Pew Poll: Independents leaving Dems narrow dem edge for '10 to statistical dead heat

At the same time, intentions to vote Democratic in the next midterm election are markedly lower than they have been over the past four years. Voters are about evenly divided when asked how they would vote if the election for Congress were being held today: 45% say they would vote for a Democratic candidate in their district, or lean Democratic, while 44% say they would vote for a Republican or lean Republican. At about this point four years ago, Democrats led in the generic congressional ballot by 52% to 40% and went on to win a majority of the popular vote and regain control of Congress the following November.

Most of the shift in voting intentions since the 2006 election cycle has occurred among political independents. Independent voters backed Democrats by a wide margin in the previous midterm (11 points on the eve of the election), but currently say they support the GOP candidate in their district by 43% to 38%.

Independents’ views of Congress shifted more dramatically in recent months than have opinions among Republicans or Democrats. Notably, independent voters who express an unfavorable view of Congress, say they would back the GOP candidate over the Democrat by a whopping 51% to 31% margin, while the smaller proportion of independent voters who have a positive view of Congress say they intend to vote for the Democrat, by 55% to 29%.

Opinions about health care reform may well be contributing to public discontent with Congress. By a 46% to 39% margin, more Americans generally oppose than favor the health care proposals being considered in Congress, which is little changed from July (44% oppose, 38% favor).

http://people-press.org/report/539/congressional-favorability-at-24-year-low

The party is seen as weak, spineless, indecisive, and incapable of moving forward with much of anything.

Those old boys had better change their tunes quickly when they return from their vacations or a lot of them will be looking for lobbyist jobs after the 2010 election.

And the country will be fucked.

everything he asked for

It is these same individuals who are now screwing up healthcare

If they don't pull their heads out of their behinds, they will have a lot more to worry about than just independents

while the GOP, by and large are united against it.

Representing Corporate America, instead of the People.

And cutting deals with the Insurance & Pharmaceutical Industries, instead of real Health Care reform.

It's not that they want to vote for the Republican... They want to punish the Democrats for acting like Republicans.

A Democratic president, senate, and house that cannot seem to get their act together. If I were an Independent I just might make another choice, or not choose.

which will help the gop make major gains, if not take control of either the house and/or senate.

It hasn't even been a year, and they turned their backs on the people who elected them and have moved toward the Republican side. You don't piss off the people who voted you into office, because you WILL need them in the next election, regardless if your term is up or not. They ARE squandering and blowing all the support they won in the last election. They were given a mandate for change, but they are choosing to be more like BushCo & Republicans, Inc. instead.

The Democrats are doing everything to make sure that 30% Republican wins in the next election, because they are so sure they have it in the win column already.

And once again, those supposedly "more intelligent" Democrats will be scratching their heads after the next election, trying to figure out how people could vote against their alleged* "best interests."

*When you only offer Chump Change Token Efforts to your voters, while giving the Treasury to Corporate America, your voters know they are getting screwed.

They hate the Democrats acting like Republicans, so they're going to vote in REAL Republicans to show them a lesson?

Wow, no longer they're indies - they're idiots!

Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face. haha.

The Democrats were given the White House, House of Representatives, and the Senate with a mandate to change, but the Democrats chose to act more like Republicans.

Who are the idiots again?

And anyone who thinks voting Republicans into power is no different than what we're getting now is clinically brain dead and should be euthanized.

With the Republicans, there would be no discussion of it, unless it was needed for an election... So a deal would be cut with the Industries, and they would call it Health Care reform. Much like the Medicare Prescription coverage.

But, the People handed the Democrats an absolute mandate to reform Health Care, and absolutely NOT like the Republicans would do it. Yet, what are the Democrats doing with their mandate?

Go on, tell me.

I know the difference between the two, but people get sick and tired of always taking it up the ass, so they stop giving a shit about which Party is running the shell game. If the Democrats started standing up for the people, instead of trying to be more like Republicans, they would find that people would never consider voting them out.

The Republicans are against ANY reform. People might not like what the Democrats are proposing, but it's still light years ahead of where the Republicans would have us.

Do you think if McCain won the election, we'd be having this debate? No.

The debate is there and we still have a great chance of getting something done.

Yet if we decide to go out and vote Republican because we're opposed to some of it, then what do we get?

There IS a difference and if people do not believe there is one, they're up in the sky.

while the disgusted Democrats stay home.

The point was that indies would flock to the Republicans.

Do you seriously think Obama and the Democrats got elected, because Independents wanted Obama to give the American People what the Republicans would offer as a parlor trick?

Independents may be concerned about the deficit, especially when they see all the giveaways to the Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industries, while the people are still stuck with an inferior Health Care Plan. Do you want a Health Care Plan modeled after Bush's Medicare Prescription Plan? Maybe they don't either.

It does not make a damn bit of difference whether Independents flock to Republicans or Democrats STAY HOME, because they have had it shoved up and broke off in their ass again. That 30%, now 45% Republican will kick the Democrat's ass all over the election.

Why? Because the Democrats promise to represent the People, but only offer token effort chump change instead, while giving away the Treasury to Corporate America.

WHAT HARM WOULD IT CAUSE THE DEMOCRATS TO ACTUALLY MOVE TO THE LEFT, INSTEAD OF ACTING LIKE REPUBLICANS?
Do you really think they could possibly lose as much support, as they have since they started the Health Care debate? Then why did they move to the right, because that's when they started losing support?

Ask yourself why, when the Democrats received a MANDATE from the American People, they suddenly had to insist on doing it the Republican way too. Why? The People gave them a mandate, and a big enough majority, to tell the Republicans to sit down and shut up.

Do you really think the People turned over the entire government to the Democrats, if the People gave a shit about how the Republicans would do it? NO! Because they want their government to move to the left, not the right, especially when it comes to health care and economic issues.

anything. These are the people who helped give Ross Perot 19% of popular vote in 1992.

The MSM really has a so called liberal bias, doesn't it?

And once again, they will ignore the lesson and subject the nation to another round of republik mismanagement.

"Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven" - Milton

will successfully have persuaded the fickle that the Democrats are bad.

Fucking amazing easy it is to sway these people, they don't think past today.