WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new national poll indicates that the Democratic party's becoming less popular with voters. But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, suggests that the Republican party has not been able to capitalize on the Democrats' downturn.
Read: CNN's new poll
Fifty-two percent of people questioned say they have a favorable opinion of the Democratic party, down six points from February. Forty-one percent say they have a positive view of the Republican party, up just two points from February. "Most Americans still have a favorable view of the Democrats; half have an unfavorable view of the GOP," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
According to the survey, 44 percent say the country would be better off if the Democrats control Congress, with 34 percent saying it's better if the Republicans controlled Congress.
"By a ten-point margin, Americans say that the country would be better off if the Democrats controlled Congress. That's down from a 15-point advantage in April, but it is very important to note that the change has not helped the Republicans at all," says Holland.
The poll's release comes as lawmakers from Congress are holding town halls on health care reform. What Senators and Representatives do or don't do this year when it comes to health care could impact next year's Congressional elections, when all 435 seats in the House and more than a third of the Senate are up for grabs.
"What happens in the 2010 midterm elections will ultimately be determined by events that happen in 2010," Holland says. "But this year's debate over health care is laying the groundwork for next year's actions. With the debate already so intense on this issue, voters are unlikely to forget what happens in the next few months."
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted July 31-August 3, with 1,136 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points for the overall sample.
From CNN Politics
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This is what happens when you run a campaign, and win, based only on speeches filled with high-flying rhetoric. After the election, you have to actually do something, and most often, reality is in no way related to the rhetoric that got you elected. This happened after 200 with the Republicans and is now happening with the Democrats. We'd all be better off if they just went to sleep for 3.5 years.
The point is we need less GOVT so we don't have to deal with pure DUMOcrats or Republicans.
We need less GOVT, period, because we don't want the current idiots (Obama, Pelosi, Waxman, Frank) controlling our lives and our money.
There are a lot of dumb Republicans, but every time I turn around, the DUMOcrats are spending more $$$ and raising taxes and fees.
When you are in the gutter like the GOP, the only hope you have is that the cheap shots and lies will catch on with the voters. It appears that the party of "No!" has only managed to keep their hate base so far.
Yeah, the Republicans look AWESOME right now! /sarcasm
People are over their honeymoon stage with the Dems and the reality of politics is setting in.
From the Birthers to the Sotomayor hearing, to the disruptions at town hall meetings, it is no surprise that the Republicans aren't gaining any ground.
If anything, the rabid conservative base is as fervent as ever, but equally detrimental. And that could only be a good thing, as normal people realize their crazyness...unless they do something really stupid...
Why would anyone be surprised by this? The average American KNOWS that the average politician of both major parties have the following priorities...party or self first, self or party second, country and constituents far far third.
We need politicians that have only one priority...country first!
I like my idea – if you've in Congress more than TWO terms – and that means total – in either the house or the senate – you're OUT. You can't ever come back to Congress. Let's get the old blood out and some new ideas in. Maybe then Congress will learn to put the needs of the people first and not the needs of the party.
The GOP Are in a position right now to DO SOMETHING FOR ONCE Do something for the people, what are they doing NOTHING! Playing political dirty games lying,twisting,stirring up hate rallies, searching for Obamas Birth Cert, hahahah lol running lying ads. thats what the republicans are doing for the people at least the Democrats are trying working trying to reform Healthcare and fix the Economy while the Republicans sit back bash lie and say NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Listen, even if the Democrats have a slight stuble the AMERICAN PEOPLE do not want the REPUBLI(cons) in office.
The Republi(cons) are Reckless, Extreme, Dangerous and Unpatriotic.
Both parties are pathetic, but the Dems are worse especially with spend-n-tax Obama at the helm.
So people are finally starting to realize that both parties are not working for their interests but their own?
"...but it is very important to note that the change has not helped the Republicans at all."
Really? Care to lay some money on that?
Because I'm betting your opinion polls are actually tepid in comparison with what's going to happen Nov 2010 at the ballot box (the only poll that matters).
There is nothing new under the sun. History has already written this page. It was first written in 1994, and the massive backlack at the townhalls is merely the first raindrops in what is shaping up to be an electoral hurricane.
Man! Is that not a carefully worded article by CNN pollsters. Anyway you try to word it CNN -Obama is a failure with the American people. The Kool Aid has run dry but maybe he can turn water into Kool-Aid-we will see!
So good to see how Obama has brought the country together. I mean....calling on SEIU thugs to attack senior citizen "mobs" sure was a bright idea.
What is this all good for? The DNC attacks the Republicans. The Republicans attack the DNC. Is this what we voted for?? The DNC is in complete control of Congress, the Senate, and the White House and they STILL can't get anything done. That's all Washington is about now. ATTACK...ATTACK...ATTACK.
This is not good for the country. We are a divided population. If it's not politics it's Hollywood garbage. We have become an activist country just like Europe. It's stupid.
+1 on the short sightedness of Americans. I know everyone expect to pray and things will be fine so therefore you don't need anyone from either party, but reality is not like that. Sticking your head in the sand and expecting the best is what yields to stuff like the housing market crisis.
The GOP's poll numbers are going to end up looking worst than George Bush's. The GOP is fading to black.
I for one will never vote republican again! They have proven to me in countless ways they only care about the rich and to darn with the rest. They are soulless people without a conscience.
Its becoming OVERTLY CLEAR that the government as a whole, regardless of party, is a government FOR the corporations, and AGAINST the people.
This is not to say for corporations to ultimately benefit the people, but just for the corporations, profits and bottoms lines for the few at the top at the EXPENSE of the people.
This is obviously an indicator people are realizing the present administration's grand plan for saving the US is only to throw money at everything. One of our biggest issues at election time was a growing debt and we voted in a way we thought would correct all ills. We were wrong, so very wrong.
The Democrats still have the "majority" according to your poll! I think I blame the so called blue dogs because they're working against the best interests of the Democratic Party as well as this country! They aren't real Dems, they're just republicans in sheep's clothing!
How any person in their right mind could consider themselves a republican after how they proved they can't lead and destroyed our country is beyond me.
In the end it will all be about the economy. If the economy is up in a year, Dems will probably not take too much of a beating and there will be some Repub gains.
However if the economy is not going well, the Dems will loose big. No amount of wishing or wondering will do anything to change that.
If, in 2012, the economy is still not going then the OBots will begin the chant of racism in America because we didn't give Bobo more than 4 years.
It's all about where the economy will be.
How could any decent person with a conscience consider themselves a republican?
This poll was completed by a left-leaning news station (CNN) and not by a non-partisan group. With that said, it is probably a 50/50 tie for both parties. The Dems (CNN) don't want to show their party too low and at the same time, they (CNN) doesn't want to show the enemy (Republicans) in a favorable light.
I think all Americans are fed up with both parties and are ready to prove their point in protests, voting booths and blogs.
Oh, I love these polls that CNN always has to comment on. Obama's poll numbers down, Dem's poll number's down. Woooooooo! If you are going to comment on these small drops, why are you not commenting on the fact that poll numbers always level out after an election and the hard decisions start having to be made! I find it laughable that the bottom line is MOST AMERICANS PREFER DEMS to REPUBLICANS! Keep up the sensational news CNN! LOL, LOL, LOL.
Let's call a spade a spade, what has the GOP done for this country and you besides bankrupt it and immerse us in an illegal war? And even now they still offer nothing.