This is a very troubling poll

[Poiuyt]

I think it was on Keith last night. Most people want to see Democrats take over Congress, but they believe that their own Representative deserves to be re-elected (59%-26%)

USA Today/Gallup Poll. April 28-30, 2006. N=1,011 adults nationwide. Results below are among registered voters.

"If the elections for Congress were being held today, which party's candidate would you vote for in your congressional district: the Democratic Party's candidate or the Republican Party's candidate?" If unsure: "As of today, do you lean more toward the Democratic Party's candidate or the Republican Party's candidate?" Options rotated

Republican Democrat Other (vol.)/Unsure

4/28-30/06 39 54 7


"Please tell me whether you think each of the following political officeholders deserves to be reelected, or not. How about ?"

Deserves Does Not Unsure

"The U.S. representative in your congressional district"

4/28-30/06
59 26 14

"Most members of Congress"

4/28-30/06
38 53 10


I'm afraid that I am not too optimistic about the Democrats taking over one or both seats of Congress.

[libhill]

1. If you're correct

then this country is irretrievably down the tubes. Assuming this ass clown Mal-Administration doesn't nuke Iran and send us all to hell in a hand basket ...

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

5. We're Not Going To Make It To January 2009

Our demise is more certain unless we can somehow slow this train wreck down, but unless we win at least 1 house back in November, it's probably all over for us.

I know...kind of gloomy, but I see bad things ahead, and it's soon going to be too late to prevent.

[Tommy_J]

2. See if this makes you feel better...

The Doonesbury straw poll at Slate.com asks 2 questions : 1) Is Dubya the worst president ever? and 2) Identify yourself as a "Bush hatah" or "Bush luvah".

Guess what? 79% of 21,668 votes rate him as worst ever. Here's the good part - of the 486 Dubya lovers 59% rate him as worst president ever. Imagine that, his base calling him worst ever.

http://cgi.doonesbury.com/cgi-bin/view_poll.c

[Joe for Clark]

3. It is very good to be careful -

But frankly, those polls really do mean nothing.

Election is six months out - people may know the guy they have, but they will be less knowing of the alternative. As long as the inclination is change - that is what is going to happen.

If the dems go into november with even a 5 point generic bias (it is 15 or 16 now) WE WIN!!

My thought really - every slow news day the back-up story is Iraq.

How do you really think this summer in Iraq goes for our kids?? That is going to decide it.

I pray it goes well for our kids, but I am realistic about it too.

They know they lose the house - we better be aiming for the senate, too. They are on the run. And they better run fast - ahead of the "tar and feather" followers. Cause that is going to happen too, maybe in a 21st Century way.

Joe

[Tommy_J]

4. Oops bad link

Try http://slate.com/ and take the poll yourself. Its top right

[Captain Hilts]

6. People think the problem with congress is everyone else's rep. nt

[Joe for Clark]

8. The English don't want to be in England.

I've been there - I understand why. I like your flag - but I am SURE not going to England.

But for these last six years - we do just fine. And these past six years will be corrected shortly.

"We wooped you British twice, as I recall" - (quote from Longstreet, "Gettsyburg" - the movie)

That was true, by the way - there really was a British observer with the CSA at the time that published right after the war.

The united States will redeem itself, we always have and will do so now. I assume you are not really from Britan, but I couldn't resist the quote. And if you are from Britan - I LOVE the quote.

Joe

[MADem]

7. That poll always gets the same results from election to election

They hate everyone else's reps, but theirs are ok.

The Senate is a different kettle of fish. It's a state election, with a NATIONAL bent. The Senate pick is the one more likely to shift, because people view the Senate as having a closer relationship with national issues as opposed to local, district ones.

But hey, anything can happen. Getting out the vote is absolutely KEY. In off year elections, that usually doesn't happen to any great extent. I have a feeling it just might be different this time around, IF and ONLY IF we do the hard work of getting voters to the polls.

[tom_boy]

9. don't rely on polls.

Its not polls that will decide Congress or the Presidency.
Its voters. So know what you believe, and act on it.

I would take ANY poll with a grain of salt.
The end results are too often over-confidence, or premature surrender.

[Atman]

10. I agree...this poll infuriated me.

How the hell do we expect any change if we keep thinking our own shit doesn't stink? If we just vote in our own jerk-off rep while we blame the other guys' rep for being a jerk-off, then we're doomed. We're stuck in one place. People have to face up to the fact that THEIR CONGRESSMAN IS JUST AS BAD AS THE OTHER GUY'S! THEY ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED. Every single fucking one of them. As much as I love the outspokenness of Byrd and the good things Kennedy has done, the fuckers have to go, too. Being a Senator or House member isn't supposed to be a life-long career!

REPLACE EVERYBODY. I'm working hard to get rid of MY senator...how about you guys?

[Protagoras]

11. This poll shows what's been wrong with congress forever

which is why people always report loathing congress but yet give them something in the neighborhood of a 99% re-election rate. It's absurd but everyone hates every congess person EXCEPT their own and this isn't new. Changes can occur but it takes a district by district strategy, not just a national movement.

This is what the DNC really needs to be doing, mobilizing candidate by candidate messages to show how terrible YOUR congress person is. That, in the end, is why we can't afford to just beat on Bush or Delay...we have to bring this all home and go door to door and make these local races relevant. Otherwise the average Republican congress person's ability to bribe and flatter their way into the hearts of their local constituency will remain. Bring home a couple billion in pork and you can slap a nun in the vatican and the locals will still re-elect you. We have to show why EACH congressman has failed their OWN district..not just the nation.

Block by block is how we win.

[valerief]

12. What if they asked Dem voters in Dem counties mostly?

Then the numbers makes sense, right?

[Poiuyt]

13. That's true. It would skew the numbers

I still get nervous. It almost seems like the only way to get rid of an incumbent is if he/she retires.

[Nite Owl]

14. Last Saturday we did Dean's

knock on doors thing for the dems. We only went to dems listed on the voter rolls and I was shocked when we told them about Kirsten Gillibrand who running against John Sweeney and two of them said, very quickly and with conviction, that they knew him and he had their vote. Both had just gone on with how the country is going in the wrong direction but there was no connection that this guy who they 'knew' voted in congress not for them but against them.

[Kansas Wyatt]

15. Which is why Republicans need to be chained to Bush

All Democrats running against a Republican incumbent needs to start showing the people how that Republican voted in lockstep with Bush and handed him everything he wanted, without question. The Republicans in Congress are just as guilty as Bush, but the Democrats must show the people why and how the Republican's re-election will only continue to send America down the wrong course.

For Christ's sake Democratic politicians, Republicans have shown you exactly how to win elections for years now, only you will be telling the truth of the matter, by dumping it back in their laps.

[Sydnie]

16. The poll says

The current Democratic advantage is mostly due to strong support among independents for Democratic candidates. Independent registered voters show a decided preference for the Democratic House candidate in their district, 53% to 29%. The Democrats' cause is aided to a lesser extent by their slight advantage in maintaining party loyalty, as 95% of Democratic registered voters and 89% of Republican registered voters are supporting their own party's candidates for Congress.
-----------------
The current poll finds a majority of registered voters (53%) saying that most members of Congress do not deserve re-election, the first time that level has been reached since 1992. Currently, just 38% think most members deserve to be re-elected.

http://poll.gallup.com/content/?ci=22633