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Washington PostVoters Allow a Separation of Blame
Political Discontent Might Not Affect General Assembly Control, Poll Finds
By Tim Craig and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, July 15, 2007; C06
Virginia residents' negative feelings toward the Bush administration and the national Republican Party have not tarnished state Republicans or broadly diminished their chances to keep control of the General Assembly after the Nov. 6 election.
Although Virginia residents say they strongly disapprove of the war in Iraq, more than half of the state's voters approve of the state Republican Party, and a sizable majority has confidence in the state government to make the right decisions for the future.
At the same time, Virginia's pivotal bloc of independents, particularly those in vote-rich Northern Virginia, holds the state Democratic Party in even higher regard than the state GOP. And independents, about 30 percent of the state's adult population, feel closer to the Democratic Party on health care, global warming and such divisive social issues as abortion and gay rights and are about evenly divided between the parties on the economy, traditionally a Republican strong point.
The findings stem from a poll conducted by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University. The survey paid particular attention to political independents, who will probably decide whether Democrats make inroads in the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/14/AR2007071401020.html