Just when it looked bleakest, the latest Gallup generic ballot poll shifted back to a dead heat between Democratic and Republican candidates. While not as positive as it sounds, at least it offers hope to save our nation from disaster.
Say goodbye to the 10-point lead Republicans enjoyed in last week’s Gallup poll of generic congressional preferences.
Gallup’s weekly tracking poll of the generic ballot, a key predictor of voters’ actions in elections, showed Democrats and Republicans tied at 46 percent — down from the 10-point lead the GOP held just a week ago.
The shift, the polling group noted, marked the first time in five weeks where Republicans didn’t hold some sort of advantage over Democrats. Last week’s 51-41 percent lead was heralded as "unprecedented" for Republicans.
The survey, which tracks voters’ preference in a matchup of a generic Democratic and Republican candidates for Congress, still shows a hearty enthusiasm gap for the GOP. The party still leads Democrats by 25 percent in voter enthusiasm, and the GOP leads independents by 22 percent in the same measure… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <The Hill>
The main area where we lag behind in enthusiasm is disgruntled progressives. So to my disgruntled progressive friends, I say this. I understand and share your frustration. We did not get everything we wanted. But think what we would have lost had McConJob, Mooseolini, and the Republican Regime remained in power. I believe Obama genuinely cares about the needs of the poor and middle classes, while the Republicans care for millionaires only. Please don’t give up now. Do not put yourselves in the position of looking back on this election and knowing you could have helped prevent the catastrophe of Republican rule.
14 Responses to “Huge Shift in Generic Ballot Poll”
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Hey TC
I don’t believe any poll. There only as good as the people giving it. Yeah we have our work cut out for us. Obama is on a roll with his speeches. He’s showing some spark and leadership. Now that didn’t hurt to much did it.! In my opinion Rahm possibly leaving is great. He should take a few more with him. We have to muster our forces and get it done. Like I intimated, I hope Obama stays strong.
Tim, I was in the business and have examined the poll. This one is well-crafted.
I do worry that this is just an outlier. Every polling firm gets them sometimes.
On the other hand, it could be the result of Obama’s recent more aggressive speeches (like the one in the post below this one). The Republicans have been laying down such a variety of bullshit and getting away with it for so long that their getting vulnerable to a counter-narrative — if the Democrats finally have the gumption to present one strongly enough.
Infidel, I think that the majority of the country thinks more like the Dems than the Reich. But the Dems voters are apathetic.
WE are up against the media who is driving this scenario, making it almost over before it’s even begun. This will artificially depress the turnout even more if we don’t keep up the talking about voting. We may not be happy, but God, the alternative is so much worse!
Well said, Sherry. The agenda of the traditional media is decidedly right wing.
Yeah, well said, like we haven’t heard this same line of crap just before every election. Hold your nose and vote for the least objectionable candidate.
The only thing that makes the alternative worse is how the Republicans vote on wedge issues. When it comes to money issues, Republicans and Democrats vote alike, which is for the benefit of the upper 1% plutocracy and their multinational corporations.
After two years, what do we have to show for a Democratic majority in Washington? Wall Street bailouts and a Health Insurance Industry give away.
Kevin, you are mistaken again. The Wall street bailout did not happen on Obama’s watch. Bush and the Republicans were the prime movers in the bailout. They were also the ones who gave the money to banksters without strings. On the health care, tell it to the children who wont have to die, because their insurance companies can’t cancel them. Sure HCR was not the single payer plan we wanted, but it’s more than other Presidents have accomplished with almost a century of trying.
I don’t want to jinx anything or get complacent, but damn it, this poll is excellent news. Whatever these polls are worth, I’m so F#$%in’ tired of seeing the same bleak headlines every day. For weeks, Yahoo.com has had the same “breaking” news bulletin at the top of the screen, screaming that things are looking worse and worse for the Democrats in November.
The most accurate poll I know of is Intrade. If you google that name their site will be at the top of the screen. Their polling is based on financial/market data. I don’t know how or why they’re so accurate, but they had the 2008 election results dialed so closely it was almost eerie. I haven’t looked at their site for a few days, but the last time I checked, things were pretty bleak for Congressional Democrats. I’m almost afraid to look again.
Tom, I’m familiar with Intrade. Good polls tend to zero in within the last two weeks, because respondents do not fool themselves over their own intentions as much.
From the miserepubilkan full frontal fascist disaster of depravity to the DEM disaster of halfascist banality; ach du lieberman!
So are you Tea Party, Bruce? You seem to hate both sides.
There would be no enthusiasm gap if Obama had begun with the topics and tactics of his clearly opportunist “new” approach. This recent change in his behavior and demeanor is nothing more than an attempt to prevent the GOP from achieving victory in November. Had Obama been the real deal, and delivered on the topics he’s just now remembered from his presidential campaign, the people of the US would clearly be much better off than they now are and would be so enthusiastic about the Democrats that the GOP would be the ones staying home.
Welcome, Realist. 🙂
While I agree with your or4iginal premise, I disagree with your read on Obama’s motive. I think a better interpretation is that he is finally realizing that governing from the center, something he stated repeatedly that he would do during his campaign, has not worked and can not work, because the Republicans keep moving the center further right. Staring at failure, he is adapting.to the reality that is.