A new Washington Post-ABC poll indicates a majority of registered voters wants a Republican-controlled Congress in order to check President Barack Obama's agenda,
according to the Post.
Only 39 percent of voters said Congress should be controlled by Democrats to support Obama policies, while
53 percent said Republicans should be in charge of Congress.
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Some two-thirds of those surveyed said the country was on the wrong track,
the Post said. The president's approval rating dropped from the 46 percent of three months ago to 41 percent.
On the economy, 42 percent approve of Obama's performance; 37 percent endorse his implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and 34 percent back his management of the Ukraine crisis.
Analysts are paying attention as to whether Republicans can capture the Senate in addition to retaining the House, according to the Post. For now, 45 percent of voters say they plan to vote Democratic in House races against 44 percent who will vote for GOP candidates.
Asked if Democrats in Congress deserved to be re-elected, 60 percent replied: "No they do not." At the same time, 65 percent said Republicans in Congress also didn't deserve to be re-elected.
While Americans have more confidence in Democrats over Republicans — by 40 to 34 percent — and side with Democrats on such issues as the concerns of the middle class, the minimum wage, same-sex marriage, and global warming, these problems appear to be outweighed by other factors.
Some 48 percent say they oppose the Affordable Care Act; 58 percent think it will make healthcare more expensive, and 44 percent believe the healthcare system will get worse because of the law.
About 36 percent say they feel the economy is getting worse; 35 percent see no change, and only 28 percent see an improvement.
Similar public opinion trends in September 2010 preceded that year's GOP landslide, according to the Post. "The president's party is almost certain to suffer at the ballot box in November," the Post concluded.
The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted April 24-27 and included cellphone-only respondents. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.
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