For all those who think that BUSH's approval ratings are low...Congress's ratings are even lower. I hope DEMS are seeing that people don't approve of their leadership either. they can't keep blaming BUSH when they do nothing about our problems. Maybe it's suppose to be this way...in any case I think it's waking people up to what our problems really are & who will best lead.

Battle for Congress Suddenly Looks

CompetitiveDemocrats’ double-digit lead on the “generic ballot” slips to 3 points

USA Congress Democrats Election 2008 Government and Politics Republicans Americas Northern America by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ -- A potential shift in fortunes for the Republicans in Congress is seen in the latest USA Today/Gallup survey, with the Democrats now leading the Republicans by just 3 percentage points, 48% to 45%, in voters' "generic ballot" preferences for Congress. This is down from consistent double-digit Democratic leads seen on this measure over the past year.


As is true for the current structure of voting preferences for president, Democratic voters are nearly uniform in their support for the Democratic candidate in their congressional districts (92%), Republican voters are nearly uniform in their support for the Republican candidate (94%), and independents are closely split, with 44% backing the Democrat and 40% the Republican.

The new results come from a Sept. 5-7 survey conducted immediately after the Republican National Convention and mirror the resulting enhanced position of the Republican Party seen in several other indicators. These range from John McCain's improved standing against Barack Obama in the presidential race to improved favorability ratings of the Republicans, to Republican gains in party identification. The sustainability of all of these findings is an open question that polling will answer over the next few weeks.

The positive impact of the GOP convention on polling indicators of Republican strength is further seen in the operation of Gallup's "likely voter" model in this survey. Republicans, who are now much more enthused about the 2008 election than they were prior to the convention, show heightened interest in voting, and thus outscore Democrats in apparent likelihood to vote in November. As a result, Republican candidates now lead Democratic candidates among likely voters by 5 percentage points, 50% to 45%.


If these numbers are sustained through Election Day -- a big if -- Republicans could be expected to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

As Gallup's long-term "generic ballot" trend shows, the Democrats held a sizable lead on this measure from the time they won back control of Congress in the fall of 2006 through last month. If the current closer positioning of the parties holds, the structure of congressional preferences will be similar to most of the period from 1994 through 2005, when Republicans won and maintained control of Congress.


Congressional Approval Also Troubling for Democrats

With only 18% of Americans in August saying they approve of the job Congress is doing, similar to the average 20% approval rating for Congress all year, the Democrats in Congress have additional cause for concern. This scant level of approval could signal that voters are in the mood for change, disproportionately hurting Democratic incumbents.

The last time the yearly average for approval of Congress approached this low a level was in 2006, when the Republicans lost majority control of Congress after 12 years in power. The previous occasion was in 1994, when the Republicans wrested control from the Democrats. In both of these midterm election years, the average congressional approval score was 25%. However, with an 18% approval rating for Congress in 1992, the Democrats succeeded in holding their majority in Congress. That was a presidential year in which the Democratic candidate, Bill Clinton, won.



The issues raised by today's low approval ratings of Congress are reinforced by recent Gallup Poll findings that relatively few voters generally believe "most members" of Congress deserve re-election. That figure was only 36% in July, much lower than the 51% or better reading found in recent election years when the party of the sitting majority in Congress maintained power.

Bottom Line

The new USA Today/Gallup measurement of generic ballot preferences for Congress casts some doubt on the previously assumed inevitability of the Democrats' maintaining control of Congress.

Until now, the dark shadow cast by George W. Bush's widespread unpopularity has suppressed Republican Party identification nationwide, as well as voters' willingness to support the Republican candidate running for Congress in their district.

Now that the symbolic leadership of the party is shifting away from Bush and toward the suddenly popular Republican presidential ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin, things may be changing. This shrinks Bush's shadow over the Republicans, revealing more of the Democrats' own shadow stemming from high disapproval of Congress. The key question is how much of this is temporary because of the tremendous bounce in support for the Republicans on many dimensions coming right off of their convention. The degree to which the Republican bounce is sustained, rather than dissipates, in the weeks ahead will determine whether the 2008 race for Congress could in fact be highly competitive, rather than a Democratic sweep.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,022 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Sept. 5-7, 2008. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

For results based on the sample of 959 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

Results for likely voters are based on the subsample of 823 survey respondents deemed most likely to vote in the November 2008 general election, according to a series of questions measuring current voting intentions and past voting behavior. For results based on the total sample of likely voters, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points. The "likely voter" model assumes a turnout of 60% of national adults. The likely voter sample is weighted to match this assumption, so the weighted sample size is 613.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Good luck with that. Regardless of the presidential outcome, there will be solid Democratic majorities in both houses of congress.

I wouldn't have a problem with a split govt. It means they all can't do much harm.

and you are a fortune teller?

or a mind reader?

there are two cycles in between the next quadrennial national election, your smugness.


no guarentees that the looney left has accomplished anything.

It isn't November yet, and remember, the conservatives are coming out in droves this year.

and democrats are already flumoxed and will freeze up on election day and not bother.


YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


nobama 2008

Really? Two cycles? I see one, but I'm smug...

2008 - Presidential & Congressional Election
2010 - Congressional Election
2012 - Presidential & Congressional Election

Where's the second? 2009 or 2011?

2008 brainiac.

or have you forgotten that the election has not been held yet as you suppose for it in your summation assuming that Congress is leaning clearly left in preparation for ther next conservative Chief Executive.



but just like the looney left, you assume foregone conclusions before the fact.

Unless I was absent that day at school, facts are not facts until they are facts.


But good luck with your pipedream.

That is all the left has.

Not to worry wouldeee... if REPS pick up a few seats in the process better for us. Congress's approval rating is even lower than Bush's. LOL

So much for calling Bush a baffoon. LOL

I named 2008. You wrote "there are two cycles in between." You're wrong. The namecalling is classy.

Unfortunatly it also would mean they can't do any good...

Not sure that would be a good thing.

Perhaps we should start holding 'approval elections' if they don't measure up vote like dancing with the stars and boot the punks out.

here's your quote...


Good luck with that. Regardless of the presidential outcome, there will be solid Democratic majorities in both houses of congress.



It is not november 2008 yet, brainiac.

you responded blindly with 2008 and don't see it as a future event.

don't you read?

or do you read into things that others say as you see fit to spin?

you sound like a democrat doing that.

wishful thinking....

nobama 2008

The Dems said they where going to change alot of things when they took over congress and house. What did they change? Nothing at all. Bush kept them in their place the whole time. WELL?

SHHH....

comrade nanny peloshky has a seat for nobama in her house.

Nothing gets by her.

Here's yours...

There's only one congressional election cycle in between presidential elections.

LOL...That's a GREAT idea!!!!

They should have actually budgets line for line for people to see EXACTLY what is in this stuff that is costing us so much money. I think people would be so angry....

I was saying somewhere else...that the last time we saw an issues oriented campaign DEMS got voted out en masse... that was the 103rd congress. Ever since the only way they stay in power is negative campaigning, lies & deceptions. Sick willie had a name for it but I'm having a senior moment.

While they have us all fighting over devisive issues that don't mean a hill of beans they are robbing our nation blind...ever since. It's pathetic.

That's why I am probly going with McCain because maybe he really wants to reform govt. & I like his choice of running mate...SARAH PALIN. Forget parties, I only hope to see a big shift in congress...vote the bums out...en masse...that would send a message & take the "politics" out of the parties...dont'cha think?

We need to blow the lid off the power brokers with our vote. It's the only way.

Considering that the Dems were in power for almost one year. I think the garbage here is irrelevant, don't ya think?

You were expecting class from the right? Or human respect??? Or human curtesy?? Etc.... Now THAT IS funny No offense intended but they wouldn't know any of those things if it bit them in the arse.

Funny how your johnny one note talking point is all you ever have to say ...and you talk about the right? LOL

Your opinion means nothing... it's about results... All the time, results. The only contribution LIBS ever gave to society was to dumb them down. THAT'S ALL & not such a good thing. If that's insulting well the truth hurts sometimes but reality is just that...REAL!

Words don't hurt...actions do.