Poll: Anti-incumbent feelings at all time high
Washington (CNN) - Eight months to the day before Election Day 2014, anti-incumbent sentiments are at a record high, according to a new national poll.
And an ABC News/Washington Post survey also indicates that with control of the U.S. Senate up for grabs this November, Republicans have a slight advantage over Democrats in the states holding Senate elections.
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Just 22% of those questioned in the poll say they're "inclined to vote to re-elect" their representative in the U.S. House. That's down five percentage points from January, and it's the lowest level in the quarter century ABC News/Washington Post surveys have asked that question. Sixty-eight percent say they're "inclined to look around for someone else to vote for"– an all-time high.
The survey, released Tuesday, suggests that those with anti-incumbent feelings favor the Republican candidate in their congressional district by eight points, while pro-incumbents support the Democratic candidate by a 14 point margin.
Democrats need to pick up 17 GOP-held House seats to win back control of the Republican-led chamber, a feat political handicappers say is unlikely considering the shrinking number of competitive congressional districts.
In the battle for the Senate, the poll indicates the GOP has a 50%-42% advantage over Democrats in the 34 states holding contests this November.
Democrats hold a 55-45 majority in the Senate (53 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the party), but are defending 21 of the 36 seats up in November, with half of those Democratic-held seats in red or purple states.
The ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted Feb. 27-March 2, with 1,002 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
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@bcrunner – thanks for enlightening us "Didn't vote for him the last time, I am not voting for him again." – let me guess he is a Republican and you only pull the "D" lever.....
@therealTP – I take it that you have nothing to offer other than insults. You clearly don't understand what conservatives want and, quite frankly, we are very tired of trying to explain it to progressives. Many progressives still believe that Obama, (AKA I was busy Saturday and couldn't attend the National Security Council Meeting), is doing a fine job. It just shows that some people are hopeless and will keep pulling the "D" lever when it comes time to vote....after all...it's easier than having to think.....
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You complain about being insulted, and this is the best display of repsect you can come up with? Conservatives as a group are so bereft of respect its staggering. I know what Conservatives want: all the goodies and none of the responsibility for the problems your approach creates. As far how well Obama is doing, I doubt you ever gave him the benefir of the doubt. My problems with his predecessor began when he tried to make the case for going into Iraq, and I found myself diverging from him even more as it became obvious we had no idea what we were doing there and we effectively abandoned the mission in Afghanistan. A lot of us gave Bush the benefit of the doubt especially after 9/11: never again, and especially after how the GOP abandoned their own intellectual property out of sheer pique on healthcare. I think you are the one mindlessly pressing the lever.
Dean – You win the funniest post of the day.
Enough is Enough wrote:
@therealTP – I take it that you have nothing to offer other than insults. You clearly don't understand what conservatives want and, quite frankly, we are very tired of trying to explain it to progressives.
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That's funny. It demonstrates exactly what I've been saying about conservatives and their messaging. They think that they are so right about everything, that if people just heard and understood their message, then they would become instant converts to conservatism, right on the spot. It just never crosses your mind that people have heard and fully understood your message, but they are quite simply and totally put off by it.
Why do conservatives always think that the problem is getting their message across to people, when in reality the problem is that they have gotten their message across.....and the Tea Party has only made it even worse.
Dean
Once again, it's up to the GOP to clean up the mess left by a Democrat-controlled federal government. History does repeat.
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Can you tell us when that has happened in the past? I can name messes the Republicans left behind, and several messes that Republicans created. Since you bought it up, my first card witll be George W. Bush. He turned a $300 billion annual surplus into a $1500 billion annual deficit, which is a turn around of nearly $2 trillion. BTW, under Pres. Obama that $1500 billion deficit that he was handed has been cut in half.
@ Lizzie
Here is another "complaint" from me: Well over an hour delay between comments made and comments actually posted is way too long to further a conversation.
And, oh: I vote. Every election. I have voted for nearly a half a century now. I've picked some winners, and I've picked some losers. What I do WANT is a functioning government utilizing both parties. Not government shutdowns and political obstruction. I don't see much function within the GOP these days. (Ooops. One more complaint I have, eh?)