CBS/NYT Poll: Congressional Republicans Receive Lowest Ratings In 25 Years

[jpeyton]

While this isn't surprising to anyone who is done buying into typical GOP BS, this probably will come as a surprise to people who thought the political pendulum was poised to swing the other way. Americans really don't like the "party of no" philosophy, and there are rough waters ahead in 2010 if the GOP thinks their course of action will appease anyone but the most loyal right-wing partisans.

Text

A CBS/New York Times Poll released today show that Americans are feeling somewhat more confident about the economy than they were before President Obama was inaugurated. In February only 8 % of respondents thought the economy was getting better while this weeks' survey revealed that 20% of respondents believe the economy is getting better.

President Obama is enjoying a 66% approval rating by respondents as opposed to 64% in March.

Republicans didn't fare as well in the poll. 63% of Americans feel the President is more likely to make the right decisions about the economy than the Republicans in Congress. Only 20% of Americans believe the Republicans in Congress is more likely to make the correct decisions.

Congressional Republicans got the lowest approval rating in 25 years with only 31% of respondents giving a favorable review of the GOP.

The Republican party is struggling and that is reflected in the New York Times/CBS poll. The poll mirrors a growing dismay over how the GOP is handling its affairs. The party seems leaderless and without direction. Republican ideology has lost its appeal for moderate Republicans and independents who are concerned about the unfettered fiscal spending that occurred during the Bush years. Moderates and independents are equally dismayed by what appears to be the hijacking of the party by Evangelical right wing conservatives.

The November, 2008 elections were devastating for the Republican party. The party's reaction has been to become obstructionist to the new Obama administration and they are now known as the "party of no."

In response to accusations that they didn't have an alternative plan to the President's budget proposals, the party hurriedly wrote out a Republican budget that relied heavily on cutting taxes for the wealthiest corporations and individuals even further than they were cut under the Bush administration.

The at best, haphazard, at worst, obstructionist, strategy by the GOP has only dragged the party down even further than it was in November. The Republican party had one chance, and only one chance in the first couple of months of the new Obama administration, to at least partially recover from the blow dealt by the November elections. During the campaign, President Obama reiterated time after time that he wanted to work in a bipartisan fashion should he be elected. He planned to reach out to the other side, the Republicans, not merely out of friendship, but for the benefit of the nation. It seemed that Americans wanted nothing more than for Republicans and Democrats to set aside their differences, both personal and ideological to work together to solve the economic crisis. As President, Obama fulfilled his promise and went to extraordinary lengths to show he was sincere once he entered into office. He appointed Republicans to cabinet positions, asked for their input, and listened. Items in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act were changed as a result.

But the Republicans still hadn't learned what the November elections meant. They missed their single chance to redeem any shred of dignity or sincerity they had left. They had one opportunity to show that they were sincere about doing what is best for America but they chose obstruction over construction. At every turn since the new President was sworn in, the GOP has shown that they have no intention of working with Democrats and the President to address the needs of the nation. They have instead played bully politics like 12 year old boys on an extended recess. The nation was hoping for the Republicans and the Democrats to work together to fix the economy. Instead, the onus of the burden has been on President Obama and the Democratic Congress because the GOP has been busy kicking sand in the faces of those who would try to put people back to work. The Republicans in Congress didn't understand what the American people so resoundingly tried to tell them in November. America is in the midst of its worst crisis in 75 years and what Americans want is for the President and the Congress to work together to fix the problem. And it is clear that the President and the Democratic Congress is doing their part. But the Republicans have become the party of no, the party of obstructionism and nothing is more frustrating for Americans in trouble. And that is why they have the lowest approval rating they've had in the 25 years since the New York Times/CBS poll has been asking the question.

[Robor]

While I don't disagree 11/2010 is a long ways off and a lot can happen between now and then.

[smashp]

The republican party as we know it will cease to exist within 10 years. It will split into two separate parties and neither will be able to gain a foothold.

[Genx87]

Hard to predict the future. Remember in 2005 the democrats were on life support and people were ready to pull the plug.

With the recent shenanigans surrounding AIG and the obvious corruption without our govt. In 2-4 years after spending trillions in deficits with little to show for it anything can happen.

I think 2010 may be too early but 2012 could be long enough from Bush and long enough for Obama to pile up 5 trillion in debt for the pendelum to start its move back to the other side.

[masteryoda34]

Yeah, I don't think it has much relevance in terms of the 2010 election, so much will change before then.

Also realize there are many people on the right who also disapprove of most Republicans in Congress because they have abandoned conservative principles during 2000-2006.

[loki8481]

man, they're going to get creamed in the April 2009 elections.

[Phokus]

Glenn Beck: WE... SURROUND... *THEM*

(i think glenn beck means the sane/rational people surround the idiots, aka GOP supporters)

[jpeyton]

How long before you guys move past the denial towards acceptance?

[loki8481]

Originally posted by: Phokus
Glenn Beck: WE... SURROUND... *THEM*

(i think glenn beck means the sane/rational people surround the idiots, aka GOP supporters)

he said "we," that clearly excludes anyone sane or rational

[Hacp]

Um, its the New York Times. Liberal papers will produce liberal leaning polls! You can't get more biased than the Times.

[OCGuy]

Meh...we'll see about 2010. The "bailouts" are going to take more and more heat....

[CADsortaGUY]

Ah yes, another poll formed around an outcome.

Sample:
* Democrats - 39%
* Republicans - 23%
* Independents - 30%


Last month:
* Democrats - 36%
* Republicans - 26%


Seems they went fishing for the outcome and fudged the numbers to get there. No rational polling operation would use those numbers.

[Lemon law]

Six months is an eternity in politics, but still, the GOP is in major dilemma land. Here everything the GOP has been bellyaching and asking for for 50 years has been delivered in spades by GWB&co. And now the GOP has discovered that much of what they advocate brings total disaster, and that is a little hard to swallow. Nor is Rush Limbaugh and the radical right helping the GOP to find a new direction. But truth be told, its the GOP leadership that is the biggest problem, they are now a one trick pony and the only word they know is no. Its the GOP electorate that still have their shit together, and they will see the GOP through these tough times.

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Ah yes, another poll formed around an outcome.

Sample:
* Democrats - 39%
* Republicans - 23%
* Independents - 30%


Last month:
* Democrats - 36%
* Republicans - 26%


Seems they went fishing for the outcome and fudged the numbers to get there. No rational polling operation would use those numbers.

It's not like Democrats had similarly higher party identification or voting numbers in the last election or anything rational like that...

:roll:

Face it. More Republicans are going Independent or Democrat. The GOP brand is dying.

Originally posted by: Hacp
Um, its the New York Times. Liberal papers will produce liberal leaning polls! You can't get more biased than the Times.

McCain was also pretty skeptical of those darned librul polls, too.

[eskimospy]

Originally posted by: masteryoda34
Yeah, I don't think it has much relevance in terms of the 2010 election, so much will change before then.

Also realize there are many people on the right who also disapprove of most Republicans in Congress because they have abandoned conservative principles during 1961-2009.

Fixed that for you.

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

It's not like Democrats had similarly higher party identification or voting numbers in the last election or anything rational like that...

:roll:

Face it. More Republicans are going Independent or Democrat. The GOP brand is dying.

McCain was also pretty skeptical of those darned librul polls, too.

:roll: Hello? you buy the change month to month? Puhleeze - it's asinine to buy into their sampling. Hell Rassmussen shows the identifications much differently and show the D's actually losing lately - not gaining like the NYT/CBS poll sample does. It's simply not good data.

[eskimospy]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Ah yes, another poll formed around an outcome.

Sample:
* Democrats - 39%
* Republicans - 23%
* Independents - 30%


Last month:
* Democrats - 36%
* Republicans - 26%


Seems they went fishing for the outcome and fudged the numbers to get there. No rational polling operation would use those numbers.

What percentages of Democrats/Republicans/Independents would be acceptable to you? (also, you can't really think that pollsters don't correct for party imbalances do you?)

EDIT: The most recent Pew poll on the subject that I could find (which admittedly is not very recent) gave the Democrats an overall +13 partisan ID advantage. Going by that, last month would actually overrepresent Republicans, and this month would slightly underrepresent them.

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: eskimospy

What percentages of Democrats/Republicans/Independents would be acceptable to you? (also, you can't really think that pollsters don't correct for party imbalances do you?)

Rassmussen seems to be ok.

Currently, 38.7% of Americans say they are Democrats. That?s down from 40.8% a month ago. It?s also the first time the Democratic total has slipped below the 40% mark since the Republican convention bounce last September. Prior to this month?s result, the Democrats have been over the 40% level 10 times in the previous 13 months (see history from January 2004 to present). In March, 33.2% of American adults say they are Republicans. That?s down from 33.6% a month ago. Over the past year, the number of Republicans has ranged from a low of 31.4% in April to a high of 34.4% in September.

Currently, the Democrats enjoy a 5.5 percentage point advantage over Republicans.

[loki8481]

jpeyton, are you like that chick in Dollhouse who can only remember the last thing she was programmed with?

you're talking like liberal was never a dirty word, the democrats were never in a position where their entire platform was based around not being Bush, etc.

these things are cyclical. read a book or something and edumacate yourself.

[OCGuy]

5.5%? Oh no, the (R)s are dead! Dead I tell ya!

[senseamp]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Rassmussen seems to be ok.

Currently, 38.7% of Americans say they are Democrats. That?s down from 40.8% a month ago. It?s also the first time the Democratic total has slipped below the 40% mark since the Republican convention bounce last September. Prior to this month?s result, the Democrats have been over the 40% level 10 times in the previous 13 months (see history from January 2004 to present). In March, 33.2% of American adults say they are Republicans. That?s down from 33.6% a month ago. Over the past year, the number of Republicans has ranged from a low of 31.4% in April to a high of 34.4% in September.

And how do you know that poll is any more accurate than NYT/CBS one?

[chess9]

The Independents are gaining at the expense of the Dems and Publicans.

-Robert

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: senseamp

And how do you know that poll is any more accurate than NYT/CBS one?

Besides the fact that the NYT/CBS sample had a +6 swing in favor of D's in one month? Maybe other reputable polling agencies not having the partisan identifications close to what they used?

[loki8481]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Good, maybe the Republican party will die and make way for a more fiscally conservative and socially liberal party.

all of the fiscally conservative/socially liberal republicans have been voted out of office.

the people have spoken.

[SAWYER]

It's a damn shame we are stuck with these two main parties changing power all the time