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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The Democrats need to get rid of Reid, Pelosi, Barney Frank and make good on their promises. The Deomcrats are idiots they were give a tremendous opportunity and they squander it. Obama promised new jobs and we lost millions more. $787 billion to stimulate the economy but I see no stimulus. I registered Independent last week.
God help us with these never ending polls. What is there, one a day?
How about annual polls!!!!
Obstructing Government-ran healthcare is not going against the country... its actually exactly what the country wants. The majority of Americans do not support Obama's healthcare plan.
The democrats would be less popular if the liberal press didn't support them. It's sickening how the press supports the Democrats. Most people understand this but a lot of people get brainwashed very easily.
what did you think would happen from a san fran. left radical and a las vegas gambler.. reed and pelosi are dividing this country to the point i have never seen before,,, some blue dogs or lap dogs need to get control of this party soon or its back to the gop again...
Its early yet..... the spend spend spend tax tax tax control control control policies of the democrats will be their undoing in 2010 and 2012. They are in 100% charge of things now, and nothing good has happened.
Time for a third party that truly holds to our values ....
Time to get rid of the royal politicians in both parties .... and vote in leaders with the hearts of public servants.
OK...I've still got the same question as always.
What did the "CONSERVATIVES" do with the SURPLUS left to them by the "LIBERALS"? All I hear is the Dems are tax-and-spend. THEY LEFT US A SURPLUS!! I left the party when GW blew it all.
So I'll ask again....WHO SPENT THAT SURPLUS and where did it go?
Pelosi and Reid, what a joke. Voters in their states, vote them out next time for crying out loud.
The erosion continues. By next spring the Republican will hold an edge even in CNN polls. Which by the way carry a statistical oversample of Democrats & African Americans.
Let's get one thing straight:
This poll is NOT bad for democrats. It actually shows a very PROMISING numbers in light of the fact that this is likely the TOUGHEST debate that Obama will be in.
If I were a republican or a conservative, I would be VERY concerned at Democrats being viewed in such a better light by intelligent people as well as majority of people, despite it being the most difficult 'policy' on the tabe.
When inflation goes through the roof due to the extreme money printing (800 billion) and everyone's savings become practically worthless the Dems and Obama will be all over.
No one will be able to recover us from this rapid hyperinflation that's certainly coming. Probably next year this will be the major story, worse than the current recession ever was. And since all the money is gone there will be no way out, the tactics will have been used up by Obama.
We should have just naturally worked through recession, now we're in debt and don't have a thing to show for it. All wasted "stimulus" money, our hard earnced tax dollars pissed away for generations to come. Screw you government!!!!
I am so tired of your "polls" - it's the same people - all doing the same thing - and like a handful of people of the entire US population is a big deal - you run in in the ground CNN - just do the NEWS and stop with the stupid polls - it's losing its flavor!!
Obama was right in his motto " change" we need to change the
President in 2012 and change the Congress and Senate in 2010.
The Democrats may not be as popular as they once were, BUT people will still vote for them because MORE people hate the republicans. Too bad you rightees.
Obama hasn't repealled any of the Bush Tax cuts yet. So any person complaining about being taxed, when the current tax structure is stil within the Bush Administrations tax framework, as they complain of being taxed by Dems.....has lost their bearings............
Who are they polling? Polls only serve those who choose not to read and think for themselves (too many just go with the flow and make decisions based on the numbers they see).
“I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.”
.....Hillary in 2003.
Come on, CNN, and all the rest of the "News" networks!
There are over 300 MILLION people in the country. I don't care what kind of "rationalization" you try to use trying to justify these percentages it is simply is wrong to do so.
To say "....of Americans.." or "...most Americans..." on a poll of 1,000 people or 5,000 people or even 10,000 people is simply bad journalism for the sake of headlines.
Those of us out here that want to hear FACTS simply turn off your polls as useless rhetoric.
We want the truth....not "make believe."
By the way....when are you going to call Palin what she is...a liar.
If Nancy Pelosi or John Cornyn or any number of other people had told such an outrageous lie as Palin did on her blog you would be all over it.
The Rep. party has not done anything new to make people happy... The Dem. Party has done plenty new to make people unhappy.
This can and will go back and forth for awhile, however the election cucle is about to start, so it will be getting interesting real soon
Why is being favored by the majority of American's bad news?
More meaningless polls, that have no real bearing on what most Americans think or care about
The Democrats are the only ones trying to do anything positive for this country, and the people in this country
So my own personal poll gives the Dems a 100 percent approval rating
PERIOD ...
Good old right leaning, right controlled CNN. Give me a break! Just one more media outlet now controlled by corporate GOP interests.
The Dems' policies have been killing our economy. When you have the far-left (Pelosi, Conyers, Rangel, B. Frank) running the country, you're going to have a nightmare at hand. Unfortunately, we see that today. More than 2.6 million jobs lost since Obama took office, with the deficit growing by $181 billion in July.
The reason that the GOP has claimed the Democrats' losses is because most of the midterm elections with Democrat incumbents don't have challengers yet. A pledge from a GOP conservative or libertarian to stop the Democrats' rampant spending will flip disenfranchised Democrats and turned-off independents over to the GOP. This will hold even more weight if the incumbent is a Blue Dog who voted on any of these big government programs that are bankrupting our country.