Gallup: Congress Gets Highest Approval Rating in Two Years

[flpoljunkie]

February 17, 2009

Congress Gets Highest Approval Rating in Two Years
Susan Davis reports on politics.

The Democratic controlled Congress has its highest approval rating in two years, according to a Gallup poll released today.

At 31%, the approval rating is “still quite negative on an absolute basis,” the polling outfit notes, but consistent with historical averages. Congress is never particularly popular—a 35% approval rating is the average for Gallup polls since 1974.

However, Congress’s approval rating jumped a notable 12 points from January to now, built almost entirely on more favorable view from Democratic voters whose approval ratings jumped to 43% now from 18% in January. Similarly, independent voters’ approval jumped to 29% from 17%.

For all the talk of bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle, Republican voters’ approval rating in the same one-month period fell to 19% from 23%.

“The more positive ratings for Congress among Democrats may also reflect an implicit endorsement of the work Congress has been doing to pass the economic stimulus plan,” Gallup writes.

Congress approved the $787 billion stimulus package last week with just three Republican senators joining Democrats to pass the bill. President Barack Obama will sign the bill today at an event in Denver, Colo.



http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/02/17/congress-gets-highest-approval-rating-in-two-years/

[ck4829]

1. Watch for cries of "LIBERAL MEDIA!111!! LIBERAL MEDIA!1111" from conservatives

Never mind the fact that they endorsed these approval ratings reports when they were really low.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Nope

They will probably just claim that it's because of THEM that Congress is more popular right now- after their bold and decisive....um....obstruction..on the economic stimulus bill that they "helped" change but ultimately refused to vote for. :eyes:

[Kind of Blue]

2. I wonder if this will get through

to the No On Everything Republicans? It's amazing that the endorsement of the plan by many of their Republican governors does not even make a difference.

[flpoljunkie]

4. I doubt it. Added a nice graph to OP which nicely illustrates the rise in Congress' approval.

The Republicans, apparently led by Eric Cantor, are taking their marching orders from Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich. They are making a big mistake.

[Spazito]

3. Yet another re-affirmation, imo, of the Obama Administration and the Democrats...

by the now awakened American public. The repubs refuse to acknowledge what we all know, trust once lost is near impossible to regain so they continue in their obstructionist ways. Talk about committing political suicide.

[opihimoimoi]

7. Poor Pubs,,,,blinded by Faux Philosophy and poor tactics....Just say NO

The Party of NO

[Tempest]

6. Democrats are raising the rating, Repugs are still dragging it down

Democratic approval rating: 60%
http://pollingreport.com/cong_dem.htm

Repug approval rating: 44%
http://pollingreport.com/cong_rep.htm

[Jennicut]

9. Exactly. If we had less Rethugs it would be even higher.

[Tempest]

11. In 2 years you'll get your wish

Repugs up for re-election in 2010 are not looking so good according to polls.

[Jennicut]

17. Whoohoo! I hope they all have an EPIC FAIL

[Pirate Smile]

8. Ben Sargent has a question: "Do People Like One-Party Rule?" Dems do right now.

The Plum LineGreg Sargent's blog

Do People Like One-Party Rule?

A smart reader, commenting on the new poll finding a big spike in Congress’ approval rating, suggests:

Perhaps this is premature, but an optimistic reading, and I think it a credible possibility, is that people are once again shifting to a view that government isn’t the enemy.

It’s an intriguing possibility, and I think there’s a corollary question here to be asked. This poll comes at a moment when we’re seeing an unusual level of harmony between the White House and the leadership of the dominant party in Congress, cooperation that has now resulted in an enormously ambitious initiative, i.e., the stimulus package.

So could the upswing in Congressional approval be a sign that people are watching one-party rule, and they like what they see so far?

To be sure, the GOP strategy is a long-term one, and a lot depends on a host of unknowns, such as how the stim package will be perceived over time and what other initiatives are proposed in the months ahead. And Congress’ approval rating of less than a third suggests there’s still a long way to go.

But the one-party-rule question seems like a question worth asking, and a dynamic worth keeping an eye on.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/stimulus-package/big-question-of-the-day-do-people-like-one-party-rule/

[Jennicut]

10. Only when its the Dems who are in charge.

[Spazito]

12. I think it comes down, in some sense, to intrinsic trust...

Obama and, by extension, the Democrats in Congress, have earned the cautious trust of the majority of Americans. The public have, in one short month, seen nothing to cause them to regret their vote on November 4/08. Indeed, as the poll numbers climb that initial trust is growing as action is taken by both the Administration and the Democratic Majority in Congress.

Edited to correct typo

[Bluerthanblue]

16. well said- I think you've summed this up

very nicely!

:hi:

[Thrill]

13. Keep up the good work Repukes. They actually thought they had a win last week

[4lbs]

14. So, the Democrats in Congress have increased in popularity while the GOP has decreased.

That sends a loud message about who the public believes to care about them.

[old mark]

15. Lose the election by 9 million votes, lose control of congress,

lose popularity after less than a month of the new administration that wants bipartisanship, turning to disgraced failed former leaders and a drug addidcted pedophile "comdeian" to lead the party.

And they want to run the nation....

Good bye, GOP. It's fun watching you all sink beneath the waves.....

mark

[rvablue]

18. Feeling stupid here. Someone refresh me on what was going on in Feb. 2007

Why the spike then?

I could do a google, I guess, but I'm sure I'll find out a lot quicker by asking.


on edit: was it the return of a Dem. controlled Congress or was something else also going on?