No, sirs, we do not approve
The pathetic thing about
these new numbers from ABC and the Washington Post...
Thirty-four percent approve of the performance of congressional Democrats, stable since last spring, up by 7 percentage points from the low about two years ago and just 6 points worse than the average in ABC/Post surveys since 1994. Sixty percent disapprove, a smidge (4 points) fewer than in December.
As for the Republicans in Congress, 25 percent approve, compared with a low of 20 percent in late 2011 and a 20-year average of 32 percent. Seventy-one percent disapprove.
...isn't just that Congressional Democrats and Republicans are at 34 and 25 percent approval, respectively—it's that those numbers are actually an improvement for both parties over the recent past. When you can look at 25 percent approval as a sign of progress, maybe it's time to get a little more ambitious and set higher goals for yourself.
Beyond the top lines, the most interesting thing in the poll is that the GOP's weak numbers are fueled largely by their civil war:
Painfully, congressional Republicans get only a 51 percent approval rating from Republicans themselves, highlighting the party’s popularity problems – including internal rifts over its Tea Party component – among its own core supporters. The Democrats in Congress, by contrast, get a much better rating, 64 percent, from self-identified Democrats in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.
Independents also view Republicans less positively than Democrats, but the GOP's own internal problems are driving most of the gap between the parties. The question is whether this dynamic will lead to an enthusiasm gap in November. In 2010, Republicans won in large part because their supporters voted, while too many Democrats stayed home. The key to 2014 will be reversing that.