Poll: ‘Taint of Incumbency’ Is a Continuing Trend
Republicans hoping that voter unrest is targeted largely at the majority Democrats won’t like what they see in the latest Washington Post-ABC poll. That survey found that fewer than a third of voters are inclined to vote for their current representative, regardless of the lawmakers’ party affiliation. The Post reports:
“„Dissatisfaction is widespread, crossing party lines, ideologies and virtually all groups of voters. Less than a quarter of independents and just three in 10 Republicans say they’re leaning toward backing an incumbent this fall. Even among Democrats, who control the House, the Senate and the White House, opinion is evenly divided on the question.
This isn’t a new trend. Indeed, elections experts were warning months ago that Americans’ distrust in Congress crosses party lines to target all incumbents. Because the Democrats control more seats, of course, they stand ready to suffer the backlash more severely. But today’s poll results are a warning to Republican leaders that, in November, they’re in for a fight as well.
