Obama Is Losing Voters

The chances of the Republican Party depriving the Democrats of Congressional control in November have increased. According to a new poll, 78 percent of voters are unhappy with the way the government works. There is growing frustration with Democratic policies in the economic sphere, which is at the heart of the Democratic campaign and the national elections. For the first time in recent years, more Americans believe that Republicans would handle the financial problems better than the Democrats.

A fresh poll published in yesterdays Washington Post did not bode well for the Democrat Party, which is quickly losing points in the eyes of voters. The most important irritant for the population is the state of the economy. Rising unemployment is approaching the 10 percent mark, and the slowdown of the economy in the second quarter is especially conspicuous when compared to the more-than-modest progress the administration has made in other areas.

Today, President Barack Obama will try to seize the initiative. He is expected to deliver a package of initiatives which can pull the country out of stagnation. In particular, according to data from Washington, the president is expected to announce the provision of business tax deductions in 2011, which will completely compensate the cost of purchasing new equipment — from computers to electric generators. According to the New York Times, this easing of restrictions could turn into a budget loss of about $200 billion in revenue. The proprietor of the White House also plans to announce an additional $50 billion in infrastructure investment.

For the time being, one third of respondents believe that Obama’s policy worsens the state of affairs in the economy. In the Washington Post/ABC News poll, 42 percent said that most of the blame for the stagnation lies in the presidential administration; this is 15 percent more than last year. More than half of Americans believe that the economy is in a deplorable condition and, for the first time since 2002, more voters hope for Republicans to deal with the financial problems. In recent years, on this issue, the Democrats have had a double-digit advantage over Republicans.

But, in Congress’s view, the economy is the main question of the midterm election campaign. Among other topics approved under pressure from Obama’s health care reform — but which continue to cause deep divisions in society — is the expenditure of state funds, including the aid to bankers on Wall Street. Lastly, immigration: The scandalous law enacted by Republicans in Arizona earlier this year, which significantly complicates the life of illegals in that state, is supported by most Americans.

As a result, according to the Washington Post-ABC News polls, 53 percent of respondents likely to vote in November say they would support Republican over Democrat candidates in their House districts — only 40 percent said they would vote Democrat. A no-less-alarming figure for Obama is his lowest rating: More than half of Americans report negative assessments of his work; only 46 percent of respondents were positive about Obama’s job performance. History shows that from the last 14 presidential parties, 12 have lost seats in the House of Representative during the midterm elections, and these losses generally increased if the president’s rating was below 50 percent.

Sociologists suggest that Obama is increasingly seen as “too liberal” a president. Apparently, this is one of the factors which are compelling independent voters to turn away from him; whereas, in Obama’s 2008 presidential election victory, at least one third of his votes were provided by those same independent voters.