Poll: More Than Half of Americans Believe GOP-Controlled House is Bad For the Country

Reason

A CNN/ ORC International survey, conducted Oct.18-20, shows that 54 percent of Americans think that GOP control of the House of Representatives is bad for the U.S., an 11 point increase since December.

The same survey also shows that 63 percent of Americans think Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) should be replaced.

From Newsmax:

More than half of Americans believe it's bad for the country that the Republican Party controls the House of Representatives, according to a new poll.

The CNN/ ORC International survey — conducted Oct. 18-20, after the end of the partial government shutdown — found that 54 percent of those surveyed think it's a bad thing that the GOP controls the House, up 11 points since the same poll in December. 

Just 38 percent say Republican control is a good thing, a 13-point decrease from the end of last year.

This is the first time since Republicans won back control of the House in 2010 that a majority believes GOP control of the chamber is a bad thing. 

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Comments

[Suthenboy]

I wonder what Bo's take is on the veracity of this poll.

[DesigNate]

This just in: at least half the country is retarded and thinks everything they hear on the news is objective fact and not 100% pure, grade-a bullshit.

[AlmightyJB]

Baaaaaaaa. Baaaaaaaa.

[John]

Since the House is determined by local elections, national polls about it are generally pretty meaningless. It doesn't matter what the majority of the country thinks. It is what the majority of voters in each district think. That 94% of the voters in some other district hate your guts doesn't mean anything.

[AlmightyJB]

Case in point. Nancy Pelosi.

[Paul.]

Case in point, almost any member of the house that perplexes you.

[crazyfingers]

Quiet down with your "facts" that don't fit the narrative.

[Pro Libertate]

That's right--polls like this are close to completely meaningless, because they include huge numbers of voters whose votes don't matter.

It's actually pretty much accepted by everyone that the Republicans will gain in both houses. Even the Democrats know that. They'll try to make that not so, but it's very likely.

[Paul.]

All this press-griping and national polling of Newt Gingrich John Boehner makes me nostalgic for the 90s.

[Hyperion]

at least half the country is retarded

That's a very reserved estimate, imho.

[Hillary's Clitdong]

I think that GOP control of the House is bad for the country. I think that Democratic control of the House is bad for the country. I'd feel more comfortable if a group of gerbils was in control of the House.

[sarcasmic]

"I, for one, welcome our new gerbil overlords"

[Hillary's Clitdong]

The first law will be the Gerbil Protection and Affordable Countermeasures Act, aka "The Richard Gere Ban".

[DesigNate]

Can they have lasers?

[AlmightyJB]

They will cat enforcers with lasers.

[prolefeed]

I think that GOP control of the House is bad for the country. I think that Democratic control of the House is bad for the country.

This. I'd greatly prefer LP control of the House.

[Pro Libertate]

That would be awesome on new levels of awesomeness. A new Ted Koppel would open the report each night on ABC's Frightline in this manner: "Welcome to Frightline. Day 246 of the House shutdown."

[CE]

I'd prefer the House shut down, followed by the Senate and the Executive Branch, and stop taking our money.

[Gilbert Martin]

Gerbils?

I would prefer a collection of pet rocks.

They are even less likely to cause trouble.

[Mad Scientist]

"Our guest tonight is House senior analyst, Joe Waller, formerly with the National Geological Survey. Joe, what can you tell us about the embroiled representative from Pennsylvania's 3rd district?" "Well, Dave, although Representative Cassiterite has been a resident of Pennsylvania for the last 200 years, he was born in the country now known as Rwanda..."

[Pelosi's Accommodator]

Exactly what I thought. Yes, it's bad. Single party control of both houses and the presidency would be worse.

[Fatty Bolger]

The establishment half of the GOP agrees.

[AlmightyJB]

John McCain promises to fix this.

[Gilbert Martin]

McCain is playing his usual roll as Dem's (and the mains stream media's) yardstick of what a "reasonable" Republican is so that any other GOP members who what less government that he does can be portrayed as full blown, bomb throwing anarchists.

[KPres]

Of course Freeney is taking this as anti-Republican, but looking at other questions in the poll, you can see the actual mood is anti-government throughout (you would think that takeaway would be the highlight for a libertarian magazine, rather than the rank partisan angle, but this is Freeney after all)....

For instance:

Question #2. Do you have more confidence in President Obama or in the Republicans in Congress to deal with the major issues facing the country today?

DEC 2011
Obama............50%
Republicans....31%
Neither............14%

DEC 2012
Obama............49%
Republicans....31%
Neither............14%

OCT 2013
Obama............44%
Republicans....31%
Neither............21%

You'll notice that it's OBAMA who lost support, while NEITHER gained support. Republicans were have remained unchanged from before the 2012 election in which the won the House.

Also, it tends to go unreported, but nice how badly Democrats in congress have been polling as well....
http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_dem.htm

There's a general dissatisfaction with government throughout the country...with both parties...and that's very good for libertarians. That should have been the story for anybody other than a progressive bootlicker like Freeney.

[PapayaSF]

Good post.

[Pro Libertate]

My take on shutdownpalooza is that it hurt both parties, because people all over despise the parties and the government a little bit more. Obama in particular gained no friends with his unleadership.

This is great news for libertarians, and, I think, decent news for Republicans on the local/state level.

[John]

I think your take is correct. People don't yet fully realize how bad Obamacare is. So they don't understand why the Republicans are going so insane over it. At the same time, they still buy into the "if they would just get along and solve the country's problem" bipartisan crack the media feeds them.

[R C Dean]

yeah, this scans as a push poll.

Did they ask the parallel question about the Senate? Dem control of the House?

I'm guessing these days you could get majorities saying that control of the House or the Senate by either party is bad for the country.

And, for once, such a poll would be correct.

[Winston]

More concern trolling from Reason. I thought Reason thought a GOP more concerned about getting re-elected was bad?

[Winston]

I mean the actual cuts required to cause an actual budget surplus (not of the fake Clinton kind) I doubt will poll well.

[Calidissident]

Posting a poll is concern trolling? I didn't see an argument made in this post

[Winston]

Posting a poll is concern trolling?

Um Yes? It's not like a GOP controlled by Rand Paul will have 90% approval ratings.

I didn't see an argument made in this post

Yes because it doesn't advance arguments that Feeney or other Reason writers have made.

Also I noticed you replied to my post but not to KPres who called Feeney a "progressive bootlicker."

[CE]

If a GOP controlled by Rand Paul manages to cut government spending to 90% of the current level, I'd be 100% for it.

[Calidissident]

"Um Yes? It's not like a GOP controlled by Rand Paul will have 90% approval ratings."

How? Why is it that you assume that every time Reason posts a news story or a poll that they agree with whatever the majority of respondents support?

"Yes because it doesn't advance arguments that Feeney or other Reason writers have made."

Did Feeney write about the shutdown? I really don't recall reading too many of his articles ever, or at least noticing that he wrote them. I know it may come as a shock to you, but not every Reason writer took the same position on the shutdown or the GOP strategy. However, IIRC I don't think either Suderman or Welch advocated simply rolling over like Boehner did.

"Also I noticed you replied to my post but not to KPres who called Feeney a 'progressive bootlicker.'"

KPres actually did bring up a valid point, although I don't know if I'd call Feeney a "progressive bootlicker" (if there's something he's written that would indicate that, please feel free to link to it). It is interesting how Obama's approval has declined (and Reason has posted other polls on it) and I think including something on that would have been nice, although this article was pretty much just a link to an article on another site. Did some other site write an article about what KPres posted?

[Calidissident]

Nonetheless, from a purely political perspective, the decline in GOP support described in the article is intriguing. The implications of it remain to be seen. Lot of time until the election, and the Democrats aren't too popular either.

Also, KPres doesn't post the exact same three comments (or slight variations) in every fucking thread.

[Stilgar]

Not sure how seriously I can take a poll which has no cross tabs for those under 35, nor gives any breakdown on R/D/I.