To read the New York Times article on its latest poll (done in conjunction with CBS News), titled “G.O.P. Gains Strength and Obama Gets Low Marks, Poll Finds”, click here.
To see the poll in its entirety, click here.
To see a few selected data from the poll – data which are, in my opinion, telling a story – keep reading:
-Presidential Approval: President Obama is at 40% approval, tied for the lowest level in this poll\’s history. In the three waves of interviewing since June, he has been at 40% approval, 41% and 40% again.
-Approval of how President Obama is handling foreign policy, at 34%, (and 58% disapprove) is the lowest it has ever been in this poll.
-“Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the threat of terrorism” is in free-fall. In March of this year it was 53% approve vs. 38% disapprove. Today it is 41% approve vs. 50% disapprove: from +15% to -9% in a half year.
-His handling of the immigration issue is at 30% approve, 60% disapprove. Again, the lowest he has ever gotten in this poll.
-As seen in other polls, when respondents are asked their general approval or disapproval of how Republican congresspeople are handling their job, the numbers are horrible: 19% approve, 70% disapprove. However, though better than Republicans, Democrats – at 30% approve, 61% disapprove – are no great shakes either.
-When asked whether they would vote for the Republican or Democrat candidate in their own district (unlike the previous question, this is not general….they are being asked about their specific congressperson) the results are a major source of concern for Democrats. In June, Democrats led Republicans by 42% – 39%. In July Democrats led 41% – 37%. But now? Republicans have jumped to a 42% – 38 % lead — and an even greater 45% – 39% lead when “probable voters” are looked at separately.
What does all this mean? That is hard to say, since a) political polls can be notoriously inaccurate and b) these latest data are fully subject to change over the next 6 – 7 weeks until election day.
But looking at the direction they are heading, I think it would be fair to say that Republicans, at least as of this moment, are feeling appreciably better about things than Democrats are.
