More Poll Numbers That Should Have the Dems Seriously Nervous

The big news out of the Wall Street Journal/NBC poll last night was that President Obama’s numbers are slightly ticking up and public support for the war in Afghanistan is going down. But buried in the 22 pages of data are some pretty disturbing numbers if you’re a Democrat in Washington. To begin with, Congress’s approval ratings─which are always low─got even lower. According to the poll, 66 percent of those surveyed disapprove of the job Congress is doing. When asked whether they’d prefer a Congress controlled by Republicans or one controlled by Democrats, they gave the Dems a narrow lead, 43 percent to the GOP’s 40 percent, with 17 percent “not sure.”

Here’s another reason why Dems should be worried: according to the poll, voters choosing a Democratic-controlled Congress have been inching down month by month, as the GOP has moved up. A year ago, 50 percent of those polled wanted a Dem Congress, compared with only 37 percent for the Republicans. Another poll question asks respondents if they feel their current lawmaker deserves to be reelected, or if it’s time for another person to get a chance. The result: 49 percent of those surveyed said they’d like to see new blood in Congress─a worrisome number for both parties, but particularly for Democrats, who are in the majority. The good news for Dems─well, sort of─is that voters are apparently holding both parties to blame for the lack of bipartisanship. According to the poll, 61 percent of those surveyed said it was “equally the part of both parties,” while 22 percent blamed Republicans and 15 percent blamed Democrats.

As the 2010 elections gear up, Republicans have made clear they will make Nancy Pelosi the bogeyman in their races, particularly in districts represented by conservative Democrats. Here’s why: more people than ever know who Pelosi is, and as her profile has risen, her negatives have gone up. According to the WSJ/NBC poll, only 27 percent have a “positive” view of Pelosi, compared with 44 percent who have a “negative” view. The bright side for Pelosi: her approvals are slightly higher than Glenn Beck’s. According to the poll, 24 percent have a “positive” view of the Fox News host, while 19 percent view him negatively. Interestingly, 15 percent were “neutral” and 42 percent said they didn’t know Beck or weren’t sure.