Latest poll makes one thing clear: Voters are angry
President Obama's political stock is plunging. But not everyone is ready to accept it.
A recent story about the findings of a new Washington Post-ABC News poll boasted a headline that read: "In poll, Republicans gaining political ground on Obama." Gaining ground? Are they kidding? Look at the poll's findings. More like: "Republicans leave Obama in the dust."
On four of five major domestic issues - the economy, health care, jobs and the budget deficit - a majority of Americans disapprove of the job that Obama is doing. In fact, according to the poll, a majority of Americans approve of the president's performance with regard to only one issue: fighting terrorism. Fifty-six percent approve of his efforts to protect the country, while 39 percent oppose them.
On national security, it's a dramatic role reversal. Democrats have long been saddled with the perception that they're weak on this issue. No longer.
This poll and others like it amount to good news for Republicans. When registered voters were asked which party they'd be more likely to vote for in a hypothetical matchup in their congressional district if the election were held today, 48 percent said they'd vote Republican while 45 percent indicated they'd support a Democrat.
The White House is spinning these poll findings as evidence of an overall "anti-incumbency" mood sweeping the country. To the rest of us, it should be clear that much of what we're seeing is a vote of "no confidence" in Obama's leadership. Why else would 57 percent approve of the fact that Republicans have enough votes to block Democrats while only 36 percent consider it a bad thing?
Of course, for the GOP, not all the news is positive. Just because voters have become disillusioned with Obama doesn't translate into enthusiasm for Republicans. And we should be thankful for this. Otherwise, they might get the idea that they're doing something right. Mostly they're just benefiting from the blunders and excesses of the other side. At this point, for many Americans, the Republicans' major selling point is that they're not Democrats.
In the poll, 58 percent say the GOP isn't trying hard enough to compromise, compared to 44 percent who say that Obama is too obstinate. And when you compare the two parties, Republicans are still more unpopular than Democrats - 52 percent of Americans have a negative image of the GOP, while only 46 percent say that about Democrats. When asked how often Senate Republicans should filibuster and block legislation proposed by Obama and Senate Democrats, 68 percent said "not often" and only 25 percent responded that they should do it "often."
Then there's this surprise - a silver lining for Democrats. When you ask voters which party they trust to "do a better job in coping with the main problems that the nation faces," 43 percent choose Democrats while only 37 percent put their trust in Republicans.
Some see these findings as contradictory. They aren't. They have some nuance and make perfect sense to me. Judging from this survey and others like it, many Americans are saying they want the two major parties to work together to solve the nation's toughest problems. We're tired of pandering, grandstanding, bickering, overreaching, obstinacy, and gamesmanship. We've rediscovered our appreciation for checks and balances because we've seen enough to be suspicious of either party if they accumulate so much power that they can run roughshod over the political process.
We want our representatives in Washington to put aside their personal agendas, get to work, and act like grown-ups. The sad part is, this seems like a tall order.
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