Poll: Nearly 60% Lack Faith in Obama; More Want Congress in Republican Hands

WASHINGTON – Nearly 60 percent of American voters say they lack faith in President Barack Obama, and growing numbers are more likely to hand Congress back to the Republicans in the November elections, according to a public opinion poll published on Tuesday.

The results of the Washington Post/ABC News poll are a reversal of what voters said at the start of Obama's presidency 18 months ago, when about 60 percent expressed confidence in his decision making.

Voters in the poll seem more eager than ever to hand control of Capitol Hill back to the Republicans, according to the Post's story on the July 7-11 poll of 1,288 people.

"Those most likely to vote in the midterms prefer the GOP over continued Democratic rule by a sizable margin" of 56 percent to 41 percent, the paper reports.

Confidence in Obama is at a new low, but the poll found that his numbers are still higher than lawmakers of either major party four months ahead of the November congressional elections.

Asked how much confidence they have in Obama to make the right decisions for the country's future, 58 percent of respondents said "just some" or "none."

Sixty-eight percent expressed the same sentiments about Democrats in Congress, and 72 percent said the same of Republicans.

Problems in the housing industry, sluggish job growth and other economic issues may have taken a toll on Obama's approval rating, The Post said.

Just 43 percent of all Americans, including a third of Democrats, now say they approve of the job Obama is doing on the economy, while 54 percent disapprove.

The survey, which has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, also found wide anti-incumbent sentiment with 62 percent of voters saying they were not inclined to support those who hold seats now.
All 435 seats in the House are up for grabs in the Nov. 2 election, as well as 36 of the 100 Senate seats.

Democrats control both houses of Congress, but a slight majority of those polled said they would prefer to have Republicans in control to serve as a check on Obama's policies.

Asked about the poll this morning at a breakfast The Christian Science Monitor hosted for reporters, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., told Talking Points Memo that though the numbers look bad, there's still time for the Democrats to turn things around.

"Tides change in politics with great speed," he said. "Things change a great deal in a matter of weeks or months."