Americans think Republicans are out of touch but plan to vote for them anyway
Published March 6, 2014
by Ariel Edwards-Levy, Huffington Post, March 4, 2014.
Americans overwhelmingly consider Republicans to be out of touch, and they trust them less than Democrats on the issues -- but that doesn't mean the GOP is in bad shape for the 2014 elections.
That's the takeaway from a Washington Post/ABC poll released Tuesday morning, closely echoing a New York Times/CBS survey last month that found Americans saw the GOP as divided, pessimistic and "out of step with the public on a range of issues," but planned to vote for them regardless.
Respondents to the Post/ABC poll evenly trusted both parties on the economy, and gave the GOP a slim edge on its ability to handle the federal budget deficit. Democrats, however, had a 13-point advantage on helping the middle class, and an 8-point edge on handling health care, energy policy and immigration, according to the poll.
Asked whether President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party are in touch with the public's concerns, Americans were about evenly split. But 68 percent said the Republican party is out of touch -- including about 40 percent of those who identify as Republicans themselves.
Such results might be expected to take an electoral toll on the GOP, but asked who they'd prefer to send to Congress this November, voters were evenly divided, with 46 preferring a generic Democrat and 45 percent a generic Republican.
The Republicans have a few structural factors working for them. Midterm elections tend to favor the party that's not in the White House, and the current mood is strongly anti-incumbent. Just 22 percent of voters say they'd like to see their congressional representative reelected, the lowest in the Post/ABC's polling since 1989. Americans' views of the economy also remain bearish, with just 18 percent saying it has recovered strongly. Obama's approval rating has remained mired in the 40s since last fall.
But the "generic House" vote question is also an imperfect measure, especially this far ahead of the election. In 2013, Democrats' numbers surged during the government shutdown, before plunging in the aftermath of Obamacare implementation. Political scientist Alan Abramowitz notes that polls taken before late summer have little predictive value, and the Post's Dan Balz and Scott Clement caution that "less than half of eligible voters are expected to cast ballots, and the size of Republicans’ typical midterm edge is unclear."
The Post/ABC poll surveyed 1,002 adults by phone between Feb. 27 and March 2.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/2014-poll_n_4895979.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
March 6, 2014 at 10:46 am
Norm Kelly says:
Some minds are like concrete. All mixed up and permanently set.
Who does this sound like? The typical DemocRAT voter that responds to polls and votes.
Some results from this survey, whether it's scientific or not. Just like the poll that showed some 51% of some group of DemocRAT voters didn't know it takes the earth 1 year to revolve around the sun. Doesn't matter if it's scientific or not. It's funny as hell! And scary.
There's a 13-point advantage for Demons in Washington when talking about helping the middle class? In the minds of these hard-core leftist voters, what is it that helps the middle class the most? Is it increased costs at the grocery store? Is it a higher minimum wage that will increase unemployment, increase the cost of goods sold, and have a negative impact on government subsistence programs? Is it the higher unemployment numbers in general? Or could it be that the Demons can help the middle class better because at least they are creating jobs; albeit part-time jobs but jobs nonetheless. How does creating part-time jobs help the middle class? Is this question too hard for the demon voters that answered this poll?
How about the 8-point edge on handling health care, energy policy and immigration. One at a time. Health care? It's so good the dictator has changed the law once again. It's so good that it caused millions more to be FORCED off their private-pay health insurance than have been 'helped' by Obamacancer. It's so good that premiums for the average person are going up, at the same time that deductibles are going up. Yup, the demons who responded to this poll are completely in touch with reality!
Energy Policy? How can anyone believe the central planners know anything about energy policy? What is this administrations policy on energy? Not here, not now. Coal has to go away. Nuclear can't be used because it could be dangerous. The XL pipeline can't be put in place because ...? Well, we actually don't know why cuz they won't give us an answer. We just know that the demons, all of them in Washington, are opposed to the pipeline. This is handling energy policy better? Again, demon voters completely in touch with reality. Perhaps if they turned off American Idol or the Good Wife for a few minutes, then they'd get in touch with reality. Not much hope there though! Obviously no change either.
Immigration last. What exactly is the demon plan on immigration? Amnesty? Take everyone who crossed the border and make them a citizen. Close the border at some unnamed date in the future. A date they hope will never come. Allow illegal aliens to attend colleges & universities at in-state tuition rates. Allow illegal aliens to take advantage of socialized medicine. Allow illegal immigrants to take jobs from American citizens at a wage lower than what the American would take it at, thereby driving wages down! Even if the socialist plan of raising the minimum wage goes through, wages will go down in general when all these illegals are made 'legal' and more stream across our borders because they know they will be treated so darn well.
It is obviously too early in the election cycle to expect polls to mean much. But if the demon party continues in the direction it's going, it's just possible that enough Republican voters will come out to make real change in Washington. Right now I'm not totally in love with the Republican leadership in Washington. But anything is better than the demons currently there. Even a RINO is better than a socialist. John McCain may not be much better than K, but he's enough better that I'd rather have him than her. Perhaps it's possible that enough Cruz's, Paul's, and the like will get elected that we can make useful change in Washington.
I wonder if this poll asked anyone about the dictators new budget plan? I wonder how the average demon voter would respond to this outrageous increase in both taxes and spending. Would the average demon voter believe going further into debt is good for the nation? Would they believe this level of debt is good for the middle class? Remember, 51% of some subset of DemocRAT voters can't identify that it takes the earth 1 year to revolve around the sun, so some number of Demons probably do think that $25TRILLION in debt isn't a bad thing!
