After insurance policy cancellations and the botched launch of healthcare.gov, the political fallout from the rollout of Obamacare seems to be having an impact for Democrats in general and Obama, according to recent polling conducted by CNN and ORC International.
From a CNN post this morning entitled CNN/ORC poll: Democrats lose 2014 edge following Obamacare uproar:
What a difference a month makes.A new CNN/ORC International poll indicates a dramatic turnaround in the battle for control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections.Democrats a month ago held a 50%-42% advantage among registered voters in a generic ballot, which asked respondents to choose between a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district without identifying the candidates.That result came after congressional Republicans appeared to overplay their hand in the bitter fight over the federal government shutdown and the debt ceiling.But the Democratic lead has disappeared. A new CNN/ORC poll indicates the GOP now holds a 49%-47% edge.
This follows highlights released from the survey early Monday morning that revealed the President’s marks as manager have taken a hit:
Only four out of 10 Americans believe President Barack Obama can manage the federal government effectively, according to a new national poll.And a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday morning also indicates that 53% of Americans now believe that Obama is not honest and trustworthy, the first time that a clear majority in CNN polling has felt that way.According to the survey, conducted last Monday through Wednesday, 40% say the President can manage the government effectively. That 40% figure is down 12 percentage points from June and is the worst score Obama received among the nine personal characteristics tested in the new poll.”A lot of attention has focused on the President’s numbers on honesty in new polling the past three weeks, but it looks like the recent controversy over Obamacare has had a bigger impact on his status as an effective manager of the government, and that may be what is really driving the drop in Obama’s approval rating this fall,” CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.
Of course, polls change all the time and the 2014 elections are still a long way away. A lot can change between now and then. CNN also reminds us of the 2010 midterm elections and what preceded.
“There is just under a year to go before any votes are actually cast and the ‘generic ballot’ question is not necessarily a good predictor of the actual outcome of 435 separate elections,” [CNN Polling Director Keating] Holland cautions.”A year before the 2010 midterms, for example, the Democrats held a six-point lead on the generic ballot but the GOP wound up regaining control of the House in that election cycle, thanks to an historic 63-seat pickup,” he said.
You can read the full poll/survey and results here and here.
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