GOP plan to stand with the American people not going very well

Quinnipiac: American voters oppose 72 - 22 percent Congress shutting down the federal government to block implementation of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.

Voters also oppose 64 - 27 percent blocking an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling as a way to stop Obamacare, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.
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President Barack Obama gets a negative 45 - 49 percent overall job approval rating, compared to his 46 - 48 percent score August 2.

American voters disapprove 74 - 17 percent of the job Republicans in Congress are doing, their lowest score ever, and disapprove 60 - 32 percent of the job Democrats are doing.

"Americans are certainly not in love with Obamacare, but they reject decisively the claim by Congressional Republicans that it is so bad that it’s worth closing down the government to stop it," says Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“President Barack Obama enters this standoff over the budget with an edge over Congressional Republicans in the voters’ eyes.”

Republicans have been claiming they stand with voters here, but they so clearly do not — and it may cost them dearly in the future.

Looking at the 2014 Congressional races, voters pick a generic Democrat over a generic Republican candidate 43 - 34 percent, the widest Democratic margin measured so far.

“On almost all questions, voters see President Obama as more reasonable, and better able to handle the issues,” Brown said. “But it is not because the president is beloved. He remains under water in job approval and is tied with Congressional Republicans on who best handles the budget deficit. Voters are angry at almost everyone in Washington over their inability to keep the trains running, but they are madder at the Republicans than the Democrats.

“In general, the Republican brand is down as evidenced by the Democrats’ unusually large lead in the so called generic ballot. But we have 13 months before an election can translate this public opinion edge into electoral gains and in politics that amount of time is forever.”

Hands up, who thinks Republicans plan on being less crazy and irresponsible in the coming thirteen months? Who’s been living in a broom closet since 2010?

[photo by IPBrian]