold the upper hand. But the survey underscored the difficulty Republicans face in trying to persuade a skeptical public to return them to Washington.

    The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults conducted Monday through Wednesday found that President Bush has stopped his political freefall, with his approval rating of 36 percent basically unchanged from last month. Bush received slightly higher marks for his handling of the Iraq war and the fight against terrorism, weeks after his surprise trip to Baghdad and the killing of Iraqi terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a U.S. airstrike last month.

    But a Democratic takeover of either the House or Senate would be disastrous for the president, leaving both his agenda for the last two years in office and the chairmanship of investigative committees in the hands of the opposition party. To seize control of Congress, the Democrats must displace 15 Republicans from House seats and six Republicans from the Senate.

    The AP-Ipsos survey asked 789 registered voters if the election for the House were held today, would they vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district. Democrats were favored 51 percent to 40 percent.

    Not surprisingly, 81 percent of self-described liberals said they would vote for the Democrat. Among moderates, though, 56 percent backed a Democrat in their district and almost a quarter of conservatives — 24 percent — said they will vote Democratic.

    Democrats also held the advantage among persuadable voters — those who are undecided or wouldn't say whom they prefer. A total of 51 percent said they were leaning Democrat, while 41 percent were leaning Republican.

    "We still have wind in our face. It's a midterm election in the president's second term," said Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Today is a little bit better in the atmospherics of Washington than it was maybe a month ago."

    The president's party historically has lost seats in the sixth year of his service. Franklin D. Roosevelt lost 72 House seats in 1938; Dwight D. Eisenhower 48 in 1958. The exception was Bill Clinton in 1998.

    By another comparison, polls in 1994 — when a Republican tidal wave swept Democrats from power — the two parties were in a dead heat in July on the question of whom voters preferred in their district.

    "It comes down to a fairly simply question: Can Democrats nationalize all the elections? If Republicans prevent that, they have a shot. If they don't, they lose," said Doug Gross, the GOP gubernatorial candidate in Iowa in 2002 and the state finance director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign.

    Overall, only 27 percent approved of the way Congress is doing its job. Lawmakers get favorable marks from 36 percent of conservatives, 28 percent of moderates and 17 percent of liberals.

    Some criticism of Congress has focused on lawmakers' inability to control spending, with lawmakers tucking in special projects for their home districts.

    "They used to say there's nothing worse than a tax-and-spend liberal Democrat," said Gary Wilson, 51, a self-described liberal from Gaithersburg, Md. "There is something worse: It's a borrow-and-spend Republican. This is going to come back to haunt us."

    One bright spot for the GOP is that Republicans hold an advantage over Democrats on issues such as foreign policy and fighting terrorism — 43 percent to 33 percent — and a smaller edge on handling Iraq — 36 percent to 32 percent.

    The AP-Ipsos poll was conducted after the divisive Democratic debate in the Senate over setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq. Potential voters were paying attention to the GOP complaint that Democrats want to "cut and run."

    "It seems like the Democrats want to pull out or start to pull out, and I don't think that's the correct thing to do," said Eric Bean, 24, a college minister in Fort Worth, Texas. "I'd much rather see a Congress that would support our president. I think George Bush is doing the best he can. I think Republicans will support him."

    John Dendahl, the Republican candidate for governor in New Mexico, said Democrats, with the help of some Republicans, have been successful at obstructing legislation in Congress while heaping the blame on the GOP.

    Tom Courtney, a Democratic state senator in Iowa, said U.S. voters are ready to trust his party to lead.

    "I honestly think it's ours to lose," Courtney said. "My experience, we're not above that. Americans are ready for change."

    The poll of adults had a margin of error of 3 percentage points and the survey of registered voters had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

    Like the Democrats are any different. These people need to realize that regardless of who is in power business will go on as usual.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    The wealth of the corrupt select international banking families needs to be overthrown and redistributed. That is where the focus should be. They control the government, the factories, corporations, all land, products..you name it and they own it. Doesn't matter which country. They call all the shots. It will never matter who is in office as long as the world has these evil greedy satanic rats on our backs.

    Some politicians with decent (and I use that term lightly) morals can try to fight it, however they will be turned to their ways whether they choose to or not, or even realize it.

    Your talking The Federal Reserve...I have always wondered how many people think this is a government organization? B/c I tend to believe more than a few do....
  • Uncle LeoUncle Leo Posts: 1,059
    You know we've hit rock bottom when people are clamoring for the Democrats.
    I cannot come up with a new sig till I get this egg off my face.
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