Four Weeks Out, the Base Stands Firm

[ProSense]

Four Weeks Out, the Base Stands Firm

by Ed Kilgore

As we enter the stretch run of this midterm cycle, the latest crosstabs from Gallup´s tracking poll show once again that while turnout among self-identified Democrats may be a problem, support for the president and his policies really isn´t.

For the week ending on October 3, the President´s job approval rating among Democrats is 81%; among liberal Democrats 84% (moderate Democrats are at 79%); among African-Americans it´s at 90%; and among Hispanics 61%. Perhaps it´s random noise unrelated to the emergence of Social Security as an issue in many Democratic campaigns, but the president´s job approval ratings among voters over 65 has suddenly jumped to 45%, the highest level since early June.

To compare Obama to the last two Democratic presidents in terms of base sentiment, at this point in his presidency Bill Clinton´s job approval rating among Democrats was at 69%, Jimmy Carter´s was at 60%.

Disaffection in the Democratic base is not Barack Óbama´s or the Democratic Party´s principal handicap.

[Hekate]

1. Kick. Rec.

[JNelson6563]

2. K&R You bet!

Member of the base spending time in the trenches here, standing firm as ever!

Julie

[muffin1]

3. Then you have nothing to worry about, right? n/t

[HowHasItComeToThis]

4. I REMAIN WORRIED

[DCBob]

5. There is still complacency..

Many voters, although pleased with the President, still may not show up in Nov to support the party.

[ClarkUSA]

8. Historically, the party in the WH nearly always loses seats and this year is no exception.

Of course, with the economy still in recovery from a Great Depression averted -- thanks to President Obama and the Democratic Congress -- the loss of seats will be exaggerated, mostly due to a combination of the racist teabagging enthusiasm of the Faux News lovin' GOP base and the amnesiac idiocy of independent swing voters.

Complacency, and not dissatisfaction, is always the affliction affecting the base of whichever party is in the WH. In this case, Democrats also control the Congress, so the "throw the bums out" mentality hits Democratic incumbents harder, no matter if they are liberal or DLC.

[Top Cat]

6. K&R

[ClarkUSA]

7. lol! Liberals approve of him more than DLC Dems. Who says liberals are "mad" at Pres. Obama?

Guess all those DVT cranky whiners -- who never much liked President Obama in the first place -- are wrong. Again.

:rofl:

Gallup poll quote:

For the week ending on October 3, the President´s job approval rating among Democrats is 81%; among liberal Democrats 84% (moderate Democrats are at 79%); among African-Americans it´s at 90%; and among Hispanics 61%.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=466803&mesg_id=466803