Keeping the “party” in “partisanship”: In today’s National Journal PollTrack, a new Diageo/Hotline poll finds the P-word is the operative term in an uneasy Washington, D.C.
Four in 10 respondents said they would vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress if the race were held today; 33 percent chose the Republican. The same margin was true for the presidential question, with 37 percent saying they would choose a generic Democrat for the White House and 30 percent saying they would choose a generic Republican.
Democrats are “really angry now,” and they’re ready for a fight, Republican pollster Ed Rollins said at a briefing this morning, but the GOP is “on the defensive.” He also predicted that Republicans wouldn’t lose the House, but long-term GOP veterans in comfortable seats are going to be nervous because of the recent scandals plaguing the party.
The poll numbers suggest that more than double the number of respondents tie ethics problems to Republicans than Democrats, but an overwhelming majority — 72 percent — told pollsters that “corruption and illegal activities” are a problem among both parties equally. Seventeen percent singled out Republicans and 6 percent singled out Democrats.
The swirl surrounding fallen GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, of course, is the most high-profile of the recent ethics scandals. Abramoff’s name ID rose significantly in this poll, with more than half of respondents now saying they’ve heard of him. In the previous survey, more than seven in 10 had not.A slight plurality of respondents (37 percent) said they didn’t connect Abramoff with either party specifically, but three in 10 tied him to the GOP. Just 2 percent said they associated him with Democrats. Most also thought it was likely, however, that once the Abramoff investigation was finished, representatives from both parties would be found to be involved in illegal activities.
Meanwhile, Bush got a “Santa Claus bounce” in the December survey, according to pollster Ed Reilly, but his number is back down to its levels from late 2005. Forty-six percent said they approved of the president’s job, and 53 percent disapproved.
A new Gallup poll shows Bush holding steady at 43/53, nearly identical to the numbers in Gallup’s early January and mid-December polls.
Both polls had similar numbers on the direction of the country. Thirty-six percent of Gallup respondents said they were satisfied with the way things are going in the United States, and 61 percent said they were dissatisfied. In the Hotline poll, a third of respondents said the country was headed in the right direction; 54 percent said it was off on the wrong track.
The Republicans are really, really good at playing on people’s cynicisms and fears. Saying, “They’re all equally bad” is brilliant because it’s what those unsmart people – who can’t be bothered with facts and details – say to look like they’re paying attention. But there’s bad and then there’s just rotten to the core, and for the latter you need an “R” on your voter registration card.