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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009

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NEXT STOP, REALITY TV (MAYBE)

Va. Socialites Crashed
Obama's State Dinner

And, yes, Tareq and Michaele Salahi want reality-TV turn

Nov 25, 09 9:29 PM CST
Racist Image of Michelle Obama Taken Down

Blog site removes it, not Google, then issues apology

Nov 25, 09 2:07 PM CST
PROFILE

Biden the
Second Most
Powerful
Vice Prez

He's scaling back from Cheney, but a major player in his own right

Nov 26, 09 12:47 PM CST
Blair Knew Iraq Had No WMD
10 Days Before War Began

Intelligence ignored, British panel told

Nov 25, 09 8:16 PM CST
Worst Modern VP Picks

Don't be so quick to judge Palin

Nov 26, 09 11:52 AM CST
FACEBOOK DOESN'T LIE, RIGHT?

Party-Crashers Got Close
to Obamas Before

Photos show them in inaugural box; Secret Service admits mistake

Nov 26, 09 7:28 PM CST
Google Issues Disclaimer
Over Racist Michelle Image

But company won't
pull doctored photo

Nov 24, 09 12:28 PM CST
analysis

Kid Lit Goes Political

Children's books get hyper-partisan

Nov 26, 09 4:33 AM CST
White House Backs Senate On 'Cadillac' Health Tax

Advisers outline cost control measures for health plan

Nov 26, 09 8:48 AM CST
Clintons Strive to Avoid Conflict of Interest Claims

Pair lead separate lives focusing on same issues

Nov 26, 09 9:20 AM CST
MALKIN GETS FESTIVE

This Year's Top Liberal Turkeys

Stimulus, President O-bow-ma get top billing

Nov 25, 09 8:01 PM CST
Bachmann, Palin
to Address
Tea Party
Convention

Nashville to host ultra-conservative gathering February

Nov 25, 09 4:34 PM CST
Michelle wore...

The Skinny on the State Dinner

Michelle Obama wore Naeem Khan, and other tidbits

Nov 25, 09 7:49 AM CST

|NEXT STORY »

GALLUP POLL

2010 a Toss-Up as Indies Flee the Dems

But trend and dismal 21% approval of Congress could spell Dem's demise

By Harry Kimball| Posted Oct 7, 09 10:03 AM CDT|

(Newser) – The sizable lead among registered voters Democrats have maintained since the 2006 midterm elections has eroded to almost nothing. In the latest Gallup poll, Dems have just a 2-point advantage over Republicans going into the 2010 midterms, 46% to 44%, well within the sampling error. That’s down from a 6-point lead in July, due mostly to a decrease in support from independents.

The erosion of independent support is particularly striking. Ahead of the presidential election, 46% went for Dems compared to 39% for GOP candidates. In July, the numbers were 42%-43%; in October, 36%-45%. If that trend isn’t enough to spook Democratic office seekers, Congress as a whole has a dismal 21% approval rating, usually a harbinger of significant losses for the majority party. Sub-30% approval numbers preceded both the GOP takeover in 1994 and the Democratic win in 2006.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. could see her position change radically come November 2010, according to the Gallup poll. (AP Photo)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, of Nev., is up for reelection in 2010. (AP Photo)

A view of the West Front of the Capitol building in Washington. (AP Photo)

Washington, DC. (AP Photo)

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39 comments

VIEWING:

Unaffiliated
Oct 7, 09 10:09 AM CDT

Neither party holds the key to a successful future for the American people. Reply

+12

IN RESPONSE:

Timinator2K
Oct 7, 09 10:15 AM CDT

True but, one party holds the lever to flush what future we do have down the Obamacare/Crap & Trade toilet.

-5

IN RESPONSE:

Unaffiliated
Oct 7, 09 10:35 AM CDT

@STP, No, I want a third (or fourth or fifth) party that combines the best of personal responsibility and social responsibility. The Modern Whigs come closest to this, that I've seen.

IN RESPONSE:

Netstorm2k9
Oct 7, 09 1:01 PM CDT

Well said, and well named.

IN RESPONSE:

Netstorm2k9
Oct 7, 09 1:03 PM CDT

That last was at Unaffiliated. What we need is a Libertarian revolution. Would be good to get back to basics.

IN RESPONSE:

Unaffiliated
Oct 7, 09 1:21 PM CDT

@Netstorm, I appreciate that. The Libertarians have some great ideas. A return to Constitutional basics would be terrific. A reduction in the size of government (even a drastic one) would probably be good, if we can somehow transition all the laid off government employees to other jobs and can really help the poor that are welfare dependent. But I don't see how we can return to isolationism anytime soon. And thus we will need a military that can protect our interests anywhere in the world, not just one that is capable of defending the homeland. And people would have to be much more generous than they have been for me to want to live in a libertarian utopia. "What's mine is mine" doesn't work for me. It should be "what's mine is mine, but I'm fortunate to have it in the first place, so I'm more than willing to share it." I guess you could call me a voluntary socialist, in that sense. I still don't think the government should be forcing people to do things they don't want to, or to prevent them from doing things they want to do, within reason, of course. But at least do me a favor? When the revolution starts, please leave out all the John Galt references? ;0)

IN RESPONSE:

Bryanw55
Oct 7, 09 4:15 PM CDT

The Libertarian view is fantastic when it comes to social policy. It is horrible when dealing with creating a livable society otherwise. What's that you say? You don't mind if I have 100 hogs on my residential property, even if their crap drains onto your land and water supply? You don't mind driving on dirt roads when you travel from NY to San Fran? You don't mind turning on the hose connected to your house when your house is on fire? You don't mind only 5% of the people getting a formal education? Then Libertarianism may actually be for you. It sure ain't for me though. I realize taking some of my money to educate children, even though I don't have any, and helping the poor, may keep me from being robbed or murdered in my old age. I realize that having a fire department is a good thing instead of calling out the untrained volunteer bucket brigade. I like having decent roads to drive on and don't care to build my own to every destination I care to drive. I like the internet.

| 0 minutes ago

LovinLife
Oct 7, 09 10:12 AM CDT

Sorry, Gallup. Not buying your BS. The Dems have screwed up, but the GOP is not where independents will go - until and unless they abandon the fringe and white-wing crazies. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

hamsammichs
Oct 7, 09 11:21 AM CDT

Jesus, if this same poll was in the Dems favor, you would be praising its credibility. But since it might be pointing to a change in 2010, OHH NOO Gallup is a bunch of bullshit! Typical, typical.

IN RESPONSE:

LovinLife
Oct 7, 09 11:39 AM CDT

Gallup is never unbiased. Project much? I prefer polling done by Real Clear Politics (their average is usually spot on) and Five Thirty Eight. Much more credible - if you care to enlighten yourself.

IN RESPONSE:

tran_tor
Oct 7, 09 11:50 AM CDT

I got to say LovinLife, that I too have to wonder if the alleged move of indies away from the dems necessarily means a move to the repubs, especially after such a firm electoral rebuke of the repub party just last year.

IN RESPONSE:

nick
Oct 7, 09 11:57 AM CDT

Survey says: Independent voters-- obviously suffering from severe short-term memory loss-- long for the good old days of President George W. Bush and his lap-dog Republican Congress. Someone please tell me what was better in the USA in January, 2009, when Bush left office, than it was 8 years earlier, in 2001 after the Supreme Court voted him into office?

IN RESPONSE:

carpenocturne
Oct 7, 09 3:49 PM CDT

LovinLife, denial is hard, isn't it? @Nick are you serious? Bush=republicans? I bet you think you're a real open guy, and believes generalizing is wrong.. unless of course they don't agree, then its all BURN THEM AT THE STAKE. Wake up, hypocrite, if you want to be 'enlightened' try treating EVERYONE equally.

IN RESPONSE:

carpenocturne
Oct 7, 09 3:50 PM CDT

By the way, LovinLife, realclearpolitics indicates that the split is 40.3 for repubs and 42.8 for dems. That's a 2.5% difference, and still within the error of margin. I bet you think they're biased now too, huh?

IN RESPONSE:

Berzelius
Oct 7, 09 10:21 AM CDT

Name two ways the Democratic party has taken a turn toward policies resembling Castro/Chavez.

IN RESPONSE:

hamsammichs
Oct 7, 09 11:21 AM CDT

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

IN RESPONSE:

polytricks
Oct 7, 09 11:28 AM CDT

@Berzelius: Actually, if you read the economics portions of the Nazi Party's 25 point plan from the 30's, it is extremely similar to what Democrats and many Republicans would like to see in the US (http://tinyurl.com/25pointplan).

IN RESPONSE:

Thinker
Oct 7, 09 11:49 AM CDT

What's wrong with redistributing the income from the rich aholes to the lower and middle class people who actually work for the money? Unregulated capitalism has created a serious disparity and the U.S. will never recover without progressive taxes and making the rich pay their fair share.

IN RESPONSE:

Bryanw55
Oct 7, 09 4:06 PM CDT

Stopthepresses2, What false equivalency; Just because the Nazi party campaigned for national healthcare does not make the democratic party close to them in other policy. That is like saying that because they had laws against armed robbery, then anyone opposing armed robbery is aligned with fascism. As for redistribution of wealth, those opposing a return to the tax levels under Ronald Reagan are now called Nazis and Socialists. The banks should be nationalized temporarily until the crooks who ponzied us out of our money are culled from their ranks, then returned as smaller, not too big to fail, private industry. Republicans would have bailed out GM too, they would just have been far more cruel to the workers. Manuel Zelava is the duly elected leader of Honduras. We should back him. The corporatists are the ones trying to remove him from power, and they were not in the majority in the election. Just as the corporatists in the US were the ones who backed the Nazis, if you read history at all. They even tried to convince the great Marine Corp General Smedley Butler to help them pull a coup against FDR. Thank god he finally saw through them. So back off on comparing the democrats to fascist policy. You are dead wrong and only making a fool of yourself.

| 0 minutes ago

polstroad
Oct 7, 09 10:22 AM CDT

Timinator: you seem incapable of sayibng anythibng of substance and merely resort, always, to stupid snarky silly remarks. What, tell us, is the GOP plan for fixing our nation? \Tell us or shut the hell up. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

polytricks
Oct 7, 09 11:24 AM CDT

It's possible to dislike mainstream Democrats and mainstream Republicans at the same time. Disliking one does not mean you can't dislike the other. In politics, there are more than two sides.

| 0 minutes ago

jax
Oct 7, 09 10:29 AM CDT

If the Dems want there constituents back they better do a much better job on healthcare reform then they are doing at the moment. Say yes to the public option. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

LovinLife
Oct 7, 09 11:15 AM CDT

I believe they will - but this is ours to win or lose. Call your representatives, please! They're hearing from insurance lobby and the crazy, selfish or scared people. Let them hear from you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SMmu6CyKx4

| 0 minutes ago

divetrader
Oct 7, 09 10:39 AM CDT

I would like Barney Sanders to be cloned and replace all the Blue Dogs as well as Republicans. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Unaffiliated
Oct 7, 09 10:49 AM CDT

Who's Barney Sanders? Do you mean Bernie?

IN RESPONSE:

carpenocturne
Oct 7, 09 3:44 PM CDT

you know what those left of the center say, "If you can't get things done, blame others!" I suppose we should silence everyone who disagrees with us. My wouldn't that be a perfect nation... Oh wait, wouldn't that be an oppressive gov't? Oh well, let's do it anyway!

IN RESPONSE:

Bryanw55
Oct 7, 09 4:29 PM CDT

@carpenocturne-Do you mean like the republicans, after total rule in 6 out of the 8 years preceding, blamed Clinton until about 15 minutes before Obama was sworn in? Obama hasn't even been in a year yet. At this point in Bush's presidency, he was just coming off of his first long vacation.

IN RESPONSE:

Bryanw55
Oct 7, 09 4:32 PM CDT

And that was only reluctantly, and after hiding for a day, when America was under attack. He then appeased one of bin Laden's primary demands within a month and moved all US troops out of Saudi Arabia, even though it was Iraq who attacked us, according to Dick Cheney.

IN RESPONSE:

Bryanw55
Oct 7, 09 5:15 PM CDT

Sure you can clone a clone. You can even clone a clone of a clone of a clone. then you get a republican.

| 0 minutes ago

polstroad
Oct 7, 09 11:16 AM CDT

stopthe bullshit: the medicarte program is govt run...best medical arouind except what your congressman has for himself and the VA...read up nationalize banks:? nah. they failed and tax payers own them to get paidn back... taxes? nah: took 'back some of the big time money Bush gave to his pals and gave it to the middleclass. Don;'t want yours? call a rtich dude and give it to him time for you to start reading some respectable newspapers instead of spouting falsehoods and nonsense. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

nick
Oct 7, 09 12:20 PM CDT

@Stopthepresses2. President Obama, in order to appease the people (bitchers) like you, stated that if you are satisfied with your current health insurance plan you may keep it! Do you have a problem with that?

| 0 minutes ago

osu1067
Oct 7, 09 12:02 PM CDT

Some of my family in the Toledo Ohio area have informed me that an Independent candidate will probably win the mayoral election over the Democratic candidate next month. The Republican candidate for the the city did not even make it on the final ballot. To have an independent mayor in a traditionally strong Democratic town speaks volumes about the political atmosphere in the US. Independents are disenchanted with both parties. I don't think the loss of support for Dems. will mean a boost in support for Republicans. American independents are increasingly more interested in electing leaders who are not affiliated with either political party. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Derni
Oct 7, 09 12:27 PM CDT

Unrelated but cetian to have an affect on the election-a study was done-its posted on the web-of the intelligence of most states-brain health-academics-etc-no surpirse that the 8 atthe bottom were RED states! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Netstorm2k9
Oct 7, 09 1:05 PM CDT

Seems the time is right for a charismatic figure to rise and unite the despairing on both sides with a message of hope. Oh wait, we tried that. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Stasis
Oct 7, 09 1:35 PM CDT

All the Republican Party needs is a bunch of dead Americans so they can paint their face in their blood and run around screaming "9/11!! 9/11!!" Reply

-2

| 0 minutes ago

carpenocturne
Oct 7, 09 3:39 PM CDT

Undoubtedly the reactionary newser community will use this as a chance to blame Republicans. Kind of ironic considering the subject matter of this post. STOP BLAMING PEOPLE AND GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER! If the Dem party spent 1/2 the amount of time they do blaming Republicans toward getting their goals accomplished, they wouldn't be in this pickle. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

carpenocturne
Oct 7, 09 3:53 PM CDT

For those bitching about how invalid and biased Gallup is, take a look at some others: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/generic_congressional_vote-901.html Not all that different.... So get over it and get to work! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Bryanw55
Oct 7, 09 3:54 PM CDT

If we as a country are stupid enough to elect republicans as a majority again after their rule of 6 out of the last 8 years, we will get what we deserve. Maybe it is time to vote republican for everyone so that people will finally realize what they, along with blue dog type democrats, including the Clintons, have and will do to this country. Let them see the busting of their pay and further off-shoring of their jobs now that unions are completely busted. Let them see what true darwinian capitalism will yield for all but a very few at the top, a top which will allude most of them. Let them see the true jack booted thuggery, when the every whim of large corporations are carried out by legislation, that takes place. Maybe they things have to get even worse than they are so that people will finally realize that they have been sold a bunch of propaganda since birth, and will finally go after the real culprits. I can get by under any type of government, but that is because I realize who is watching my interests and who is not. I can't say the same for many independents, hard core republicans, and blue dog democrats. All I can say to them is: be careful what you wish for. You have no clue what misery this will bring you and your children. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

HawkWatcher
Oct 8, 09 2:40 AM CDT

The indies will continue to flee, they have good reason. Destructive, irresponsible nutjobs are in control of the nations purse strings; Democrats who do not believe that individual liberty for the common taxpayer is a good thing. I left the Democrat party years ago. They are now proceeding to bankrupt the country. I expect some indies will indeed be elected in 2010, as well as many Republicans. It's only natural. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 39 comments »

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2010 a Toss-Up as Indies Flee the Dems

But trend and dismal 21% approval of Congress could spell Dem's demise

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Should Democrats Panic? Yes, but Only 'a Little'

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Disaffected Right, Left Close Purse Strings to Parties

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2010 a Toss-Up as Indies Flee the Dems

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Senators See Upcoming Vote on Obama—Not Health

Eye constituents' votes in 2008, not polls on health care

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Should Democrats Panic? Yes, but Only 'a Little'

Party's in 'fairly bad shape,' but there's time to rebound

MORE ABOUT: Congress • Democrats • House of Representatives • Gallup poll • 2010 election • Nate Silver • Republicans

Disaffected Right, Left Close Purse Strings to Parties

Miffed at election behavior, partisans boycott DCCC, NRCC, etc.

Congress • Senate • GOP • House of Representatives • Republican Party • candidate • Democratic Party • Gallup poll • opinion polls • Election 2010 • midterm elections

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