Post Poll: Only 20% Identify As Republicans, Lowest Since 1983

Reporting on the new ABC/Washington Post poll has mostly focused on support for a public health care option. But the poll also shows that, while Republicans have succeeded in stonewalling Democratic initiatives in Congress, they have not managed to rebuild their party.

Only 20 percent of respondents identified themselves as Republicans -- the lowest number since 1983.

"These numbers, coming roughly one year before the 2010 midterm elections, show that any celebration on the GOP's behalf is premature as the party has yet to convince most voters that it can be a viable alternative to Democratic control in Washington today," wrote Chris Cillizza.

George Stephanopoulos adds:

Only 19% trust Republicans in Congress to make the right decisions for the country's future -- compared to 49% trust in Obama. In addition, President Obama outpaces his fellow Democrats on the Hill -- by 15 points -- in this measure, providing some ammunition to the perpetual White House argument to Democratic members that their political success is inextricably linked to the president's. And unlike other recent polls, ABC-Post give Democrats a 51-39 edge in the generic Congressional ballot.

Of course, the poll also has some troubling news for President Obama. Among Democrats, strong approval of the president's handling of health care has dropped 15 percentage points since mid-September.

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Comments

[ruiz]

Just thought I would let all you wonderful Canadians and overall Americans that if you want the real news without any sh.......t you need to look at BBC news. Sad you have to go outside the country to get the news without any bias. Hope all you Canadians are ready for some terrorist to relocate to your country. Gitanamo is closing. They're bringing them to the U.S. As soon as they execute their "rights" I imagine they'll find it more friendly in Canada.
Bush was absolutely far from perfect ...not even near it. But, it was not as good as lying as our current administration here in the U.S.
Hope you enjoyed our help enough in the past to be willing to take up the task of protecting our continent and even hemisphere since Canada is the second strongest economy behind the U.S. because you'll soon be ahead of us with the responsibilities that go with it.

[alice09]

A while back, about a year and a half ago, a Republican Congressman said "If the Republican Party was a dogfood, it would be taken off the shelf". I think the transformation is complete. It's no longer an "if".

[KYlawyer]

The important thing for fellow progressives to note here is not the low percentage of people who identify with the GOP, but the trail of where the right wing has gone.

Rats will leave a sinking ship, and those on the right who are not totally unhinged realize that viability of the GOP is nil. Thus, as ideology is paramount to right wingers they have abandoned the GOP for "independent status, or worse have infested the Democrats as the "blue dogs".

The Democrats should be able to pass anything they want. The truth is there are enough right wing blue dogs to stymie what we as progressives were promised by Obama and the Democrats.

[ClearingtheAir2010]

So only 20% of our country is now old, white, uneducated, and unhinged. Awesome!

[duxguts]

I would love to know how many now call themselves independents.

[Blue neck]

42%

[frappe]

20%? That's too high...I would've thought it somewhere around 13%. Where did that 20% number come from? Fox?

The incredible shrinking Republican party. It's the simple science of the law of cause and effect. People don't like to associate themselves with misery and agents of hate and division. And that's what the Republican party has become.

[DUSAA-1775]

badly formatted polls from the Washington Post really do not show true polling reults. All the poll shows is the bias of the Washington Post.

[noamjunior]

as Steve Perry said- dont stop beliving

[Blue neck]

"Do you identify as Republican, Democrat, or Independent?"

How is that bias??

[JanPoore]

I knew you would say that. Brainwashed Denial. People who watch Faux News are programmed to think that any source other than Faux News is not legitimate. It's part of Murdoch's plan to take over your brains and control you- and he's succeeded in your case.

[jsgaetano]

FOX and Rush are doubtless telling everyone what good news this is for the Republicans.

Stay the Course, Goopers! Keep telling yourselves 2010 will be your year!

[bajed]

Sounds like 2010 could be the year of the independent candidates. Woo Hoo. Finally.

[SharpDressedMan]

for fathers and sons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH46SmVv8SU

[Rjchinook]

Beautiful song but don't see the connection.

[BassMent]

Nothing surprising here. And thank you Glen Beck. Could you get us to 15%, pretty please?

Gotta figure the declining numbers on Obama's "handling" of the health insurance reform issue from Dems stems from his ongoing insistence on bipartisanship. I think that for most Dems bipartisanship is so 2008. We kicked booty in the elections.­.. time for Obama (and all Dems on the hill) to step up to the plate and do the right thing. GWB would have strong-armed every member of his party into submission. I would NOT be opposed to Obama using his mandate as a stick to beat some of these wishy-washy Dems back into line.

[jsgaetano]

There's no reason we shouldn't have single payer. That should have been the plan from the very start.

[LooktotheLeft]

..and as I mentioned yesterday in passing...­The reason the GOP continues to decline is actually quite clinical and somewhat complicated. It is as follows:

Generally, they're r*uthless, shameless, u*gly spinelessw­­­­­orthle­s­sm.f.ing­­c­­h­icke­ns­­hi­tc­­hick­­enh­­awk­s who know nothing of true suffering and have never done a real lick of work in their collective and w*orthless lives. They're moralizing h*ypocrites who indulge in EVERYTHING (and then some) that they endlessly pontificate to others not to do. They appeal to, and exploit, a systematically d*umbed down educationally and culturally deprived society...­d*umbed down by phony religiosity, non-existent terrorism, and jingoistic patriotism for something that doesn't exist but in a John Wayne movie or Remember the Titans. They are narcissistic w*hiners who have not a qualm to send others to spill their blood so long as it's not theirs being spilled.

And I wouldn't have a beer with one even if I was thirsty as a m.f.'er and the beer was the best Munich lager this side of Bavaria...­.even if it was being served up by the finest Fräulein's Germany has to offer

[DFL]

Friends dont let friends vote republican, after the last 8 years of them the country is a financial basket case and now only the very rich and the very stupid vote GOP

[jsgaetano]

What makes me laugh is how people used to always complain that refusing to let minorities into the neighborhood was justified because it would "drive down property values".

Well, having conservatives run the country has driven down property values more than anything else in US history (and by far more in far less time).

Most of America now, at long last, realizes how horrible it is to vote for conservatives.

[termgirl]

What an astute comment. I think people are finally getting in through their heads that voting for conservatives is counter productive to their own financial well- being.

[onrecess]

Hmm, 1983...
Unemployment is also highest since, you got it, 1983. Remember when Ronnie accidentally deregulated the S&Ls and emptied the tills? Yet the Dems went right center to Clinton and the Rep were in total power right after!
America, the not too bright
Only fooled every few years
to let fear mongers steal it all
while singing love of country...
I used to be disgusted, now I'm just amused.

[DannyGee]

there is no way that 20% of respondants in any legitimate poll said they were republicans, since the actual number in the mid to high 40s.

[rich misty]

That is an unsupported delusion. Not even Rassy will make that claim.

[DannyGee]

huh? who do you think the 47% of Americans who didn't vote for Obama are?