The latest CBS News/New York Times poll is truly a poll from Hell - if you're a Republican, that is. On issue after issue, with the sole exceptions of "making sure U.S. military defenses are strong" and "dealing with terrorism," Democrats come out ahead of Republicans, hands down. For instance, Democrats lead Republicans on the following issues:
*The war with Iraq (48%-30%)
*Making sure the tax system is fair (55%-27%)
*Sharing your moral values (50%-37%)
*Making prescription drugs for the elderly more affordable (61%-18%)
*Improving the health care system (62%-19%)
*Immigration (45%-29%)
*Keeping gas prices down (57%-11%)
*Improving education (53%-25%)
*Protecting your civil liberties (62%-22%)
*Having new ideas (45%-21%)
In addition, 40% of Americans say Republicans are "more financially corrupt," while just 15% say Democrats are more corrupt. And the images of the two parties are almost exactly opposite, with Democrats holding a 55%/37% approve/disapprove ratio, and Republicans at 37%/57%.
Meanwhile, only 23% of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction, compared to 70% who think it's heading in the wrong direction.
The net result of all this is broad dissatisfaction with George W. Bush and with Republicans in general. Bush, for instance, now has a 31% approve/63% dieapprove rating. Ouch. And the Republican-controlled Congress clocks in at 23% approve/64% disaprove. Double ouch. In other words, if you're a Republican, this is the Poll from Hell.
By a nearly 2:1 margin, Americans say they prefer when different parties control the White House and Congress. That's bad news for Congressional Republicans, of course, since Republicans control the White House. And, by a nearly 3:1 margin, Americans believe that the Congress would be doing a better job with Democrats in charge. All in all, 44% of Americans say that if the 2006 election were being held today, they'd vote Democratic. Just 33% say they'd vote Republican. If that continues, it spells potentially HUGE trouble for Republicans.
On, and if Republican Congressional candidates think that a visit by the President might save them, they'd better think again. By a nearly 5:1 margin (36%-8%), Americans say that support by George W. Bush would make them LESS likely to vote for a political candidate.
Good news for Republicans? Aside from dealing with terrorism and keeping military defenses strong, it's that three of the party's possible Presidential contenders for 2008 - Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and Al Gore - are all viewed negatively.
Of course, a couple of my favorites, Mark Warner and Wes Clark, were not polled. And the whole national security issue can be neutralized, in my opinion, or even turned to the Democrats' advantage by candidates like Jim Webb and Wes Clark. In other words, unless Democrats screw up big time, the Republicans are in deep trouble heading into 2006 and 2008.
You know, I almost feel sorry for Republicans. But then I think about what they've done to our country the past 6 years, how they handled Hurricane Katrina, how they lied to take us to war in Iraq, how they have bred a massive culture of corruption in Washington DC, how they have tarnished the good name of America, and how they've trashed the environment in the name of greed. When I think of all that, I feel sorry for Republicans no longer. This November, they deserve whatever they get from voters, and nobody should shed a tear.
It could be a few months from now 31% will look large next to a number in the 20s that he bottoms out at.
I am kind of shocked, actually. I had a few drinks tonight, along with a nice political chat with some fellow Webb fans, and I came home to this and the Allen "I can't take commercial flights story." I have to say, I am a bit shocked. Seems like the media might actually be in our favor for a brief second.
I screamed the poll numbers out to Thadd, and the issues we can't believe the most are:
1. Taxes. I just always thought they would fall for it, y'know? The Republicans being better with money and all? But this is the biggest win we could ever hope to have.
2. Immigration. The hot news topic, and obviously important; half of the country feels that "other people" have an impact on what see, watch, work with, share an economy with, and share a country with. (C-Span, Washington Journal) It's just that Fox viewers, and people like them, are very afraid of that knowledge.
3. Seriously, the moral values thing? I was pretty surprised. But, I can't say I was shocked. I'll leave that to you viewers. I am just a little ve-clemped. :)