Republican candidates lead in poll
By: Andy Barr
December 16, 2009 12:12 PM EST
politico.com
Republican congressional candidates hold a two percentage point advantage over their Democratic rivals, according to the new George Washington University Battleground Poll out Wednesday.
GOP candidates lead Democrats 42 percent to 40 percent in the nationwide poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted for George Washington by the Terrance Group and Lake Research Partners.
But while those surveyed rated Republicans candidates higher than Democrats, they gave a slight edge in favorability rating to Democrats in Congress over the GOP. According to the poll, 41 percent said they had a favorable view of Republicans in Congress while 43 percent said the same of Democrats. The GOP had an unfavorable rating of 46 percent, while Democrats were seen unfavorably by 49 percent.
The data stands as a contrast to a survey released by Gallup on Tuesday showing Democratic candidates with a 3 percentage point edge on a generic ballot, 48-45 percent.
A wide majority, 68 percent, of those polled in the George Washington survey said they disapprove of how Congress has handled its job. But voters are split on whether they would prefer a divided government – with Republicans controlling Congress and President Barack Obama in the White House – or a unified government. Forty-one percent said they preferred a divided government, while 38 percent would choose a united one.
Obama received a 50 percent job approval rating in the poll, although many more respondents showed a favorable view of the president personally. Sixty-seven percent said they personally approved of the president, while 56 percent registered a favorable rating on name identification.
“Nearly a year into his first term, the president remains the most popular figure in Washington, though the economy is starting to take a toll on his and his party's image,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners. “Voters are very anxious about the economy and looking for solutions that will put people back to work. Democrats can point to a number of successes, yet will ultimately be judged on whether Americans see and feel the recovery in their own communities.” |
