Independents swinging strongly toward GOP, poll finds
Thu, 07/01/2010 - 2:47pm | 
The RLC
A new poll finds that Republicans have increased their lead among independent voters. According to the latest Gallup survey, the GOP now leads Democrats by 12 points — 46 percent to 32 percent — among independents, a voting bloc that looks to be pivotal in determining the outcome of the November elections.
For Democrats, this is bad but not surprising news. Since March, the GOP has enjoyed an average 10-point lead among independents. Last month, Gallup found that independent voters believe the Democratic Party has become “too liberal.”
President Obama’s rating among independents has tanked big time over the last 18 months — a big deal considering that swing voters were the main reason he won the White House in 2008. According to Gallup’s latest numbers, 51 percent of independent registered voters disapprove of the job Obama is doing; 42 percent approve.
Indeed, displeasure with Obama is the main thing driving independents from the Dems. According to Gallup, 71 percent of the independent voters who say they disapprove of Obama’s job performance say they would vote for the GOP candidate in their district if the election were held today.
In contrast, 63 percent of independent voters who like what Obama is doing say they’ll vote Democratic this fall. That’s a hopeful number for Democrats — but with Obama’s disapproval numbers rising among independents, it’s not a voting bloc the party can count on.
By Holly Bailey
Thursday, July 1, 2010
URL http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100701/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2992/print
The erosion of support for
The erosion of support for the Obama administration and the Democrats is not surprising. Candidate Obama campaigned as a common sense pragmatist, but has governed as a big government liberal-- which has left many Independents and conservative Democrats disillusioned. In a nutshell, I believe that if the current policies aren't checked in a significant way in the upcoming mid-term elections, we will be transforming the country from an opportunity society into an entitlement society where an increasing number of people will be dependent on the government.
The erosion of support for
The erosion of support for the Obama administration and the Democrats is not surprising. Candidate Obama campaigned as a common sense pragmatist, but has governed as a big government liberal-- which has left many Independents and conservative Democrats disillusioned. In a nutshell, I believe that if the current policies aren't checked in a significant way in the upcoming mid-term elections, we will be transforming the country from an opportunity society into an entitlement society where an increasing number of people will be dependent on the government.
I was a registered Democrat (fiscally conservative) for 23 years until I became an Independent in early 2009. The political tension that existed between President Clinton and the Republican majority in the 90's, far from creating gridlock, actually produced some good government (welfare reform,declining deficits, etc.) We could use that again, although I'm far from convinced that President Obama has the kind of inclination to compromise that Clinton exhibited. Even as a Democrat, I'd always liked the approach to governing that was exemplified in New Jersey by Christie Whitman in the 90's and more recently by Mitt Romney in Massachusetts. Leaders like these believe in creating the conditions that promote a thriving private economy. In addition, while they recognize a role for government and the need for a social safety net, they also understand that more government is not the solution to every problem.