TODAY:
Poll: Independents siding with GOP - James Hohmann and Jim VandeHei - POLITICO.com
Republicans are on the verge of broad wins next week for one big reason: independent voters are ready to boot Democrats from office, according to a new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll.
Expressing deep dissatisfaction with President Obama’s policies and performance, independents have increasingly sided with conservatives in the belief that government grew too large, too fast under Obama—and that it can no longer be trusted. In the final pre-election Battleground Poll, Republicans hold a 14-point edge among independents and lead overall, 47 percent to 42 percent, in the generic ballot match up.
The swing among independents rivals the emergence of the spirited Tea Party movement as one of the most important changes in American politics over the past 20 months. Many other polls have confirmed this trend over that period, even though it has been vastly overshadowed by coverage of more provocative characters and themes on the right.
The poll found these independents are merging with Republican voters, who remain decidedly more enthusiastic about voting next Tuesday, to threaten both the House and Senate Democratic governing majorities. The Republican lead expands to 12 points in the generic ballot among those “extremely likely” to vote.
It’s the flight of independents that presents the biggest challenge for Democrats. Independents helped lift Democrats to power in 2006 and pushed Obama into office in 2008. But in last year’s Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, these voters registered grave concerns and did it again by breaking for Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in his upset victory in January.
TODAY independents oppose obamacare, 62 to 16
52% of the general population thinks ahab obama's leviathan legislation is a loser
66% of I's say the stimulus was a waste, up a dozen since labor day
"there's been decided momentum for republicans in the last two months:" 29% of I's were leaning gop on labor day, 38% in the third week of september, 44%
TODAY
gwu/battleground's findings are confirmed by "a host of other polls," notes roger simon's journo listers
that'd be gallup, pew, rasmussen, cnn...
amongst I's disgusted with both parties, by 46 to 24 they intend to vote gop
when it comes to job creation, I's favor congressional republicans over the president, 50 to 26
whites oppose obama, 56 to 33
suburbanites are down on him, 51 to 39 (down from 44% support in september)
in the northeast, he's upside down, 41 to 50
in the midwest it's 42 to 48
blue collar whites, the old reagan dems, lean republican by 15
73% of whites say they're likely to vote, compared to 52% of under 30's, 62% of single women, only 47% of african americans
obama would lose to an unnamed republican, 42 to 48
he leads women overall, 46 to 43, but trails men, 37 to 52
and republican women are found to be "significantly more likely to vote"
cbs reports on the same phenomenon, also
TODAY:
Frustrated Independents May Spell Doom for Dems - The Early Show - CBS News
(CBS) With just eight days to go until the midterm elections, Republicans appear poised to take control of the House of Representatives. And despite efforts by President Obama to fire up the base and close the enthusiasm gap for Democrats, it may not be working as well as hoped.
According to the latest battleground poll from Politico, Republicans lead Democrats 47 to 42 percent overall - including a 14-point edge among independents, reports CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante.
CBS News political consultant John Dickerson doesn't think the Democrats will be able to dig out of that big hole among independents in time for the election.
"Not at all. In fact, the president and Democrats have been trying to turn that number around for months and months and it's just stuck there. And that's the big problem for Democrats. They talk about these early voting numbers in the states that have early voting and it shows Democrats are turning out [tho they're down 15 points relative to republicans over 06] which is great for Democrats. But independent voters are also turning out and so, when they vote, if they're voting with this kind of big margin for Republicans, that's where the big victories will come in for the GOP," he said on CBS' "The Early Show" Monday.