#1 Democrats May Not Be Headed for Midterm Bloodbath
Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 2:44 pm
Newsweek
[quote]As Democrats prepare for considerable losses in the November elections, there’s reason to believe the party in power may not be headed for the bloodbath it might expect. According to a new NEWSWEEK Poll, President Obama’s approval rating—47 percent—indicates that the party is better off this year than Republicans were in 2006, when the GOP lost 30 House seats, and than the Democrats were in 1994, when they lost 52 House seats.
Obama’s approval has fallen 1 percentage point since the last NEWSWEEK survey in June, but the White House has gained ground on several specific issues, specifically his handling of the economy, which has risen to 40 percent (from 38 percent) over the past two months. Voters also generally approve of Obama’s response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, which Obama is expected to address next week from the Oval Office.
Related: Read the Complete Poll Results »
On other issues, Obama is still facing general disapproval. Forty-seven percent do not think favorably of Obama’s plan in Afghanistan, which included a 30,000-troop increase he announced last year. Despite Congress passing a set of financial-regulation reforms, 52 percent disapprove of the administration’s efforts to reform Wall Street, along with 51 percent who disapprove of Obama’s health-care initiatives and 58 percent who disapprove of the administration’s plan to reduce the federal deficit.
Photos: Is Obama Keeping His Promises?
As with all midterm elections, the president’s approval rating is considered a key factor in determining which party voters are likely to support. Indeed, 68 percent of registered voters say their view of Obama is “veryâ€
[quote]As Democrats prepare for considerable losses in the November elections, there’s reason to believe the party in power may not be headed for the bloodbath it might expect. According to a new NEWSWEEK Poll, President Obama’s approval rating—47 percent—indicates that the party is better off this year than Republicans were in 2006, when the GOP lost 30 House seats, and than the Democrats were in 1994, when they lost 52 House seats.
Obama’s approval has fallen 1 percentage point since the last NEWSWEEK survey in June, but the White House has gained ground on several specific issues, specifically his handling of the economy, which has risen to 40 percent (from 38 percent) over the past two months. Voters also generally approve of Obama’s response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, which Obama is expected to address next week from the Oval Office.
Related: Read the Complete Poll Results »
On other issues, Obama is still facing general disapproval. Forty-seven percent do not think favorably of Obama’s plan in Afghanistan, which included a 30,000-troop increase he announced last year. Despite Congress passing a set of financial-regulation reforms, 52 percent disapprove of the administration’s efforts to reform Wall Street, along with 51 percent who disapprove of Obama’s health-care initiatives and 58 percent who disapprove of the administration’s plan to reduce the federal deficit.
Photos: Is Obama Keeping His Promises?
As with all midterm elections, the president’s approval rating is considered a key factor in determining which party voters are likely to support. Indeed, 68 percent of registered voters say their view of Obama is “veryâ€