Political realities 101: Americans leaving both Parties; approval for Congress and Bush in mid-30s.

[Clarkie1]

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The number of people identifying themselves as Republicans has fallen to a new low. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of 15,000 adults in April found that just 31.0% now say they belong to the Grand Old Party. That’s down from 31.5% the month before and reflects a drop of more than six percentage points from the peak of 37.3% during Election 2004.

However, the survey also found a decline in the number identifying themselves as Democrats. Today, 36.5% say they belong to Nancy Pelosi’s party. That’s the lowest total in eleven months and represents a decline from 38.0% since the Democrats began running Congress.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/number_of_republicans_in_u_s_hits_new_low

Another significant note is that 31.3% of Americans now refuse to identify with either major party. That’s a seven percentage point increase since Election 2004 and the highest total of unaffiliateds ever measured. Most of the growth in unaffiliateds has come from the GOP. The number of Democrats in the adult population has remained more stable over the past 3 years

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/number_of_americans_refusing_to_identify_with_gop_or_dems_reaches_new_high

Twenty percent (20%) of Americans give Congress a good or excellent rating these days. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey found that 41% say the nation’s legislators are doing a fair job while 38% say poor.

Bleak as those numbers are, they represent an improvement since the Democrats have taken power. In December, just 11% gave Congress a good or excellent rating while 47% say they were doing a poor job. That was the last survey conducted while the GOP was in charge. Democrats are currently trusted more than Republicans on a variety of issues including how to handle the situation in Iraq. However, ratings for Congress remain far lower than for the President.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/20_say_congress_doing_good_or_excellent_job_41_say_poor

[Sanity Claws]

1. The title of the article is misleading.

According to the poll, 44% strongly disapprove of Bush and 15 % somewhat disapprove. Rasmussen did not use the same index to measure Congress. Per the poll, 61% rated Congress fair or better. That sounds like more approve of Congress than Bush to me.

[Clarkie1]

2. Pick your poll.....

PollingReport.com


CONGRESS – Job Rating in recent national polls

approve/disapprove/unsure/spread

Quinnipiac RV

4/25 - 5/1/07 39 52 9 -13
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

4/17-18/07 35 49 16 -14
.

ABC/Washington Post

4/12-15/07 44 54 3 -10
.

CBS

4/9-12/07 34 54 12 -20
.

L.A. Times/Bloomberg 4/5-9/07 34 58 8 -24
.

Gallup

4/2-5/07 33 60 7 -27
.

AP-Ipsos

4/2-4/07 40 57 * -17
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

3/29 - 4/1/07 37 52 11 -15
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

3/27-28/07 30 54 16 -24
.

Gallup

3/11-14/07 28 64 8 -36
.

CBS/New York Times

3/7-11/07 31 53 16 -22
.

AP-Ipsos

3/5-7/07 33 63 * -30
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal

3/2-5/07 31 53 16 -22
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

2/27-28/07 32 49 20 -17
.

CBS/New York Times

2/23-27/07 33 50 17 -17
.

ABC/Washington Post

2/22-25/07 41 54 5 -13
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

2/21-24/07 30 55 16 -25
.

CBS

2/8-11/07 32 52 16 -20
.

AP-Ipsos

2/5-7/07 34 58 * -24
.

Gallup

2/1-4/07 37 55 8 -18
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

1/30-31/07 33 44 22 -11
.

CBS

1/18-21/07 33 49 18 -16
.

ABC/Washington Post

1/16-19/07 43 50 8 -7
.

AP-Ipsos

1/16-18/07 34 60 * -26
.

Gallup

1/15-18/07 35 56 9 -21
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

1/16-17/07 32 47 21 -15
.

L.A. Times/Bloomberg 1/13-16/07 36 44 20 -8
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

1/11-14/07 31 49 21 -18
.

AP-Ipsos

1/8-10/07 32 62 * -30
.

Gallup

12/11-14/06 21 74 5 -53
.

ABC/Washington Post

12/7-11/06 37 57 6 -20
.

AP-Ipsos

12/4-6/06 27 67 * -40
.

AP-Ipsos

11/13-15/06 26 70 * -44
.

Gallup

11/9-12/06 26 67 7 -41
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

11/8-12/06 27 63 11 -36
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics LV

11/4-5/06 29 57 13 -28
.

USA Today/Gallup

11/2-5/06 26 63 11 -37
.

ABC/Washington Post RV

11/1-4/06 36 60 4 -24
.

CBS/New York Times

10/27-31/06 29 56 15 -27
.

AP-AOL

10/20-25/06 25 72 * -47
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

10/19-23/06 27 65 9 -38
.

USA Today/Gallup

10/20-22/06 26 67 6 -41
.

ABC/Washington Post

10/19-22/06 31 65 4 -34
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal RV

10/13-16/06 16 75 9 -59
.

Gallup

10/9-12/06 23 71 6 -48
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics LV

10/10-11/06 31 63 6 -32
.

CNN

10/6-8/06 28 63 9 -35
.

USA Today/Gallup

10/6-8/06 24 68 7 -44
.

ABC/Washington Post

10/5-8/06 32 66 2 -34
.

CBS/New York Times

10/5-8/06 27 64 9 -37
.

Time

10/3-4/06 31 57 12 -26
.

AP-Ipsos

10/2-4/06 27 69 * -42
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

9/24-26/06 28 65 7 -37
.

L.A. Times/Bloomberg 9/16-19/06 30 57 13 -27
.

CBS/New York Times

9/15-19/06 25 61 14 -36
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics LV

9/12-13/06 29 53 18 -24
.

AP-Ipsos *

9/11-13/06 29 68 -39
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal RV

9/8-11/06 20 65 15 -45
.

Gallup

9/7-10/06 29 63 8 -34
.

ABC

9/5-7/06 40 55 5 -15
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

8/29-30/06 24 61 15 -37
.

Cook/RT Strategies RV 8/25-27/06 31 58 12 -27
.

Time

8/22-24/06 30 59 11 -29
.

CBS/New York Times

8/17-21/06 29 60 11 -31
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

8/17-20/06 31 61 8 -30
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

8/8-9/06 24 58 17 -34
.

Gallup

8/7-10/06 27 65 8 -38
.

AP-Ipsos

8/7-9/06 29 69 * -30
.

ABC/Washington Post

8/3-6/06 36 60 4 -24
.

Cook/RT Strategies RV 7/28-30/06 28 57 15 -29
.

CBS/New York Times

7/21-25/06 28 58 14 -30
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal

7/21-24/06 25 60 15 -35
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

7/20-23/06 31 58 11 -27
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

7/11-12/06 25 61 14 -36
.

AP-Ipsos *

7/10-12/06 27 68 -41
.

Gallup

7/6-9/06 29 61 10 -32
.

Time

6/27-29/06 31 55 14 -24
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

6/21-25/06 30 62 8 -32
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

6/13-14/06 29 59 12 -30
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal

6/9-12/06 23 64 13 -41
.

CBS 6/10-11/06 26 60 14 -34
.

AP-Ipsos *

6/5-7/06 24 73 -49
.

Cook/RT Strategies RV 6/1-4/06 27 56 17 -29
.

Gallup

6/1-4/06 27 63 10 -36
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

5/18-21/06 29 64 7 -35
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

5/16-18/06 27 56 17 -29
.

CBS 5/16-17/06 26 59 15 -33
.

ABC/Washington Post

5/11-15/06 33 63 4 -30
.

Gallup

5/8-11/06 21 71 8 -50
.

CBS/New York Times

5/4-8/06 23 64 13 -41
.

AP-Ipsos *

5/1-3/06 25 71 -46
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal

4/21-24/06 22 65 13 -43
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

4/18-19/06 25 52 23 -27
.

Gallup

4/10-13/06 23 70 7 -47
.

L.A. Times/Bloomberg 4/8-11/06 28 61 11 -33
.

ABC/Washington Post

4/6-9/06 35 62 3 -27
.

CBS 4/6-9/06 27 61 12 -34
.

AP-Ipsos *

4/3-5/06 30 67 -37
.

Time

3/22-23/06 39 49 12 -10
.

Gallup

3/13-16/06 27 65 8 -38
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

3/14-15/06 29 55 16 -26
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal

3/10-13/06 33 53 14 -20
.

CBS 3/9-12/06 32 54 14 -22
.

AP-Ipsos *

3/6-8/06 31 66 -35
.

ABC/Washington Post

3/2-5/06 36 62 3 -26
.

Quinnipiac RV

2/21-28/06 25 63 11 -38
.

CBS 2/22-26/06 28 61 11 -33
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

2/16-19/06 30 61 8 -31
.

Gallup

2/6-9/06 25 65 10 -40
.

AP-Ipsos *

2/6-8/06 35 61 -26
.

NBC/Wall Street Journal

1/26-29/06 29 56 15 -27
.

ABC/Washington Post

1/23-26/06 43 53 4 -10
.

FOX/Opinion Dynamics RV

1/24-25/06 34 51 16 -17
.

L.A. Times/Bloomberg 1/22-25/06 35 55 10 -20
.

CBS/New York Times

1/20-25/06 29 61 10 -32
.

Diageo/Hotline RV

1/12-15/06 31 59 10 -28
.

Gallup

1/9-12/06 27 67 7 -40
.

ABC/Washington Post

1/5-8/06 41 55 5 -14
.

CBS 1/5-8/06 27 57 16 -30
.

AP-Ipsos *

1/3-5/06 34 63 -29


http://www.pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm

[leftupnorth]

3. I agree

[Clarkie1]

4. Here's the polling averages.

President Bush Job Approval
RCP Average
Approve
35.7%
Disapprove
58.5%
Spread 22.8%

Congressional Job Approval
RCP Average
Approve
38.0%
Disapprove
52.3%
Spread 14.3%

http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2007/05/new_2008_qpoll.html

This would seem to support your contention, by whatever meager amount.

[leftupnorth]

5. But historically

hasn't Congress' approval rating been consistently lower in comparison with Presidential approval ratings?

IE: A congressional approval rating of 42% is considered pretty good. But a Presidential approval rating of 42% is considered not so good.

[illinoisprogressive]

6. And this is why we need someone who appeals to indies and swings

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Congress's approval ratings are always comparatively low to the POTUS

But look at Speaker Pelosi's individual approval ratings. From what I've seen, they're above 50% which is unprecedented.