WaPo/ABC POLL: Public trusts Obama more than Congressional GOP to deal with major problems, 43/38.

[jefferson_dem]

Post-ABC Poll: Public not yet sold on GOP

By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, December 14, 2010; 5:18 PM

Republicans made major gains in the November elections, but they have yet to win the hearts and minds of the American people, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The midterm elections - where Republicans gained 63 seats to take control of the House of Representatives and added six seats to their Senate minority - were widely seen as a rebuke to President Obama. Still, the public now trusts Obama marginally more than congressional Republicans to deal with the country's main problems in the coming years, 43 to 38 percent.

The poll suggest that the election results may have been a vote against the status quo, but it was not a broad mandate for Republicans and their agenda. The survey also underscores the degree to which Americans are conflicted about who they believe is setting the agenda in Washington.

The president's narrow advantage is a striking contrast to the public's mood at this time in 1994 and 2006, the last two midterms where one or both chambers of Congress changed hands.

After Democrats won back the House and Senate four years ago, they had a large, double-digit lead over President George W. Bush when it came to big issues. Similarly, after the GOP's 1994 landslide, people expressed far more confidence in congressional Republicans than they did in President Bill Clinton.

In the new poll, just 41 percent of those polled say the GOP takeover of the House is a "good thing." About 27 percent say it is a "bad thing," and 30 percent say it won't make any difference. Most continue to say the Republicans in Congress are not doing enough to compromise with Obama on important issues.

At this time in 1994, six in 10 Americans said the GOP had taken a stronger leadership role in Washington while just one in four said Clinton was firmly in charge. In the new poll, Americans are about evenly split between Obama and the Republicans in Congress on this question.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/14/AR2010121405575_pf.html

[xchrom]

1. Hmmm. There's some pretty good humor in that notion. Nt

[Scurrilous]

2. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. In my view, with all that the Republicans have done to this country, those

numbers aren't too reassuring. Indeed, they are way too close for my comfort. Just sickening that the American people cannot wake up and smell the coffee.

[Pisces]

4. Why wouldn't people choose the calm, reasonable person , over the hysterics. President

Obama is doing all he can to govern, despite all of the friction from every corner. I have never seen a President have to deal with a 24/7 news channel aimed at his admins destruction. The misinformation, the outright lies, and lack of fair reporting is unprecedented.

[Clio the Leo]

5. kick nt

[niceypoo]

6. Public doesn't trust GOP?

Really?

lol

[Exilednight]

7. 3.5 MOE puts them on equal footing. How did he manage to lose so much ground? That's rhetorical.

This is what appeasement gets you.

[FrenchieCat]

8. He lost that much ground because instead of anyone dealing with the real vilain.....

they have decided to make Obama into a vilain instead.

Folks everywhere are helping the GOP.
Keep it up. Because at some point, it won't be appeasement you'll be complaining about,
it will be how your ass can't get on the Internet (cause the GOP majority will close it down
shortly after election 2012, when they win every fucking thing, with your help)to complain
some more.

[Exilednight]

9. Wow, now you're playing Bush fear card. How many more GOP tactics are you going to use? n/t

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jaysunb]

11. +1

:thumbsup:

[ProudDad]

12. Damned with faint praise...

Basically the USAmerican people are uneasy at the thought of either of the two-right-wings of the Corporate War Party being in charge...

And the undemocratic, corporate funded "system" that's in place won't give them a better choice...

So cognitive disconnect rules when the pollsters come around...

[bhikkhu]

13. When was the last time congress was trusted?

Last time I saw a poll, I think we approved of Congress by just a bit more than we approved of hairy armpits on women. You don't have to do much more than just show up sober to poll ahead of congress, and its not looking to get any better anytime soon.

[BluegrassDem]

14. I watched the ABC World News tonight and not a single mention

of there OWN poll!!! If there was bad news for Obama in this poll, they'd start off the newscast with it and have a roundtable discussion about it. If this isn't proof of media bias, I don't know what is.