archived: 10 - 23 Jul, 2005 Back Next
DEMOCRACY CORPS
Democracy Corps has just release a new (pre-London attack) round of polling results that every Democrat should read. These are the links to the polling results:
James Carville and Stan Greenberg reach the following conclusions:
The Republican revolution, deeply entrenched in Washington, has lost its hold on the American people who are looking for change. All the moorings have been loosened: Iraq, Bush’s frontline in the war on terrorism, is deeply unpopular (56 percent not worth it); Bush’s economy, led by tax cuts, is seen to leave most Americans stuck with limited opportunities (58 percent); his supporters’ partisanship and religious zealotry, most think, have gone miles too far; and his efforts to “reform” the New Deal welfare state, Social Security privatization, are supported by only a third of the country.
As a result, this is a country almost settled on the need for change. Over three surveys in three months, Democracy Corps national surveys show 55 percent wanting to go in a different direction than President Bush, with only 41 percent wanting to continue with his course – 10 points below his vote of eight months ago. Other key indicators for the Bush presidency continue to worsen. By a 20-point margin – a near-record for Bush – voters think the country is seriously
off on the wrong track (56 to 36 percent). And for the first time in Bush’s second term, disapproval of his performance exceeds approval. That has allowed Democrats to move into a consistent 5-point lead in a hypothetical congressional contest, again, confirmed in the last three surveys.
But for all that, Democrats are at risk of making only modest gains in 2006. The Democrats’ gains in the congressional battle have come more from Republican slippage than Democratic gains and, alarmingly, the president’s deep troubles have produced no rise in positive sentiment about the Democrats. Their thermometer ratings are significantly below 2004, with equal numbers offering warm and cool response to the party. The positive ratings (38 percent) are 5 points below that for the Republicans.
The Democrats can achieve major gains, however, if the party moves decisively to a new stage of engagement. They must poise sharp choices – ones that define the Democrats, not just the Republicans and ones that, in every battle, make the Democrats the instrument for reforming and changing Washington. This survey shows how Democrats can start to realize those gains.
Carville and Greenberg’s analysis highlights that America is asking TPJ’s mantra:
WHERE ARE THE DEMS?
Last Update: 03/23/2006